The Powerful Autobiography of Malcolm X: Challenging Racism and Empowering Black Communities

Abstract

Autobiography of Malcom X Title/author/publisher/ISBN The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Malcolm X is the main author in collaboration with Alex Haley an American journalist. In the new copy of 2015 through 2018, Attalah Shabazz one of Malcolm’s daughter adds “Foreword” content while Michael S. Handler, a veteran news reports who Malcolm x believed had none of the usual prejudices or sentimentalities about black people compiles a detailed “Introduction” to the narration Main characters The characters include, Malcolm X as (Malcolm Little, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) taking the main author, narrator and principal character of this autobiography. Reverend Earl Little as Malcolm’s father, a Baptist minister and organizer for the militant Universal Negro Improvement Movement. Louise Little as Malcolm’s mother, a proud woman whose pride becomes broken by family misfortunes. Elijah Muhammad taking his role as (Elijah Poole, Karriem) serving as the founder and leader of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm’s teacher and spiritual adviser and later his principal adversary. Ella (Ella Mae Little Collins) Malcolm’s half sister serving as Malcolm’s guardian during adolescence and a lifelong friend and supporter. Reginald Little Malcolm’s younger brother who first talked to Malcolm about Islam Nation and Betty X (Betty Shabazz) Malcolm’s wife since 1958 Setting/time New York June 1965 Main theme Humanity as a basic right: Malcolm focuses on how race against people of colour dehumanizes them as whites around Malcolm view him as something less than human thus desiring to correct such a perception through a fight for racial equality. Summary The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a fascinating piece that Malcolm X uses to tell his extraordinary story and the growth of the Black Muslim movement. Malcolm X was an American Muslim Minister and Human Right Activist, Nation of Islam spokesman until 1964, a vocal advocate for Black empowerment and promotion of Islam within Black community. Malcolm’s problems started way back before birth with his family enduring pervasive discrimination and racism in all areas they settled. While narrating about the nightmare, Malcolm little confirms that their problem as a family started when KKK visited his pregnant mother one night and out of fear of the shouted threats, warnings and brandished shotguns and rifles, the family decided to leave Omaha town. Although Malcolm’s father was not the coward Negro frightened even by slight threats, after Louise little delivered Malcolm on the 19th May 1925, he ordered them to leave Omaha for Milwaukee for their safety. After a brief stay at Milwaukee, the family relocated to [City, State] as Malcolm’s father wanted to settle at a place that they could raise their own food and perhaps start a business. Due to Malcolm’s father pattern of free-lance Christian preaching and roaming about spreading Marcus Garvey word, he begun to lay away savings for the store he aspired to own. Unfortunately, such efforts from a Negro fostered unrest among local Negros that believed in white supremacy thus funnelled stories about Malcolm’s father revolutionary beliefs to the local white leading the whites to put the family’s house into fire. Malcolm and his family had no choice other than to rely on temporary hosting by a neighbour and relocating to East Lansing after a while. In their new habitation, Malcolm’s father as the sole breadwinner continued with his preaching mission but fell on the White Black Legion hands losing his life as this group continued to monitor his moves from a revolutionary point of view. Malcolm was six years and life became unbearably challenging with no one to provide for the family or bring them together leading their mother to a mental breakdown. The family breaks apart and Malcolm though at a tender age had to get a family that had food to live with for survival. Unfortunately, Malcolm encounters challenges at school and the state assigns him to a detention home. Beating all odds, Malcolm completes the eighth grade and hopes to become an attorney in future though a teacher crushes this dream by telling him no black man can be a lawyer. Malcolm then moves to Massachusetts where he finds and lives with his half sister Ella. Here, Malcolm engages in nightlife, drinking, drug abuse, gambling and as a teenager starts a romantic relationship with Sophia a white woman much his senior. Fortunately, Malcolm secures a railway porter job which proved a common source of employment for black community in the early and mid 20th century. He later moves to New York and becomes a pimp; a criminal phase that saw him committing armed robbery, selling black prostitutes to white and drug dealing making him abandon Harlem for Boston where he fell into a pattern of burglary and becomes arrested. At prison, Malcolm Little converts to Islam and Joined the Nation of Islam which combined the teachings of Muhammad with Black Nationalism making him feel at home within the prison. It is through his new religious belief that Malcolm overcomes many of his character flaws like studying English and Latin, reading and joining prison debates instead of doing drugs and drinking. It is open that Islam gave Malcolm the discipline he needed to better himself. After release from prison on parole Malcolm little became Malcolm X with X representing the lost names of his African Ancestors. He left for Detroit with his brother Wilfred devoting his life to the Nation of Islam temple in Detroit where he met the group’s leader “Muhammad Elijah”. Due to his changed character, Malcolm X became the first national minister and an influential advocate for the Black unity and Black militancy. Unfortunately, as his family norm, Malcolm’s publicity and growth became a threat to the Nation of Islam leadership precisely Elijah as its main leader who expressed his discomforts on Malcolm’s growing national profile. How did Malcolm growing...