When you hear the words Civil Rights Movement, nine times out of ten the first person that may cross your mind is the very well known Martin Luther King Jr. and maybe Rosa Parks. I’ll throw in a few more names like Harriet Tubman, John Lewis, and Sojourner Truth.

How about Malcolm X?

That’s a name that usually makes some people cringe or downright uncomfortable.

I chose to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X because I didn’t understand why he always came second to Martin Luther King Jr. The only reason I was ever told was that he was “violent.”

This only raised more questions. What made him violent? Who was he?

Well, Malcolm X was originally named Malcolm Little (a last name inherited from slave ancestors) to a mother and father with 7 other children. He was constantly moving due to threats by the KKK since his father was a Baptist minister. Sadly, Malcolm’s father was killed when he was a young boy and his mother went insane, landing him in a foster home.

In the next stage in his life, Malcolm becomes a rebel. He was known as Detroit Red due to his reddish hair while he became involved in criminal activities like peddling illegal drugs. As smart as he was, all this illegal activity eventually landed him in jail specifically to serve a sentence for burglary.

Malcolm’s life takes another 360 while he’s in jail, this time for the better. He takes advantage of this time period to learn from the honorable Elijah Mohammed who led the Nation of Islam. Malcolm was so inspired by Elijah Mohammed and even the religion, he converted to Islam and changed his name form Little to X, replacing the slave master name.

After Malcolm got out of jail, he started leading the Nation of Islam. His influence helped the nation grow from 400 to 50,000 followers. He was unapologetically pro-black and some might even say he was anti-white as he condemned whites and referred to them as “white-devil.” His argument for black power, black defense, and black economic autonomy was seen as a division between whites and blacks which clashed with Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of unity for all races.

However, Malcolm left the Nation of Islam in 1964 after finding out about Elijah Muhammad’s illegal affairs with the women, mostly young girls in the nation of Islam, and having illegitimate children with them. Malcolm was disappointed and disgusted with Elijah, thus leaving the nation.

Leaving the nation had its consequences. A year after his separation from The Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was ordered to vacate his house which The Nation of Islam claimed to have owned. Then, on February 14, 1965 his home was burned down to the ground in East Elmhurst, NY.

After this, Malcolm embarked on his own journey (a pilgrimage) to the holy Mecca which is the birthplace of the Islamic faith residing in western Saudi Arabia. On this journey, Malcolm once again starts transforming into a new person.

Malcolm unlearns his old ways. He changes his mind about religion, race relations, and violence. Malcolm begins to let go of his support for fighting fire with fire, abandoning his belief about violence and separation.

He begins to hope for a true brotherhood of all races, adopting a Muslim name El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. He even begins to rekindle his relationship with Dr. King said, “Dr. King wants the same thing I want—Freedom!”

Malcolm also founded a new organization. It was called the Organization of Afro-American Unity, a Pan-Africanist organization. This organization focused on promoting academic excellence and cultural development amongst its members.

Sadly, Malcolm was assassinated on February 26, 1965 while delivering a lecture at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. Three members who were associated with the Nation of Islam were arrested but during the trial, one of them confessed yet claimed the other two weren’t involved. They were all convicted of murder but those two were exonerated in 2021.:

Through his journey and adversity, Malcolm X had the support of his wife Betty Shabazz and their six children. Even though they’re not spoken about much, they were the ones who survived when Malcolm X was assassinated. His wife died in 1997 and his children are still living aside from Malikah Shabazz who died in 2021 due to natural causes.

At only 39 years old, the world wasn’t ready to let Malcolm X go. However, about 14,000 to 30,000 mourners attended his public viewing on February 23–26. It was held at Unity Funeral Home in Harlem. Dr. King sent a telegram to Malcolm X’s wife which contained the phrase, “While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had the great ability to put his finger on the existence and root of the problem.”

Malcolm X’s fight made him one of the greatest advocates for the rights of African Americans. His fight to instill in the minds of his people that they are beautiful—black is beautiful—was a cultural movement that defended the black beauty, intelligence, and progress. Because of him and the other activists of his time, black people are empowered and aren’t afraid to fight for their equality especially when they’re being gunned down by the same people who are supposed to protect them in the name of the law.

With the Independent Reading assignment for biography, memoir, or autobiography, I wasn’t sure who I wanted to read about. I knew I didn’t want anyone I’ve already known so much about or someone who’d I’d waste my time learning about. Malcolm X was the perfect choice, because not only have I gained a deeper understanding of his legacy, but a greater understanding about him.

So, why don’t schools teach about Malcolm X? How come his name is associated with violence if changed and bettered himself over time? Aren’t schools supposed to encourage growth and understanding and of course forgiveness?

While he wasn’t a saint, he was human.

After reading his autobiography, I have the utmost respect for him. I wish I could’ve met him and I wish he had more time to show the world his full transformation. As much as I appreciate Martin, I believe Malcolm deserves the same praise and all the bells and whistles.