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Essay / Malcolm . Several prominent African Americans became powerful leaders in the fight to bridge the racial divide. Malcolm X was one of the most famous of these leaders, some considered a hero, while others considered him a "racist monster." From negative racist experiences, Malcolm learned early on to stand up for what he believed. His critics describe him as a fundamentally good man, but they criticize the way he takes his stand. Some would have liked to see him associate with Martin Luther King Jr., another civil rights activist. Despite how he may be portrayed, Malcolm X was a great man of many talents and accomplishments and will forever be remembered for his contributions to the civil rights movement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Malcolm X's personality developed throughout his life, these changes can be mapped into four respective parts, with each part helping Malcolm determine who he was. As Malcolm said: People are always speculating: why am I the way I am? To understand any person, it is their entire life, since their birth, that we must review. All our experiences blend into our personality. Everything that happened to us is an ingredient. I was born into difficulty! Malcolm injured when he was hit by a streetcar” (Myers 21) This tragedy caused great heartbreak in Malcolm’s family. At the age of thirteen, Malcolm saw his house burn. He had been exposed to the violent death of his father, had experienced extreme hunger, had seen his mother's slow depression, and had also seen his siblings placed in foster homes. (Perry 32) Years without proper schooling left Malcolm struggling with a life on the streets. While imprisoned for burglary, Malcolm learned about the Black Muslim movement and the Islamic religion. Malcolm action, http://bc:bluffton.edu/BcnewsMalcolm also believed that this freedom must be sought: by any means necessary! I am for freedom. http://mercury.spaceports.com/x/quotes.html Regarding the Black American Revolt, Malcolm believed that: "It is incorrect to classify the Black Revolt as a simple racial conflict between blacks and whites, [it is a] worldwide rebellion of the oppressed against the oppressor” (http://bc.bluffton.edu/BCNews) He believed that this revolution of the American Negro was part of the rebellion against all oppression that seemed to characterize the times. When it comes to the vast resources relating to Malcolm, there are a number of common misconceptions, for example regarding his trip to Mecca, which is said to have changed his entire belief system. This was actually the opinion of the Reverend Albert Cleage, who, in a speech he gave in Detroit, said: "I completely reject it [Malcolm's total change of beliefs], I say that if this kind transformation, if in Mecca he had decided that blacks and whites can unite, then his life at that moment would no longer have meaning in terms of the global black struggle” (Bailey 15).Another misconception was that Malcolm supported violent action, when in fact he often told his followers that they should never initiate violence (Perry 283). Many people questioned how appropriate the means Malcolm used to achieve his goals were, but questions aside, critics praised Malcolm. Many white journalists and politicians were pleased with Malcolm's respectful manner. He may criticize them, but he did not treat them in an undistinguished manner. As he told an audience of blacks, regarding white police officers: "Maybe some of these blue-eyed devils in blue uniforms here are really black. If one of them smiles, it's because he He's a brother." (Perry 284) Malcolm was often known for his ability to rally the spirit of a crowd. Malcolm's audience was often very involved in the speech itself, often shouting, "Say, brother, say." (Perry 175). For all of Malcolm's praise, there was also some discontent Malcolm was allegedly arrogant towards his "students". “He made sure they knew he was the teacher and they were the students” (Perry 275). It was also frequently noted that Malcolm had verbally degraded Martin Luther King Jr. In reference to Martin's peaceful sitins, Malcolm states, "Anyone can sit down. An old woman can sit down. A coward can sit down. It takes a man to stand” (Perry 282). ) Even though people wanted the racial barrier to fall, they could not accept violence as a means to achieve this. “If he wanted to create some sort of peace between the two, then why would he try to create more violence to end the existing violence.” (Perry 285) They disagreed with his philosophy “by any means necessary.” There is much speculation about what would have happened if Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. had joined forces. In Malcolm's eyes, the main difference between him and Martin was that "[Martin] doesn't mind being beaten and I do." (Perry 323) Malcolm told an audience, “You're going to have to fight!” (Perry 282) By saying