Malcolm X remains as one of the most influential historic figures of modern times, giving rise to the concepts pride and self-reliance within the Black community. While Malcolm X was the face of Black nationalism as a member of the Nation of Islam, he was well on his way to promoting an even broader message for human rights.
Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was assassinated on this day 50 years ago in 1965 at Manhattan’s Audubon Ballroom while addressing members of his new organization. The incident silenced one of the most powerful voices to ever exist in the name of equality, thus ending the hope for changes to society many are still awaiting.
Malcolm X, who by then changed his named to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was just three months shy of his 40th birthday when his assailants gunned him down. The men who shot the great leader were found to be members of the NOI, the group Shabazz defected from two years earlier.
Hip-Hop Wired looks at 10 fascinating facts about Malcolm X on the following pages. May he rest forever powerfully in peace.
—
Photo: Public Domain/LOC
Malcolm’s Father Was An Advocate Of Civil Rights Early On
Earl Little, a preacher in Omaha, Neb., was a supporter of Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Mr. Little was the leader of a local chapter of Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. This lead to attacks from Ku Klux Klan members, and forced the family to move to Lansing, Mich. In the North, the family faced similar racism, including their home being burned to the ground while white firemen did nothing to quell the blaze.
Mr. Little Was Found Dead Under Mysterious Circumstances
In 1931, Mr. Little was found most likely murdered near streetcar tracks. His death was ruled a suicide, although the family faced several death threats from white supremacists in their neighborhood. Because of the police ruling, the Little family’s life insurance policy was voided. The death shook Malcolm’s mother to the core and she never recovered. She was committed to a mental health institution in 1937, and her son was sent to live with family and started his life as a criminal.
Malcolm X’s Life Of Crime Began In Boston
Malcolm’s foray into the life of crime occurred after he dropped out of high school at 15 and moved to live with his half-sister Ella in Boston. While there, he had odd jobs but fell in with the wrong crowd. Working as a kitchen aide on a train between Boston and New York, he got deeper involved in crime and connected with the Harlem underworld.
Detroit Red And Chicago Red
Malcolm X was nicknamed “Detroit Red” during his stint as a dishwasher at a New York restaurant. He encountered John Elroy Sanford, nicknamed “Chicago Red” and better known as late comedian Redd Foxx. The two were friendly if not terribly close.
He Was Largely Self-Taught
Because he ended his tenure in high school early, Malcolm X was stunted academically. After getting arrested for grand larceny in 1946 and sentenced to 10 years, Little met a prisoner, John Bembry who instilled in him a love for reading.
His Family Found Islam Before He Did
The reason why Little converted to Islam was because of his siblings and their connection with the National Of Islam, also known then as the Black Muslims. While a part of the NOI, he courted and met his future wife, the late Betty Shabazz.
A Rise To Notoriety
Malcolm X was released from prison in 1952 and had several exchange with NOI leader, the Hon. Elijah Muhammad. It was then he took the “X” surname and moved to Detroit to helped spread the nation’s message. X became a minister of NOI temples in Boston and Harlem, and established the Muhammad Speaks newspaper. By the early 1960s, X was the NOI’s national spokesman and a fiery orator that struck fear into white America.
MLK Was Not Fond Of X’s Message
The Civil Rights Movement was reaching its zenith when the NOI began to rise. On one side, the peaceful demonstrations advocated by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. contrasted greatly with the Black radicalism of the NOI. King was very vocal of his disdain of the NOI.
The Split And Growth
Disenchanted with what he began to discover about Muhammad’s extramarital affairs and other issues, X split from the NOI in 1963. This sparked a new understanding of the connections between Black nationalism and the Civil Rights Movement. He also took a trip to North Africa and the Middle East. While in the Middle East, X took the traditional Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia known as the hajj. X converted to orthodox Islam and began to embrace all races while still promoting the hopes of Black Americans.
Shabazz Founded His Own Group
Now known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, the powerful leader began his own group, Organization of Afro-American Unity, in 1964. Facing death threats for his split from the NOI, Shabazz believed in arming one’s self but only in the manner of self-defense and not aggression. The group’s membership rose rapidly, causing then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to place the OOAU under his intense scrutiny. His sister, Ella, tried to keep the organization going after his death, but it eventually collapsed.
