Malcolm X
Malcolm X(also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) was born Malcolm Little on May 19,1925, in Omaha, Nebraska. By the time he was thirteen, his father had died and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. His childhood was spent in series of foster homes. Unfortunately, Malcolm X became involved in hustling and other criminal activities in Boston and New York which led to a burglary conviction and a 7 year prison stint starting in 1946. While passing his time by educating himself Malcolm X's brother, Reginald, intrigued him with discussions of the Muslim religion. Reginald belonged to the religious organization the Nation of Islam (NOI). Malcolm began to study to teachings of Elijah Muhammed and after his parole in 1952, he became one of the Nation's leaders and chief spokesmen. He changed his surname to "X."For nearly a dozen years, he was the public face of the Nation of Islam. He married Betty Shabazz in 1958 and continued his leadership role in the NOI. While the actual transformation was not filmed, I imagine it looked something like this:
Malcolm spoke frequently about Black Pride and being proud of who you really are. Check out his powerful speech where he asks the audience "Who taught you to hate yourself?"
The crowds and controversy surrounding Malcolm made him a media magnet. He was featured in a week-long television special with Mike Wallace in 1959, called "The Hate That Hate Produced." The program explored the fundamentals of the NOI, and tracked Malcolm's emergence as one of its most important leaders. After the special, Malcolm was faced with the uncomfortable reality that his fame had eclipsed that of his mentor Elijah Muhammad.
Malcolm's faith was dealt a crushing blow at the height of the civil rights movement in 1963. He learned that his mentor and leader, Elijah Muhammad, was secretly having relations with as many as six women within the Nation of Islam organization. As if that were not enough, Malcolm found out that some of these relationships had resulted in children.
Malcolm X appearred on a television show in Chicago called "City Desk" on March 17, 1963. He discusses how many African Americans got their last name.
In March 1964 Malcolm terminated his relationship with the NOI. Unable to look past Muhammad's deception, Malcolm decided to found his own religious organization, the Muslim Mosque, Inc.
After Malcolm resigned his position in the Nation of Islam and renounced Elijah Muhammad, relations between the two had become increasingly volatile. FBI informants working undercover in the NOI warned officials that Malcolm had been marked for assassination.
Check out the video below where Malcolm X declares that if someone puts a dog on you when all you are doing are exercising the rights the government says you have, you should kill that dog.
The house negro vs. the field negro. WARNING: the video may cause a stir.
Malcolm's enemies were successful in their ruthless attempts to end his life. At a speaking engagement in the Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom on February 21, 1965 three gunmen rushed Malcolm onstage. They shot him 15 times at close range. The 39-year-old was pronounced dead on arrival at New York's Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. He was laid to rest at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.
A tremendous resurgence of interest occurred in 1992 when director Spike Lee released the acclaimed
For his work towards Black Pride and for adding colorful phrases like "hoodwinked" and "bamboozled" to my vocabulary HUSL Today salutes Malcolm X!!
Your comments and feedback are welcomed and appreciated. Dont be scared, you're amongst friends
"We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us!"
Source: MalcolmX.com
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