this, he was implying that violence should be tolerated if it was for a good cause. Martin's view of the civil rights struggle was almost directly opposed to Malcolm's: "Forgive them, they don't know what they're doing" (Perry 183), he was quoted as saying. He believed that nonviolence presented black people as people who only wanted to exercise their rights as Americans. These strong differences of opinion made relations difficult between the two men. Perhaps if the two had joined forces, a new revolution depicting the silent and derogatory battle against racial barriers would have emerged. After studying several styles of debate, he would often choose to answer a question with a question, "parrying" difficult questions with equally difficult ones. his own. He was once asked if the Nation of Islam supported the U.S. government, to which he responded, "Does the government support and protect us?" (179 MALCOLM) In this way, Malcolm was able to indirectly answer the question posed to him, while creating his own questions. In addition to his debating skills, Malcolm was adept at using political metaphors. His use of these metaphors cemented his reputation as a “preeminent” spokesperson for black separatism. Comparing the independence of a child from his parents, to the independence he advocated. He warned that if the "mother" (United States) did not give independence to the "child" (blacks), it would have to be taken by force, and if it escalated, it wouldcould cause the death of the “mother”. (Perry 187) Malcolm's ability to adapt to his environment, allowing him to bring together a college campus one day and a group in the ghetto the next, his popularity increased because he was able to speak to his audience, in a way that spoke to him. In Nation of Islam temples, Malcolm spoke in terms of devils and gods. In institutions of higher learning, he spoke in terms of the oppressed and their oppressors (Perry 179). In Harlem, Malcolm took another stepping stone in his life. He became the chief minister of the Harlem mosque. Here, "he learned about, debated, and fought against the competing platforms of revolutionary and cultural nationalism, electoral politics, socialism, and communism" (http://bc.bluffton.edu/BCNews/Archive/news. stm.). the majority of black people felt and thought. On December 4, 1963, Malcolm was suspended from the Nation of Islam for his inappropriate comments on the assassination of JF Kennedy. After his suspension, he left them and left to form the Muslim Mosque Inc, in 1964, and the Organization of African American Unity. These allowed Malcolm to show "his" people his new beliefs, that blacks and whites could coexist in one society. In the establishment portion of the Organization's declaration it says: The Organization of Afro-American Unity will include people of African descent in the Western Hemisphere, as well as our brothers and sisters in the African continent. (Myers 158) This shows that Malcolm's definition of an "African", as stated in the declaration, includes both whites and blacks, and not just "black Africans". It also shows his desire to see blacks and whites working in harmony. The March on Washington took place on August 28, 1963. Malcolm disliked the march calling it a "farce on Washington" (Myers 130). was entirely too peaceful and hated the fact that blacks allowed whites to become the leaders of the march. Malcolm's idea that white people would take over was right. Members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), who had participated in sit-ins throughout the South, had prepared a speech. But the speech was deemed too hostile by some white clergy and it was changed. (Myers 130) Shortly after, Malcolm stated that "white people used black people as 'puppets'" (Perry 131). Three weeks later, a church in Birmingham was bombed, four children died, and in another part of the city a thirteen-year-old boy was shot dead. These events angered supporters of Martin Luther King Jr., who said he could not preach nonviolence at a time when black children were being killed and not have a positive plan that black people could adopt to move forward. Despite popular feelings, King remained true to his nonviolent beliefs. Because of recent horrors, people's hearts preferred Malcolm's voice as he loudly asked, "How could you turn the other cheek when your children were being killed?" (Myers 133) Malcolm's opinion about the walk was: She stopped being angry. He stopped being impatient. In fact, it was no longer a walk. It became a picnic (Perry 211). In some ways, the march succeeded in raising awareness for civil rights action, but more than that, it added to Malcolm's popularity. When the failures of the march were described, that's when people were able to see, hear and recognize Malcolm's true greatness. Malcolm X was a great man who knew exactly what he believed. From the earliest stages of his life, »."
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