MALCOLM X

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little was a man of pride, power,

austerity, and above all, influence. Born to a single mother and placed
in an orphanage when he was six, Malcolm learned firsthand the
hatred that whites had for blacks during the late 1900s. During that
turbulent era, Malcolm became one of the only black activists who
wholeheartedly responded to the African diasporas calls for immediate
change and freedom. Malcolm was not a man who believed that the
problem of the African Americans would be solved through meek
nuances. He believed the problem had come to a stage when the
assertion of African Americans existence as equals had to be forcefully
done or never.
This one outspoken man fostered the rise of one of the most
powerful Black Muslim movements in the history of the world, The
Nation of Islam. He made his message of black self-reliance and selfdefense heard from coast to coast touching the souls of American
blacks for generations to come and calling attention to some of the
vilest racial problems that still pervade this nation, from job
discrimination to racial profiling and police brutality.
Malcolms teachings on black equality and the white plague were
so pervasive that they even changed the outlook on civil rights for two
of the most ardently non-violent civil rights groups in the nation, SNCC
and CORE and laid the foundation for multiple black nationalist
movements such as the powerful Black Panther Party. Not only that,
but his words were even heard across the sea in Africa. In many African
countries violent resistances touting Malcolms ideals became favored
over Gandhis non-violent civil disobedience approach resulting in their
inevitable liberation from the chains of the white man. Malcolms magic
was overwhelming. Every racist act by whites was met with a violent
black reaction. In little time, both governments and the core white

groups began to adjust their stand and belief regarding blacks. This
was Malcolms goal.
Malcolm was also a cultural revolutionary of epic proportions.
Before his widespread preaching few African Americans even wanted
to be associated with the so-called slave continent of Africa. But
Malcolm always reminded them that you cant hate the roots of the
tree and not hate the tree; you cant hate our origin and not end up
hating yourself; you cant hate Africa and not hate yourself. Malcolm
can be understood as the cultural prophet of blackness. African
Americans today who are proud to be black indubitably have Malcolm
X to thank.
Malcolm did what no man was capable of doing. He embodied
and preached an effective and powerful response to the pain and
humiliation the African Americans had suffered for generations.
Malcolm has been described as one of the greatest and most
influential African Americans in history. He will forever be credited with
raising the self-esteem of black Americans and reconnecting them with
their African heritage. He is largely responsible for the spread of Islam
in the black community in the United States. Many African Americans,
especially those who lived in cities in the Northern and Western United
States, felt that Malcolm Xs gospel of fire articulated their complaints
concerning inequality better than the mainstream civil rights
movement did. In the words of one biographer, Bruce Perry, "Malcolm
made clear the price that white America would have to pay if it did not
accede to black America's legitimate demands." His voice was even
heard as far away as Africa and his words fueled huge movements for
black independence and are still the central ideas that resonate with
native Africans today. Malcolm X placed the spotlight on the sordid
issues of racism and discrimination that occurred and continue to occur
in society. Indeed, the modern Black Lives Matter movement against
police brutality looks back to Malcolm X for inspiration

The almost painful honesty about the world he lived in that

enabled him to find his way from degradation, to devotion to his
people, the modest lifestyle that kept him on the edge of poverty, the
incandescent rage that he poured into the hearts and minds of blacks
everywhere from the US to Zimbabwe, and the sense of autonomy that
he somehow managed to finally invest in a race that had been
repressed for centuries will serve forever as poignant reminders of
human possibility and achievement. A man of everlasting influence,
Malcolm X was the most powerful manifestation of everything the civil
rights movement ever stood for and ever will stand for in the United
States of America. So when you get to walk those halls with your head
held high, when you get to use the same facilities or sit in the same
classrooms, when you get to see each other as equals, you cant thank
Walt Disney, you can thank the civil rights movement. You can thank
the men and women who fought and died for your equality and
liberation. You can thank Malcolm X.