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Malcolm X: An African American Hero

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Recommended: Critically analyse the role played by malcolm X

David Remnick wrote, “A poll showed that eighty- four percent of African- Americans between the ages of fifteen and twenty- four saw Malcolm as ‘A hero for black Americans today.’ The video for public enemy “Shut ‘ Em Down” put Malcolm’s face on the dollar bill. A vivid, but secondary figure in his own lifetime, Malcolm X had achieved the status of an icon”(Remnick). Malcolm X was loved by the black community and though to be a hero among African Americans during the 1960’s so the people honored him in the movie “Public Enemy”. Malcolm X achieved his status within the community by advocating black pride and trying to end black suppression. He also inspired many Black Americans to come together to stand for equal rights, as a result, he gained …show more content…

Malcolm X was destined for greatness the day he was born. He came into this world May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. At the age of four, he moved to Lansing, Michigan where he would experience poverty and rebellion. He further made his situation worse by becoming incarcerated. From this near fatal mistake he overcame his troubles and educated himself and learned why was ended up in the position he is in. While in prison Malcolm took up studying the Islamic religion and changed his ways of thinking to become the idolized man he was and still is today. Notably, Malcolm X had to overcome many hardship and racial boundaries. In Malcolm’s young years he and his family were tortured by the KKK and forced to leave their home and move to Lansing, Michigan (King and Rummel). At such a young age the events that took place in lansing will impact malcolm for the rest of his life. In lansing, Michigan when Malcolm was just 4 years old the KKK came for him and his family, they set his house on fire and even at 4 years old he remembered it his whole life as a …show more content…

Malcolm X had a vigorous early life and through the help of the Islamic religion he was able to live a life of wisdom and knowledge. Malcolm was living a mis-guided life in boston and consequently he was dealt a 10 year prison sentence. When in prison Malcolm X was influenced to convert to the nation of Islam by his family. The Nation of Islam gave him a new outlook at life and motivated him to become educated. Before Malcolm X started his studies underneath the religion he was a naive and self centered person but shortly after his conversion his demeanor changed drastically. Within the prison Malcolm started holding seminars and teaching the religion to other inmates and he soon gained a large following and become well

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In a bird’s eye Malcolm was headed in one or two places the way he was acting, dead or in prison. In prison, Malcolm found himself and began to be more disciplined doing a complete 360 transformation. Religion was always installed in his since he was a child, but converting to the branch of Islam increased his faith. Malcolm stops using drugs; he reads voraciously, prays, taught himself English and Latin, and joined the prison debate team. The foundations of his impeccable speak and voice of

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1072 Words | 5 Pages

This journal article belabours the point that is also a common theme in “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”: Malcolm’s changing views on civil rights. Again as a result of his tumultuous childhood because of the “white man”, Malcolm generalizes all white people as essentially haters of blacks because of the negative experiences he’s had with them and the tragic ways they treated him. But, as he grows older and matures, Malcolm has the eye-opening experience of seeing people of all colors worship next to each other. This is an interaction between blacks and whites that creates a positive environment as an outcome.

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The author, Alex Haley, describes Malcolm Little’s, AKA Malcolm X, own life as an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. Beginning with his mother’s pregnancy, Haley explains his childhood, growing up in Michigan. The questionable death of his father and the deteriorating mental health of his mother, sent Malcolm into a downward spiral, causing him to get involved in organized crime and being incarcerated for eight to ten years. While incarcerated, Malcolm encountered the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam.

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495 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout the Autobiography of Malcolm X there are several key events the bring out the central ideas of the text. Some examples of the key events was when Mr. Ostrowski lectured Malcolm, when Malcolm was in jail and he learned the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, and when Malcolm made his pilgrimage to Mecca. A closer look at the central ideas would show that they build on one another. When Malcolm was going to school his teacher, Mr. Ostrowski, told home to give up his dream of being a lawyer,” Malcolm, one of life’s first needs is to be realistic.

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533 Words | 3 Pages

Not long after that he dropped out of school and moved to Boston. He became involved in illegal activity and was arrested in early 1946 and sentenced to ten years in prison. Another convict, Bimbi, introduced him to the prison's extensive library, and Malcolm became a big reader. That is where he found out about Elijah Muhammad the leader of the Nation of Islam and his philosophy that whites were the devil and blacks should separate themselves from white civilization. Upon his release from prison in 1952, Malcolm became a follower of Muhammad.

