CIVIL RIGHTS – MALCOLM X
“Assess the effectiveness of methods used by Malcolm X to achieve Civil Rights for African Americans”
Malcolm X implemented a variety of methods in order to effectively achieve civil rights for African Americans. Malcolm was a black nationalist and Islamic minister, who advocated black pride, unity & self-respect and preached about black supremacy and the separatism between the blacks and whites. He was a member of the Nation of Islam (NOI) and strongly believed that the different races should live separately, encouraging African Americans to “cast off the shackles of racism by any means necessary”, promoting a violent revolution to institute an independent black society rather than the integration of society through
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media, rioting and speeches. His ideologies were popularized throughout Black Nationalist society, especially among those within ghettos and African American youth, founding the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) and laying the foundation of the Black Power movement in the late 1960’s and 70’s. It is important to note that Malcolm’s charismatic nature and active work for the Nation of Islam (NOI) through the media effectively influenced the Civil Rights Movement. Malcolm became a minister and national spokesman for the NOI, with his mentor Elijah Muhammad giving him the responsibility in establishing new mosques in Detroit, Michigan and Harlem. Malcolm used newspaper columns as well as radio and television to display the aims of the NOI throughout the United States. In 1959, journalist Mark Wallace interviewed Malcolm X for a television series called, “The Hate that Hate Produced.” During this interview, Malcolm is asked whether the white man is evil, in response Malcolm states, “History is best qualified to reward all research, and we don't have any historic example where we have found that they have, collectively, as a people, done good.” Malcolm’s indictments and his endorsement for self-defense evoked fear and admiration beyond the community of the NOI, influencing those of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). His influential position effectively exerted the Civil Rights Movement by readily employing and using media such as television, newspapers and magazines to spread the ideology of the NOI and Black Nationalism. His use of the media assisted in building the membership of the NOI from 500 in 1952 to 30,000 in 1963. The NOI influenced many African Americans to stand up against discrimination and to fight back, even physically, to gain their freedom and civil rights. Malcolm’s use of the media inspired a new generation of African American leaders including SNCC’s Stokely Carmichael and CORE’s Floyd McKissick. In his belief for separatism, Malcolm X promoted a violent revolution in instituting a black society through speeches and riots.
Malcolm raised awareness for the mistreatment and oppression of the African Americans in the USA ghettos and influenced the New York Race riots or Harlem riots in 1964 as well as the Watts riots that raged for six days in 1965. In a street meeting in Harlem, Malcolm responded to criticism in a speech for not adopting nonviolence, instead offering militancy, “If we react to white racism with a violent reaction, to me that’s not Black racism. If you come to put a rope around my neck, and I hang you for it, to me that’s not racism. Yours is racism….My reaction is the reaction of a human being reacting to defend and protect himself.” He then confronts the public with the reality that, “They want you to be nonviolent here, but they want you to be very violent in South Vietnam.” Malcolm’s speeches played a vital role in the Civil Rights Movement for it effectively brought attention to the mistreatment of African Americans, encouraging them to stand up for freedom and human rights. He revealed and demonstrated that African Americans were just as worthy and equal, even superior to the Anglo-Saxons. This influence inspired African Americans to be more courageous and fight back, assisting them in achieving civil …show more content…
rights. Malcolm formed the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU).
In June 1964, he gave his monumental public address on behalf of the new organization at the Audubon Ballroom in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, “So we have formed an organization known as the Organization of Afro-American Unity which has the same aim and objective – to fight whoever gets in our way, to bring about the complete independence of people of African descent here in the Western Hemisphere, and first here in the United States, and bring about the freedom of these people by any means necessary. That's our motto. We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary”. This extract from his speech highlights his determination and promotion for Black Nationalism. Malcolm did not have sufficient time to invest in the OAAU, with the membership dwindling after his assassination eventually causing the organization to collapse. Despite the collapse of the organization, the beliefs and ideologies of the OAAU lays the foundation for the Black Power movement in the late 60’s and 70’s influencing groups such as the Black
Panther. Through his various methods of media promotion and influence, Malcolm X effectively achieved civil rights for African Americans to a certain extent. In advocating black pride, unity & self-respect and preaching about black supremacy and the separatism between the blacks and whites, Malcolm encouraged promoted a violent revolution for the African Americans to institute an independent black society rather than the integration of society, influencing those within ghettos and African American youth and laying the foundation of the Black Power movement in the late 1960’s and 70’s.
