Malcolm X

Exposé Malcolm x :

Introduction

His youth

He was born on may 1925. Son of Louise Little and Earl Little member of the universal Negro improvement association, he is against the integration of black people in America.

His father was repeatedly threatened by the Ku Klux Klan so the family has had to move several time because of the trouble implication of the father, who finaly died in 1935 by a tram under mysterious circumstances because he was hurt to the head.

Afterward, in 1938, his mother became depressed and Malcom his siblings are placed.

Malcom was a brilliant student, but, according to his teacher he couldn’t become a lawer because of his color, so he left school system and fell into crime (drugs, burglary, racketeering,…) and odd jobs (shoeshine).

He was incarcerated in 1946 in Boston for 10 years for theft and possession of a weapon.

The jail, a turning point 

Malcom began to study books in prison. He hears the Nation of Islam by his brothers.

This is an American religious organization created in 1930.

This organization disagree Islam on some points, for instance, the promoting racial hatred against white people, the idea that black people appeared on earth, a black god,… .

However it retains some similarities (do not eat pig, drink alcohol intolerance, respect of the 5 pillars of Islam…).

He converted to this religion and corresponds by letter with Elijah Muhammad, the leader od this religious organization.

On 7 august 1952, Malcom was released from prison.

His involvement in the Nation of Islam :

Quickly, he changed his surname to “X” to reject his former slave name.

He met Elijah Muhammad and go live with him in 1954, the same years he was chosen to lead the temple number 7 in Harlem in NY.

In these temples they taught many things:

They had discussion about the fundamentals of Islam, some training in various martial arts, speech about the responsibilities of a husband and father as well as women’s rights, the education of children and principles of business.

He succeed quickly to multiply the faithful and from 1959 in his first television interview, his speeches are transcribed in all the United States and worldwide.

He became an influential member of the organization, and until 1960 Malcom X was the principal spokesman of Elijah Muhammad.

Image diapo –> drapeau nation of islam.

In the early 60

It’s the beginning of the deterioration of the relationship betwen Elijah and Malcom X.

In fact Malcom began to take an interest in the movement for black people civils rights (non violent movement and for equality rights between each Americans citizen), orthodox Islam, so he began having speech against idea of Elijah (about his position on the Kennedy assassination, for example).

Changement d’horizon

On 8 march 1964, he left forced Nation of Islam, and four days later he created his own organization, the Muslim Mosque Inc, and converted to the Orthodox Sunni Islam.

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