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1339 Words | 6 Pages

It was while serving his sentence in a Massachusetts State Prison located in Charlestown, Malcolm joined the Black Muslims. Malcolm took advantage of his time in prison and decided to educate himself and began reading books related to science, philosophy, and history and once said “Months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I had never been so truly free in my life.” Through his siblings Malcolm was introduced to the writings and teachings of Elijah Muhammad who at the time was the leader of the Black Muslims and became drawn to the outspoken black

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Due to Malcolm X’s struggles in his early life, he dealt with an internal anger and resentment towards the white race, which lead to him rebelling and acting out. When Malcolm X was only 6 years old, criminals murdered his father and sparked an internal flame of hatred. His anger convinced him to commit various crimes such as stealing. This acted as a way to rebel against his family and the white community; he would not accept going unnoticed, nor would he accept others as they treated him as inferior. Not only did young Malcolm steal, but he also fought frequently with his family members.

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Malcolm’s speeches acted more as instruments of provocation than conversion. Unlike Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign, Malcolm’s campaign around the country was a direct assault and it was difficult to see any oppressor that will tolerate such. This obviously accounted for the many police brutalities, imprisonment and deaths among the black race. Malcolm X symbolized black dominance and self-respect, he was one of the greatest forces that shaped the current understanding and interpretation given to conflict and violence in the world politics today. If Malcolm were to live in this era, he would be labeled as a terrorist (http://malcolmx.com/).

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Malcolm X was an African American leader and a prominent figure in the nation of Islam who articulated concepts of race pride and black nationalism in the 1960’s. Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska May 19, 1925. The job that Malcolm X was common for most African Americans who wanted their rights, Malcolm X was a key spokesman for the nation of Islam. Malcolm X mother Louise Norton Little was a homemaker, His father Earl Little was an outspoken Baptist minister and a avid supporter of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Eventually Malcolm X’s father was accordingly killed by a street car running him over, but every African American knew that his cause of death was from a white-supremacist group.

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Malcolm X “You can’t separate peace from freedom, because nobody can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” These words came from the mouth of Malcolm X, but who was he? Some people call him deranged, others call him too radical. But truthfully, Malcolm X was one of the most influential African Americans in history.

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841 Words | 4 Pages

He had a difficult childhood and converted to Islam “while in prison for robbery from 1946 to 1952.” He was born in Omaha, Nebraska as Malcolm

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63 Words | 1 Pages

Malcolm X was an influential African-American leader he also rose to prominence in the mid-1950s. Malcolm opposed the mainstream civil rights movement, publicly calling for black separatism and rejecting nonviolence and integration into combatting racism by. However, Malcolm has combatted many obstacles during his lifetime. Some examples on how Malcolm combatted racism was… (insert evidence here)

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631 Words | 3 Pages

In this biography he explains how teaching himself to read allowed him to realize the truth about how his race was belittled in most history books, and these views inspired him to start his public speaking campaign to inform the general public of these wrongdoings. He states “Book after book showed me how the white man had brought upon the world’s black, brown, red, and yellow people every variety of suffering and exploitation.” Once the atrocities the white man had committed against other races and allowed him to start his black separatist movement using claims that would resonate with the poorer minorities of the United States. Explaining to them how they were not given the same standards of living as their white counterparts allowed him to inspire them to step up and take their rights

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Introduction: Malcom X urges the Negro community to fight to gain the equal rights they deserve by taking action against their white oppressors. He emphasizes that blacks will gain their rights either thorough voting, with the ballot, or else through the inevitable violence with the bullet. Thesis [part a] Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., also fighting for the civil rights of black Americans in the 1960s, but in a more peaceful manner, Malcom X takes a different approach.

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1060 Words | 5 Pages

Malcolm X was a Muslim minister who was also African American. He was a activist for human rights, Malcolm was a bold and courageous spokesperson for blacks to have rights,Malcolm X declared America “white America” to have the most harshest of terms for it’s tenacious treatments against African Americans. In the year 1946, he was sentenced to prison because he was caught breaking and entering. When he was incarcerated, he was chosen to become a member of the Nation of Islam. This is when he changed his birth name from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X. Later he had written,”Little was the name that the white slave master … had imposed upon paternal forebears” After his parole in 1952 his popularity grew and became the organization 's most influential leaders, and served as the public face of the controversial group for a dozen years.

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