Born Malcolm Little and then renamed to al-Ḥājj Mālik ash-Shabāzz after his conversion to Islam, Malcolm finally named himself, Malcolm X. His dates are 1925-1965. He was a popular figure during the Civil Rights movement, which I’ve cataloged here.
You’ll, of course, have to make up your own mind on Malcolm X. I read his autobiography, not part of any classroom assignment but for my personal interest. I’d heard of him remotely, heard of his tragic assassination, but didn’t pay him any attention. All that changed when I read his autobiography. And at the beginning, I even admired his slogan “By Any Means Necessary,” until I grew to learn that that phrase is pure socialist violence. More than anything else, that phrase expresses desperation, and in all situations, you do not want to operate from desperation but rather from a position of strength. I am no fan of communism. I’ve seen what some radical organizations and individual radicals have done in the name of class warfare and oppression, and it is horrible. The individual radical surrenders his conscience to the cause identified by the group or the group’s leader. In the west, where the individual is celebrated as king, versus totalitarian governments around the world where the individual is treated as peon, you’ll begin to appreciate the differences of the west.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley, Malcolm X, and Alex Haley, 1965.
His autobiography is great for so many cultural references to what would become big name musical acts and sports figures. One is Joe Louis, a.k.a., “the Brown Bomber,” 1914-1981, celebrated for his 1938 victory over Max Schmeling and “widely regarded as the greatest and most influential boxer of all time.” Called the “Brown Bomber” and not the “Alabama Bomber” because Louis’ brand after 1938 was the guy who helped break the color barrier in sports. Jackie Robinson would famously make his mark in 1943 by playing for. cthe Brooklyn Dodgers. Wikipedia explains that
Louis’s cultural impact was felt well outside the ring. He is widely regarded as the first African-American to achieve the status of a nationwide hero within the United States, and was also a focal point of anti-Nazi sentiment leading up to and during World War II because of his historic rematch with German boxer Max Schmeling in 1938.[3] He was instrumental in integrating the game of golf, helping break the sport’s color barrier in America by appearing under a sponsor’s exemption in a PGA event in 1952
Sonny Liston, 1930-1970. What a story Sonny was.
Cassius Clay beat Sonny Liston in February 1964, and it was later that year that he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
MALCOLM X SPEECHES
One of the strengths that Malcolm X is known for is his speaking ability. Find his speeches collected here. If you’re looking to purchase a collection of his speeches, then see what’s offered at Amazon here. One of Malcolm’s more famous speeches, The Ballot or the Bullet” speech, delivered in Detroit in 1964, intended to define his expansion of a civil rights struggle, where a group appeals to government muscle, to human rights, redefining and strengthening the appeal to morally respect the individual. Or at least that’s my take on it. This was interesting
“The Ballot or the Bullet” became one of Malcolm X’s most recognizable phrases, and the speech was one of his greatest orations. Two thousand people – including some of his opponents — turned out to hear him speak in Detroit.. President Lyndon Johnson was running for reelection in 1964, and Malcolm X declared it “the year of the ballot or the bullet.” He outlined a new, global sensibility in the fight for racial justice: “We intend to expand [the freedom struggle] from the level of civil rights to the level of human rights.”
As much as I liked Malcolm and absolutely found his autobiography invigorating, in review he started out, like most activists, as a socialist, calling for equality. At the 2: 35 mark in this documentary, Malcolm X calls for equality. Bad idea.
Here, Malcolm X encourages his audience to create jobs, not just begging for one from any business owner.
Talk about your transition! From a call to equality, which is really an appeal for more government, to a call to get your own house in order. This is one reason, maybe the main reason, Malcolm is so loved. His own conversion from thug to an evangelical for individual rights and freedom.
“Malcolm X and Me,” Gary North, February 26, 2018.
One of the issues that Malcolm was excellent on was police brutality.
This is an excellent interview of Malcolm conducted by The City Desk in 1963.
I can’t help but note that Malcolm was just downright likable, liked by the media, liked by members of the establishment, liked by lots of poor whites and blacks who in general hate poverty and injustice.
San Gabriel Tutor 