Malcolm X Research Paper

Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha Nebraska. He was the fourth of eight children to Louise, a homemaker, and Earl Little, a preacher who was also an active member of the local chapter of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and avid supporter of black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. During his early life, Malcolm 's family faced much harassment from white supremacist groups. Many times, the Ku Klux Klan came to his house, and smashed his windows and other furniture. Even his father was killed by this group.

Malcolm X attended West Junior High School, where he was the only black student. He excelled greatly, and was well liked by his classmates. He was also elected for class president. But he soon found out that his classmates

He founded many new temples, and became the minister of temple no. 7 in Harlem and no. 11 in Boston. He also established a newspaper in 1960 "Muhammad Speaks." Malcolm preached about how there is no such thing as a non-violent resolution, and how the black race does not have to turn the other cheek to solve a problem. From the time that X got out of prison in 1952 until 1960, almost 39,600 believers joined the Nation of Islam. Thus, Malcolm became the leading spokesman for the Nation, and presented many alternatives to Martin Luther King 's "achieving rights through peaceful means"

His feelings of betrayal, and Muhammad 's anger over Malcolm 's insensitive comments on the assassination of president John F Kennedy, led him to leave the Nation of Islam. That same year, Malcolm X embarked on an extended trip through North Africa and the Middle East. The journey proved to be both a political and spiritual turning point in his life. He learned to place the American Civil Rights Movement within the context of a global anti-colonial struggle, embracing socialism and pan-Africanism. He also converted to the traditional Islam religion, and changed his name to "El-Hajj Malik