Prejudice And Racial Discrimination In Malcolm Little's Malcolm X

Without a doubt, Malcolm Little has been considered as one of the greatest and most iconic African American writers in our history. He is best remembered for the fortitude and passion he presented during all of his speeches, and his heritage has moved through the generations as the source for various kinds of books and documentary films. He desired to get his messages out to the world, even by using radical methods such as calling white people devils, applying anger and preserving his own beliefs. In this essay, a comprehensive life story of the talented African American writer, during the time of harsh prejudice and racial discrimination toward Africans, will be described. Moreover, three possible reasons for the alteration of the Malcolm’s
genuine beliefs about race and racism, by considering his experience of being victim of numerous life challenges, will be discussed.
Malcolm Little, also known as Malcolm X, was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Malcolm’s mother, Louise Norton Little, was a housekeeper and his father, Earl Little, was an outspoken Baptist minister and a supporter of the Black Nationalist leader. Accordingly, Malcolm’s father received numerous death threats from white supremacist. Despite of the Little’s attempts to avoid the Legion, their Michigan home was burned to the ground. Subsequently, after two years, Ellie’s body was found mutilated lying across the town’s trolley trucks. The police ruled it an accident, although the Malcom was assured that it was a member of Black Legion. His mother, Louise, suffered emotional breakdown during the several years after her husband’s death and was committed to a mental institution, whereas her children were separated and sent to various foster homes and
orphanages.
In this book, Autobiography of Malcolm X, written in distinguishing emotion-driven style, author created a unique world that depicts the life story of an interesting and influential man. As a religious composition – which is possibly the way Malcolm aimed the book to be read – it describes of his strives to find his God. One of the main difficulties of this autobiography is contradiction of his behaviors and complicity in understanding what exact direction he chose at the end of his life.
Firstly, according to Malcolm X published works, the hardships he struggled through, related to his father death and his mother going insane, influenced significantly to the alterations of his racial beliefs. Even though, Malcolm X’s father was presumably murdered by white supremacists, from whom he had received permanent death warnings, the police ruled his death a suicide.
Additionaly, at high school, he felt that his classmates consider him as a class pet rather than a human being, by facing frequent humiliation and violence. Malcolm X lost his interest in becoming a lawyer, when his favorite teacher in school told him that it is an unrealistic dream for an African-American individual and there is no sense for a black child to pursue education. Following circumstances only worsened his negative attitude toward whites, by making him more aggressive and motivated him to take a violent approach. He felt that the only way African-Americans could obtain justice that they desired was through force and the humiliating of the white race altogether.
Secondly, a strong disappointment in his role model, Elijah Muhammad, can be considered as one of the most crucial events that helped him to develop his own moral standards. During this time, Muhammad was his significantly close both friend and religious adviser. As a consequence of his inborn charisma, drive, confidence, Malcolm was appointed by Muhammad as a minister and national spokesman for the Nation of Islam, popularly known as the “Black Muslims”. Actually, this religion powerfully urged the division of the races and considered the white people as the devil in human form – a mistaken conviction which Malcolm was, at that time, willing to believe. Subsequently, the Nation of Islam extended from an insignificant, small organization to a substantial, organized, influential national party devoted to black separatism, and Malcolm became its irreplaceable and well known spokesman. For white Americans, he appeared as an object of fright and hatred.
However, Malcolm X sudden popularity had unforeseen consequences; Muhammad, frightened about his rapid influence, started to diminish his support of Malcolm, and even attempted to assassinate Malcolm by bombing his car.
Nevertheless, Malcolm started to hear different speculations that Muhammed had been transgressing Islamic moral regulations by committing adultery, which led to his ultimate decision to suspend from that organization and accelerated his “psychological dissolution” from the Muslims.
Finally, the third possible reason for the changes occurred in relations to his outlook on race was formed after his pilgrimage to Mecca. Accordingly, after betrayal of a friend and disillusionment with the Nation of Islam, Malcolm decided to create his own organization, carrying out the program of racial separation and public control. Furthermore, experienced obstacles in his life drastically influenced on his decision to make a pilgrimage to Mecca – a journey which is mandatory religious duty for every Muslim. As a result of the
pilgrimage,
Malcolm came to the conclusion that the whiteness he had detested and fought in America was not a matter of color, but a matter of attitude and actions. Therefore, being white did not a person evil; but living in America at that time, nonetheless, generally did involve specific patterns of behavior about race. The only way that America could avoid racial discrimination was to change its social attitude and to consider the “Oneness of Man” under the “Oneness of God”. Accordingly, he strongly believed that it is achievable for people of different races to collaborate and come together peacefully if they would learn to accept one another as brothers. Malcolm did not believe in difference of skin color or race, he believed in Islam. In conclusion, Malcolm X is the phenomenal figure, who dedicated his life to alter political, social, and racial views about the people of color. The ongoing endeavor, he gave to African-Americans in motivating to fight against the racial discrimination is what helped him to gain a respect that has followed him for decades. Malcolm X is credited with increasing the self-esteem of black Americans and reconnecting them with African legacy.