Analysis Of Malcolm X: The Civil Rights Movement

There were many great leaders in the civil rights movement an arguably more appropriate leader in the movement was Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a civil right's leader who fell under the category of being a “separatist”. Being a separatist meant he supported working with our own race and coming to an agreement on equal rights. He was a strong believer on the idea of “voting with your wallet”, where you don’t go to a facility owned by a racist person, and instead opening and operating our own businesses and learning to maintain our own economy. Malcolm once identified with the religious group known as “The Nation of Islam”, an all black, anti-political group that Malcolm had grown from 400 members to around 40,000. But later announced his break from Elijah Muhammad (Leader of NoI), to be free of the political activity ban and fight for equal rights.

Malcolm X was a strong believer in the truth and to teach it in schools. Being an oppressed African American gave him perspective and the ability to see through the lies that are told to keep white people in power. As stated in article 4, Malcolm states in his speech; “The Organization of Afro-American unity devise the original education methods and procedures which will liberate the minds of our children from the vicious lies and

distortions that are fed to us from the cradle to keep us mentally enslaved.” Talking about society’s oppressive standards and views on African Americans in any sight, particularly in the education department.
Being a separatist meant Malcolm believed working with your own race whether it was white or black to get to the same goal.

That idea played a strong influence on his ideas on business. A biography by George Breitman, titled “The Last Years of Malcolm X” published in 1967, quotes “(W)e have to learn how to own and operate the businesses of our community and develop them into some type of industry.” Inferring that Malcolm didn’t like the idea of shopping at a shop that was owned by a person of the white race, and instead build up their own businesses and create an economy of their own. Which may prove to whites that African Americans don’t need them to support them in terms of jobs and

money.
Malcolm had a differing view on how the problem of oppressed African Americans should be resolved. Martin Luther King was famous for his strict non-violence acts, but Malcolm wasn’t nonviolence. Malcolm believed that African Americans need to fight back, in every sense of the word. That said, he didn’t mean go pick fights with people. But fight in self defense, money and economy wise, and education wise. By separating from whites and doing the same things they do, including running your business, learning the same things, and hitting back when struck by person. “We will meanwhile, be working with our own kind.” Malcolm, himself stated in his autobiography “Autobiography of Malcolm X”, published in 1965.
Malcolm X was one of the most influential civil rights leaders in a short amount of time. He was for self-defense, in the streets or in the face of law. He was a separatist who believed in “voting with your wallet”, to make and support African American businesses, and running their own economy. To teach the truth and stop the brainwashing that was inflicted upon