Malcolm X



Malcolm X

Introduction

Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska. The events of his childhood, including his father's lessons concerning black pride and self-reliance, and his own experiences concerning race played a significant role in Malcolm X's adult life. By the time he was thirteen, his father had died and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. After living in a series of foster homes, Malcolm X became involved in a number of criminal activities in Boston and New York. In 1946, Malcolm X was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison (Hartnell 2006).

While in prison, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam, and after his parole in 1952 he became one of the Nation's leaders and chief spokesmen. For nearly a dozen years he was the public face of the controversial group. Tension between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, head of the Nation of Islam, led to Malcolm X's quitting the organization in March 1964. He subsequently traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East and founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the secular Pan-Africans Organization of Afro-American Unity. Less than a year after he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was assassinated by three members of the group while giving a speech in New York (Batten 2011).

Malcolm Stamp

The post office's criterion for honoring individuals, however, provides little guidance. The stamps should “feature American or American-related subjects” and display “only events and themes of widespread national appeal and significance. Imagine the battalion of protesters the civil rights establishment, newspaper editorial and op-ed writers, politicians, cable TV pundits all making the Million Man March look like a tailgate party. Yet last week, with virtually no controversy, the post office issued a stamp commemorating the life of activist Malcolm X. In its bio on Malcolm X, the Postal Service said that Malcolm X renounced the segregationist ideology of the Nation of Islam, forming, before his death, a new organization dedicated to togetherness and brotherhood. As a member of the Nation of Islam, the firebrand orator preached anti-Semitism and called the white man “devil.” And after the November 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X cruelly described the murder as a case of “the chickens coming home to roost” (Matheson 2009).

In the Spike Lee bio-pic, “Malcolm X,” a white woman approached the minister and asked what she, as a white person, could do to improve race relations. Malcolm X's ice-cold response, “Nothing.” Later, Malcolm X visited the holy city of Mecca, where he saw people of different colors and nationalities worshipping together. He renounced the racist ideology of the National of Islam and in doing so knowingly signed his own death warrant. Within a matter of months, members of the Nation of Islam assassinated him in front of his family. Shortly before his death, Malcolm thought about the advice given to the young white woman by the pre-Mecca Malcolm X, “Well, I've lived to regret that ...