Malcolm X Essay Example

“Early in life I learned that if you want something, you better make some noise,” a statement by Malcolm X, a revolutionary of the 20th century. Malcolm X is one of the most notable civil rights activists of the 20th century. He is known for his involvement in the Nation of Islam, along with his famous but controversial phrase, “by any means necessary.” His earlier teachings were and still are viewed as problematic by some because he encouraged black separatism, as well as using violence against racism as self defense. He was feared by many in the United States, white and black. Most of America was against him, so all he had were his own people, the members of the Nation of Islam. Ironically, at only 39 years old, he was brutally assassinated at his own event by three black Muslims. As it turns out, the same people who followed and supported X when no one else did turned out to be the same people who ended his life. Before his death, he knew that everyone was against him, and many wanted him dead, but he continued to fight for equality at all costs. Malcolm X is an example of one who did what was right regardless of the consequence.

It was February 21, 1965. Malcolm X was getting ready to give his speech in the Audubon Ballroom in New York. Just as he was about to start speaking, chaos erupted in the audience. Trying to stop the conflict going on in the back, X insisted, “Now, now, brothers break it up.” As it continued, one gunman approached Malcolm X and shot him in the chest. Soon after, two other gunmen rushed towards him, shooting him in both of his thighs and one of his ankles. Despite the security officers trying to stop the pandemonium and one giving Malcolm X mouth to mouth, Malcolm X died on stage that day. These three men were soon identified as Talmadge Hayer, Khalil Islam, and Muhammad Aziz, all members of the Nation of Islam. Although Khalil Islam and Muhammad Aziz were recently exonerated and proven innocent, Talmadge Hayer confessed to the crime and was found guilty. This leaves the question: why was Malcolm X killed by his own people?

Growing up, Malcolm X never had an easy life. When he was just 6, his dad was ruthlessly murdered; it is theorized to have been by white supremacists, better known at that time as the KKK. In addition, his mom was locked in a mental institution, leaving him to fend for himself. Despite his circumstances, Malcolm X aspired to become a lawyer. This led to one of his earlier experiences with racism when a teacher told him his lawyer dreams were unrealistic due to the color of his skin. As a young adult, Malcolm X was involved in a fair share of crimes such as dealing drugs, running a gambling organization, as well as organizing a burglary ring. Consequently, he was sent to prison. While serving his sentence, Malcolm X discovered and started following the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI). Malcolm X and Muhammad had shared views on civil rights. They believed in black separatism, the belief that black people needed to separate themselves from white people, also referred to as “blue-eyed devils.” Once he was released from prison, X joined the Nation of Islam and quickly gained leadership and popularity amongst followers. He grew the organization from 400 to 10,000 members. Although he was praised within the Nation of Islam, other Americans, especially white ones, despised him. They saw his beliefs as racist and violent, even though he was just trying to fight against oppression through self defense. He was also feared by black people, who believed that he would cause a “race war.” His controversy reached its peak when he responded to John F. Kennedy’s assassination, comparing it to, “the chickens coming home to roost.” Not only did he have the whites against him, he also upset the Nation of Islam; Elijah Muhammad suspended him from speaking for 90 days.

Following his suspension, Malcolm X journeyed on a pilgrimage to Mecca. During his trip, he saw Muslims of all races being united together peacefully through their faith; it changed his views. As a result, he departed from the Nation of Islam, and formed two new organizations: Muslim Mosque Inc. (MMI) and Organization of Afro American Unity. He became more in touch with his Islamic faith and stopped encouraging violence. His new teachings centered around black consciousness philosophies, the belief that black people across the world should unite together and have pride in themselves and each other. While demonstrating new ideas, he also started criticizing the words and character of Elijah Muhammad, attacking his many affairs with women and his illegitimate children. As a result, the Nation of Islam saw him as a traitor, and they wanted him dead. His life became extremely dangerous for him and the people around him. He was receiving several death threats from members of the Nation of Islam; groups of them would storm into his meetings and firebomb his house. In addition to that, the FBI and the NYPD were after him as well. Time.com states, “On June 6, 1964, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover sent a telegram, which later became public, to the FBI office in New York City that said “do something about Malcolm X.” X knew that multiple groups were plotting his death, but he disregarded it and continued to stand up for his beliefs because they were his first priority. In his own words, “I live like a man who is dead already.”

Decades following his death, X’s teachings and legacy still remain widely remembered and studied today. Since there has been a recent rise in activism in the past couple of  years due to the uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement, Malcolm X has been receiving much more praise than he used to receive. He was able to go from being one of the most hated civil rights figures to being one of the most prominent influences for this generation of advocates.On the other hand, people still misunderstand and discredit Malcolm X’s contributions. Just like they did 50+ years ago, people today like to consider him a violent extremist due to his teachings, but he was never physically violent towards anyone. People consider him dangerous, but they do not understand that he was trying to stop a group that was nothing but violent towards his people, so it would have been hard to do it any other way.

In conclusion, Malcolm X was someone who dedicated his life to fighting oppression and taking pride in his people, despite the rejection he received from many Americans during that time. He impressively went from living in an underprivileged independent household whilst having multiple convictions, to being credited for paving the way for young civil rights advocates.  He was never afraid to say and do what others considered “radical” or “extreme”; it just mattered to him that he was fighting to stop oppression, even if it ended in his death. The life and death of Malcolm X can inspire this generation of activists to fight oppression at all costs, even with all the obstacles that come in the way. “This is the only way you end oppression—with power.”