The Importance Of Names In Malcolm X's Life

Malcolm X went through many fundamental changes throughout his life. Names played a crucial role in the evolution of his personality. From marriage to people in the Bible to famous musicians, the changing of one’s name signifies a new identity. Each of Malcolm’s names represented one personality that made him who he was. Though Malcolm was labelled many things, I feel three represent his change the best-- Malcolm Little, Red, and Malcolm X. The most innocent of all his aliases was Malcolm Little. It was the name he grew up with in Lansing, Michigan. He had to mature and accept tragedy at a young age. His father suffered a horrific death when Malcolm was only six years old, and his mother’s reaction to the loss of her husband was catastrophic.

His viewpoint and attitude toward them helped shape his life in many ways but also theirs. They all showed him empowerment and leadership by a black woman. Betty, Ella, and his mother all had a specific impact in his life. Anyone’s mother usually has an important part in their child’s life; Malcolm Little’s mom was no exception. Hardship was placed on Malcolm’s family before he was even born with white supremacists threatening and then setting fire to their Omaha home. His mother persevered through it all while taking care of seven children. She was a devout follower of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA); this contributed to Malcolm’s earliest beliefs in something. Her breakdown after Malcolm’s father’s violent death also shaped him. If his mother had not been taken to a mental institution, and his family had not been split up, his views on white people may have been quite different. Also, Malcolm was the lightest in the family due to his mother’s color, and his racial tint led to one of his famous nicknames, “Detroit

He was born into a time where one was judged on the color of his skin. White people discriminated against Malcolm; consequently, he developed a passionate hate towards the Caucasian race for the extent of his life. There were three key events in Malcolm’s life that affected his view of himself and others.

Firstly, the tragic death of Malcolm’s father greatly affected him When Malcolm was only six years old, Malcolm’s dad was smashed in the back of his head by a hammer and then fatally struck by a train. His death was ruled an accident by authorities, but Malcolm believed a white supremacist group killed him and made the murder look like an accident. This gave him a negative connotation about white people from the beginning. His father’s demise indirectly caused his mom to go into a dark state and their children to go into the state’s custody, where they were mistreated. The experiences Malcolm had with social services scarred most of his life by the way he saw white