This Day in History

Eighty-four years ago today, Malcolm X (nee Malcolm Little) was born to Earl and Louise Little in Omaha, NE. After enduring the loss of his father at the hands of white supremacists and the hospitalization of his mother due to mental health issues, Little and his siblings were assigned to different foster homes. Despite those life shattering events, Little was still one of the best students in his junior high school. However, he dropped out of school in the eighth grade after his English teacher informed that his aspirations of becoming a lawyer were "no realistic goal for a nigger". Shortly after moving to Harlem, NY at the age of eighteen, Little began a life of gambling, robbery, racketeering, drug dealing and pimping prostitutes. He then relocated to Boston, MA; was arrested and charged with larceny and breaking and entering and was eventually incarcerated in the Massachusetts State Prison. While serving his sentence, Little found religion and joined the Nation of Islam.

Following his release from prison, Little changed his name to Malcolm X and, over the next few years, quickly became the second most influential leader in the Nation of Islam, just below Elijah Muhammad. However, after more than ten years with the religious group, Malcolm X publicly announced his separation from the Nation of Islam in March of 1964 due to (1) the internal criticism he received for his remarks regarding Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, (2) the resentment of his popularity in the media by other members within the organization and (3) his own dismay with Elijah Muhammad's extramarital affairs with young secretaries and the lavish lifestyles that Muhammad and other members of the Nation of Islam were living. A month later, Malcolm X traveled to Saudi Arabia in order to visit the holy site of Mecca. According to Malcolm X himself, this journey to Mecca allowed him to witness Muslims of all different interacting as equals. As a result, Malcolm X developed "greater spiritual insights into what is happening in America between black and white" and, in turn, spoke out against the Nation of Islam when he returned to the United States.

As his negative comments concerning the Nation of Islam continued, the organization continually made death threats towards Malcolm X and his family and several attempts on his life. And then, on February 21, 1965, Malcolm X began a speech at a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan when a disturbance broke out in the audience. A man stood up and yelled, "Nigger! Get your hand outta my pocket!" As the bodyguards of Malcolm X moved towards the man in order to quiet the commotion, another man from the audience rushed forward and shot Malcolm X in the chest with a sawed off shotgun. Two other men charged the stage and fired handguns, hitting Malcolm X an additional 16 times. Malcolm X was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at Columbia University Medical Center. He was survived by his wife and six daughters, including twins born after his assassination.

Because of the fact that Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were very public figures in the same time period, Malcolm X's legacy has been tarnished in the eyes of some individuals. Since Dr. King preached the notion of non-violence on a daily basis, Malcolm X is extremely misunderstood and often viewed as a very militant individual, especially with his use of the phrase "by any means necessary". This view was intensified after that particular phrase was combined with a photograph of Malcolm X standing by a window holding a machine gun. However, the photograph was originally taken as a warning against Nation of Islam members who had already threatened Malcolm X's life. But by merging the photograph with the "by any means necessary" phrase, the image appears to be a call to arms for the black population. And if you look at the phrase in its full context ("We declare our right on this earth to be a man, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence via any means necessary."), you can see that Malcolm X is calling for his African-American brothers and sisters to stand up and take their rightful place in society. The full impact of the legacy of Malcolm X can be viewed in the eulogy that actor and activist Ossie Davis delivered in remembrance of the slain leader: "There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain - and we will smile. Many will say 'Turn away - away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man' - and we will smile. They will say that he is of hate - a fanatic, a racist - who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle! And we will answer and say to them, 'Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did, you would know him. And if you knew him, you would know why we must honor him."