Introduction
Malcolm X remained a leader of a religious nationalistic Afro-American organization for twelve years. He was popularizing the idea of black supremacy among his followers. Besides, Malcolm X was exhorting society to segregate Americans of African ethnic background from citizens of European ancestry. This speech is to address Malcolm X’s Islam Nation activities and doctrine.
Work in the Islam Nation
Malcolm X was a talented orator because he was improving his skills during his work for the Islam Nation. Besides, he had a great influence on the audience due to his appearance and eloquence skills. Hence, he won the respect of many Afro-Americans because these people were unhappy and tired of their lives in slavery. The general ideas and thoughts of Malcolm X were signifying their dissatisfactions and complaints. He was considered to be the most influential man of the Islam Nation after Elijah Muhammad (Grewal, 2015). Nevertheless, many people of both Caucasian and Negroid races were confused with Malcolm X’s statements during that period. He was accused by his opponents of racism, the acceptance of race segregation, and of not helping to improve the relationships between the two races of America.
Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X had an arduous relationship at the beginning of the 1960s due to the rumors of the latter’s marriage, which was prohibited by the organization’s codex and doctrine. Moreover, the Islam Nation leader was jealous of Malcolm X’s success because he was known by the media and was an incredibly talented orator. In the year of 1964, Malcolm X made an official declaration about his departure from the organization (Grewal, 2015). Malcolm X was menaced by other members of the Islam Nation during the year 1964 because he became an opponent of Elijah Muhammad. Once, an unknown man called to X’s house to tell his wife that he was practically dead.
Before Malcolm X left the religious nationalistic Afro-American organization in the year of 1964, he was popularizing its doctrine through the speeches he performed. He claimed that black people were the first humans to inhabit our planet. Besides, Malcolm X thought and preached that people with white color of skin were the devil’s race, which was created by Yakub (an evil scientist). Malcolm X was proclaiming the supremacy of blacks, stressing that the white race’s death is imminent. He argued this point of view by saying that every person who abuses, robs, enslaves people, and bombs cities are the devil in the flesh. After Malcolm X had left the religious nationalistic Afro-American organization, he started to co-operate with the civil rights movement. “Substantially, as I saw it, the organization I hoped to build would differ from the Nation of Islam in that it would embrace all faiths of black men, and would carry into practice what the Nation of Islam had only preached” (X, Haley, & Sloan, 2015, p. 302). Although, he thought that this organization had to focus on the whole range of human rights, instead of just disputing a political status. What benefit do you think, Malcolm X had from protecting the rights and freedoms of the black population?
Moreover, X said that Islam was the only religion of black people, whereas Christianity was a white people’s faith, which was imposed on Afro-Americans by their slaveholders. “The Christian church returned to Africa under the banner of the Cross-conquering, killing, exploiting, pillaging, raping, bullying beating, and teaching white supremacy” (X et al., 2015, p 138). It would be proper to state that X was proclaiming the segregation of black people from white citizens during mass protests against this barrier between the two races in the United States of America. Another interesting fact is that Islam Nation leaders were developing a project of a new Commonwealth for black people on the territory of southern American states. This particular area was considered as a terminal for Afro-Americans that would like to return to their motherland. Moreover, Malcolm X was persuading his audience that the U.S. government was obligated to financially compensate for all the centuries of black people’s slavery. Besides, he denied a non-violence strategy, which was suggested by people who fought for the civil rights of blacks. Furthermore, Malcolm X insisted on Afro-Americans protecting themselves by collective self-defense.
Malcolm X’s chief complaint was that blacks were brainwashed by their slaveholders, the media, and American society. He saw that some Afro-Americans have resigned themselves to their fate on the territory of the United States of America. X wanted his countrymen and countrywomen to fight for their freedoms as hard and obstinately as it was possible. Do you think that it would be possible for X and his companions to establish a separate state for Afro-Americans?
Although Malcolm X remained a leader of the Islam Nation, he had some controversies that did not meet with the organization’s strategies. Therefore, he decided to leave this organization to argue his points of view to black people. Nevertheless, when he remained a member of the Islam Nation, all his speeches were overwhelmed with phrases that refer and show respect to the greatest Muslim leaders of all times. Furthermore, during his interviews, Malcolm X said that he was just a puppet in the hands of Muhammad who gave X various directions for his actions and speeches (X et al., 2015). Moreover, he claimed that Islam Nation members were professing their religion just like in the other parts of the world, but some divergences were obvious due to the low quality of life and poverty among black people in the United States of America.
Malcolm X claimed that he and other members of the civil rights movement were to protect themselves against different aggressors, that they were to fight for freedom and equality between races in any possible ways (X et al., 2015). When X was asked to express his opinion about socialism by one of the journalists, he said that he supported anything beneficial for Afro-Americans. Nevertheless, X was traveling to some Muslim countries to learn and gain more experience from the world’s Muslim leaders. These explorations slightly started to change his set of mind, especially after he met with revolutionists from Northern Africa. He confessed that he had realized all the backsides and dangers of racism. How did Malcolm X demonstrate his position as a racist before?
Conclusion
Malcolm X was considered to be one of the greatest and most influential authorities in the United States of America. His activities and works are appreciated by Afro-Americans nowadays because he was showing and proving that the black population was better than other races. Due to his statements and beliefs, Afro-Americans do not feel like derelicts among white people anymore. Malcolm X was professing that black people were the first humans on Earth, that Caucasians were the devil’s face, and that blacks should have protected themselves. Moreover, he wanted black people to segregate from the white ones, and to create a Commonwealth for Afro-Americans on the territory of Southern states.
References
Grewal, Z. (2015). 1965 and the global intellectual afterlife of Malcolm X. American Studies, 54(2), 9-21.
X, M., Haley, A., & Sloan, S. (2015). The autobiography of Malcolm X. New York, NY: Ishi Press International.