In this essay “Saved,”’ by Malcolm X. Malcolm is talking about how he went to prison and how that made him want to improve his language. So he got a holed of a dictionary and read it. while doing this, he though to himself he also could improve his hand writing so when he would read the dictionary he would also write down what he read. than he would read what he wrote down out loud, this made him a faster writer and a good reader. Now because of this, Malcolm loved reading he said he would stay up all night reading and only would get 4 to 5 hours of sleep, but that was all he needed.
Malcolm believed that Negro in America were lost. He was a strong advocate for tying race religion and together. “We don’t separate our color from our religion ”(25pg ). Islam is the native religion of black people, but when they
The Nation of Islam, which Malcolm X was an important member of, is not a religious organization as the name suggests but rather an organization whose goal was to make the lives of African Americans better instead of actually teaching the proper ethics of Islam. One of the main objectives of this organization was Black Nationalism, through which Black leaders can control the areas where there is a majority of African Americans. This cause was greatl...
If there was any one man who demonstrated the anger, the struggle, and the beliefs of African Americans in the 1960s, that man was Malcolm X. The African American cultural movement of the 1920s lost momentum in the 1930s because of worldwide economic depression. The Great Depression helped to divert attention from cultural to economic matters. Even before the stock market crash of 1929, unemployment and poverty among blacks was exceptionally high. It was under these difficult conditions that Malcolm X experienced his youth in the South. Malcolm X was a very controversial character in his time. He grew up in a very large family. His father hunted rabbits to sell to the white people for money, and his mother stayed home to take care of all the children. Several times when he was young, his family was forced to relocate due to the racist groups that would burn or run them out of their home like the Ku Klux Klan. One of these groups called the Black Legion killed his father by tying him to the railroad tracks. Malcolm’s father had life insurance but was not given to his family because they said that Earl Little had committed suicide. This was quite impossible because his head was bashed in and he tied himself to the railroad. Without his father’s income, Malcolm's family was forced to get government help and food. Applying for this type of assistance brought many white Social Workers into their home. They asked questions and interrogated the entire family. Malcolm’s mother always refused to talk or let them in.
This paper is written to give my personal reflection on a book entitled The Autobiography of Malcolm X. It is one of the assignments for EDC3360 Course, Social Work for Community Service. We were asked to read this book because the content of this book has relation with the course we are taken for the current semester.
African Americans are fortunate to have leaders who fought for a difference in Black America. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X are two powerful men in particular who brought hope to blacks in the United States. Both preached the same message about Blacks having power and strength in the midst of all the hatred that surrounded them. Even though they shared the same dream of equality for their people, the tactics they implied to make these dreams a reality were very different. The background, environment and philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were largely responsible for the distinctly varying responses to American racism.
Malcolm X became one of the leading figures during the civil rights movement with his great ideas and speaking abilities. Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X led the Nation of Islam in the United States. The Nation existed as a growing organization and the government felt that it would turn into a violent association. The FBI became intensely interested in Malcolm after his joining with Elijah Muhammad and began to tap Malcolm X and try to find charges against him so he...
Malcolm X should be everyone’s hero, someone people like myself should look up to as a human being. Anyone who thinks otherwise is either a racist or is extremely ignorant. Malcolm X wore his heart on his sleeve and whether right or wrong he was never afraid to say what was on his mind to anyone who cared to listen. I personally believe Malcolm X’s beliefs give me strength to do what's right and carry myself with dignity. I remember, as a kid, my parents had tons of books about Black History books. The first book I read was a Malcolm X biography. I realized Malcolm X was truly a powerful, significant, and essential work for all time.
Until the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his life’s work was dedicated to the nonviolent actions of blacks to gain the freedoms they were promised in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. He believed that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King, 1963). These injustices had become so burdensome to blacks that they were “plunged into an abyss of despair” (King, 1963). The nonviolent actions of the sit-ins, boycotts, and marches were so the “individual could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths…to help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism” and ultimately lead to “inevitably opening the door to negotiation” (King, 1963). Not only was King’s approach effective with the older black generation, it was also successful with white people. They did not feel threatened when approached by King. White people gained a sense of empathy towards the plight of black freedom as King’s promise of nonviolence did not threaten their livelihood. Malcolm X viewed the world similarly to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., however; his beliefs to changing the status quo were slightly different from his political counterpart. Malcolm X realized that “anger could blind human vision” (X, 1965). In realizing this, X knew that in order to achieve racial freedom blacks had to “forget hypocritical politics and propaganda” (X, 1965). While Malcolm X was more so an advocate for violent forces against white people than King, X merely used force when it became necessary for defense. According to X, “I don’t go for non-violence if it also means a delayed solution. I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to American black man’s problem” (X, 1965). However, this le...
