By Any Means Necessary

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little and was a strong African American Civil Rights Activist and strong supporter of Black Nationalism until his untimely death in 1965.

Malcolm X was born in 1925 in Omaha Nebraska to James Earl and Louise Norton Little and he was the fourth of eight children. From an early age Malcolm was surrounded by teachings of Black Nationalism because his father was a preacher and supporter of the Black Nationalist movement. For those of you who don’t know, Black Nationalism advocates for the economic and social empowerment of African Americans. James Earl Little’s’ involvement with the Black Nationalist movement caused his family to fall victim to constant harassment by the Klu Klux Klan.

“A race of people is like an individual man; until it uses its own talent, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, affirms its own selfhood, it can never fulfill itself.”

Malcom X By Any Means Necessary. pg. 53.

Because of the constant harassment, the Little family moved four times before Malcolm was 4. Unfortunately, the family could not outrun the danger. In 1929 their house was set on fire and two years later, in 1931, James Earl Little was murdered. The perpetrators were never persecuted. The loss of James Earl Little essentially caused the deterioration of the family. Malcolm’s mother never fully recovered and a few years later Malcolm entered the foster care system.

At 21 Malcolm X, still Malcolm Little at the time, found himself in trouble. Sentenced to 10 years in prison for burglary the future seemed a little bleak. It was during his time in prison that he found the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm really felt that his viewpoints in life at that time aligned with the Nation of Islam and he soon changed his name to Malcolm X. Upon his release from prison, Malcolm Little, now Malcolm X, moved to Harlem NY and became a minister of the nation of Islam. Malcolm was a minister in the Nation of Islam from 1952-1964.

Malcolm X was a charismatic, articulate, and passionate leader. He held viewpoints slightly different than that of Civil Rights fan favorite, Martin Luther King. Malcolm X believed that the revolution would not be peaceful and that the shackles of slavery would be cast off “by any means necessary.” Malcolm developed his own philosophies outside of those of the Nation of Islam and began his own movement, Afro-American Unity. Oh yea, he also changed his name again. Malcolm X, formerly Malcolm Little, was now El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

February 21, 1965, a year after his official split from the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, now El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam. He was survived by his wife, pregnant wife Betty Shabazz and their four daughters. Malcolm X wasn’t on this earth for long but he left behind a legacy that continues to resonate today. “Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression, because power, real power, comes from our conviction which produces action, uncompromising action.”– Malcolm X.

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