The biography of malcolm x summary
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His mother, Louise, is made a widow when Earl is murdered; then the state welfare agency tries to break up the family. He dropped out of school and moved to Boston, where he became involved in crime and drug use.
In 1946, Malcolm was arrested and sentenced to prison for larceny and breaking and entering. Before long, Malcolm supports himself by selling marijuana, engaging in burglaries and stickups, and running numbers for local gamblers.
Malcolm believes that in the eyes of the court, his true crime was corrupting the White women who conspired with him.
During his first year in prison, Malcolm earns the nickname “Satan” because of his constant and vicious invective against God and the Bible. Meanwhile, other ministers in the Nation of Islam grow jealous of Malcolm’s national attention, turning Elijah Muhammad against him.
Once, their house is burned down, and another time it is damagedboth times by groups of white men. Earl Little's activism made him a target of white supremacists, and he was eventually murdered when Malcolm was just a child.
After his father's death, Malcolm's family struggled financially and was forced to move around the country, eventually settling in Lansing, Michigan.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a nonfiction memoir published in 1965 by American human rights activist Malcolm X, in collaboration with American author Alex Haley. Malcolm consumes books on history, philosophy, and religion voraciously, reading until four a.m. His father, Earl Little, is a Baptist preacher who advocates the ' 'back-to-Africa" philosophy of black activist Marcus Garvey.
Its members are observant Muslims who adhere to a strict taboo against cigarettes, alcohol, pork, and premarital sex. Around this time, Malcolm straightens his hair, starts wearing flamboyant zoot suits, and enters into a relationship with a young affluent White woman named Sophia. Upon his return, he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity to promote civil rights and racial equality.
Tragically, Malcolm X's efforts were cut short when he was assassinated in 1965 while speaking at a rally in New York City.
Through his recruitment efforts and his blistering oratory, Malcolm ascends in the organization, eventually becoming the head of New York City’s Temple Number Seven in 1954. This makes Earl the target of White supremacists, particularly after the Littles relocate to Lansing, Michigan. Things come to a head when Malcolm learns that Elijah Muhammad has repeatedly broken the Nation of Islam code of conduct, impregnating multiple secretaries.
The book covers the early life of Malcolm X, including his troubled childhood, his involvement in crime and drugs, and his eventual conversion to Islam while serving time in prison.
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. In a letter, Malcolm’s younger brother Reginald tells him that the way out of prison is to quit cigarettes and pork.
He also changes his name to Malcolm X, abandoning the surname given to his ancestors by slaveholders.
In 1959, the Nation of Islam becomes a household name—and an object of intense fear for many White Americans—after a Mike Wallace documentary on the group titled The Hate That Hate Produced.
When Malcolm is around six years old, members of the Black Legion, a White supremacist terrorist organization, murder Earl.
In 1938, Malcolm’s mother Louise suffers a mental breakdown and is sent to the Kalamazoo State Mental Hospital, leaving Malcolm in the care of a White couple in nearby Mason, Michigan. The Nation of Islam characterizes White people as “devils” whose time as the dominant group in American society will soon end.
Given Malcolm’s experiences with White Americans—starting with his father’s murder—the Nation of Islam’s teachings resonate deeply.
Meanwhile, he is increasingly dependent on marijuana, cocaine, and opium.
After a nearly fatal confrontation with a fearsome numbers runner, Malcolm returns to Boston in 1945 to plot his next move. It was while he was in prison that he converted to Islam and changed his last name to X to symbolize the loss of his African heritage.
He became more mainstream in his views and began advocating for racial equality through peaceful means.
In 1964, Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam and made a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he had a transformative experience that led him to embrace a more universal and inclusive Islam.