...e was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam” (Kershaw). Malcolm X discovered that Islam is the religion of peace. After traveling to Africa and doing some soul searching, Malcolm X found his organization, Muslim Mosque, Inc. He had a new peaceful outlook and would say things like, “I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color” (Kershaw). Unfortunately Malcolm X was killed about a year after finding his organization.
This paper will discuss the different stages of thought processes the former Nation of Islam minister, Malcolm X went through during his lifetime in terms of how he viewed white people, but more specifically “the white man” in America. The reason the focus is on White Americans is because these were the people outside of the Nation of Islam that shaped his life good or bad and put him on the path where he eventually transformed from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X who was one of the most polarizing and controversial figures during his lifetime and even nearly 50 years after his death the name Malcolm X causes certain people to shudder. Malcolm X became a well-known figure during the 50’s and 60’s during the civil rights movement which involved figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. This was a pivotal era in American history because for the first time that there was major push towards full rights for African Americans. When Malcolm X came on the scene he put fear into White people because they weren’t used to hearing the truth about race relations in America and many of them felt that things were just fine because they themselves were living life high on the hog while at the same time exploiting Blacks. Because this type of talk from a black person was new to them they misinterpreted his views as “hate speech” and accused him of trying to incite violence when he was simply trying wake his people up to properly deal with what was happening to them.
He realizes that he has “sunk to the very bottom of the American white man’s society” (pg. 153). In prison, he meets a man named Bimbi who inspires him to broaden his education. He also discovers the Islam religion; it was first introduced to him by his brother Philbert, and his brother described Islam as the “natural religion of the black man” (pg. 158). Malcolm’s other brother Reginald tells Malcolm to not eat any more pork, smoke any more cigarettes, or do any more drugs, all of this was supposed to help him get out of prison. Malcolm learned of The Nation of Islam and of Elijah Muhammad. The sole purpose of The Nation of Islam was to improve the lives of African Americans in the United States. This religion truly does change Malcolm 's life; he finds his knees bent in prayer when they were used to being bent only to pick locks as a burglar. It is believed that the African American race was the first indigenous race of this land and that they must take back the leadership role from the white man. This philosophy resonates throughout Malcolm’s soul, and he dedicates his time in prison schooling himself and writing letters to his family and Elijah Muhammad. The beliefs of the Nation of Islam makes Malcolm even more anti-Christian and
The history of the United States has in it much separation or segregation due to race. For a long time our country has seen racism as a large problem and this has caused ethnic groups to be looked down upon and forced into a lifestyle of difficulties and suppression. Due to this, races, particularly African-Americans, have been forced to deal with unequal opportunity and poverty, leading to less honorable ways of getting by and also organizations that support change. Malcolm X is one strong example of an African American man who became apart of a group acted against it, uniting people to promote the advancement of colored people and change. Malcolm's thoughts towards race and civil right in the previous years were displayed in a less way to the people and "by any means necessary" perspective. After his pilgrimage in 1964 his view of civil rights had quickly changed into a more complete view of civil rights, and the peoples views towards him. No one really knows what kind of impact Malcolm X would have had on history if he had not been assassinated. His beliefs and philosophy did gain him a place in history as one of the best-known Black Nationalist Leaders. Everyone seems to have known who Malcolm X was, and he ranks high with all other Black leaders. His ideas were radical and he was very out spoken. He was a major force in the development of black history. He fought not only for his people but also for all oppressed people everywhere. He was well spoken and he laid the groundwork for the black power movement of the late l960's.
...ights. He challenged that the African-Americans were to be realized as American citizenry by right and be conferred upon all such rights as were envisaged to be theirs if at all there was to be enjoyment of civil liberties. He also opinioned that there was need to be genuine seek for the administration of the same as the then leaders were only seeking to confer the same rights and freedoms so as to woo the blacks to vote them back in power (Malcolm X, 1963). He recognized that there was an awakening amongst the blacks in their search for equal treatment and realization of political might (Malcolm X, 1963). He thus called upon the leaders to ensure that they were genuine if they wished to get the votes of the blacks as a bloc or else the blacks would awaken and put to power those they willed (Malcolm X, 1963).
Malcolm X was one of the most revolutionary black power advocate and civil rights leader in American history. It is the unfairness, the racism, and pain that he experienced in his past that fueled his ability to inspire people through his speech. Malcolm X gave African Americans a hope that one day they would no longer be looked down upon and treated unfairly because of the color of their skin. In April 1964, Malcolm X gave his “Ballot or the Bullet” speech to a group of blacks in Ohio in light of the upcoming November presidential election. In the speech he stressed, How Blacks should fight for civil-rights in America, He also stressed the immediate need for not only the black right to vote, but also vote for blacks equality in the United