Friday, February 22, 2013

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: MALCOLM X

After Spike Lee released his film about the life of Malcolm X, hats with X on them and other apparel were released.  I had a black hat with a white X on it, I wore it school one day.  A counselor stopped me, asked me what the X meant.  I looked at her and kept walking.  I was a little disturbed that she was unaware.  After all she was a part of the educational system but maybe I should have explained it to her.  

I also remember at the end of Spike Lee's movie, different children and people proclaimed.  I am Malcolm X!

Sometimes I feel Malcolm's legacy has been overshadowed by Dr. King's because Malcolm X believed in obtaining things by any means necessary, even if that meant violence.  However, there are countless stories in the bible where violence, war, and battles were required to defeat the enemy.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother, Louise Norton Little, was a homemaker occupied with the family's eight children. His father, Earl Little, was an outspoken Baptist minister and avid supporter of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Earl's civil rights activism prompted death threats from the white supremacist organization Black Legion, forcing the family to relocate twice before Malcolm's fourth birthday.

"When my mother was pregnant with me, she told me later, a party of hooded Klu Klux Klan riders galloped up to our home... Brandishing their shotguns and rifles, they shouted for my father to come out."
Regardless of the Little's efforts to elude the Legion, in 1929 their Lansing, Michigan home was burned to the ground. Two years later, Earl's body was found lying across the town's trolley tracks. Police ruled both incidents as accidents, but the Little's were certain that members of the Black Legion were responsible. Louise suffered emotional breakdown several years after the death of her husband and was committed to a mental institution. Her children were split up amongst various foster homes and orphanages.


Growing up

Malcolm was a smart, focused student. He graduated from junior high at the top of his class. However, when a favorite teacher told Malcolm his dream of becoming a lawyer was "no realistic goal for a nigger," Malcolm lost interest in school. He dropped out, spent some time in Boston, Massachusetts working various odd jobs, and then traveled to Harlem, New York where he committed petty crimes. By 1942 Malcolm was coordinating various narcotics, prostitution and gambling rings. Read more at (http://www.malcolmx.com/about/bio.htmlhttp://www.malcolmx.com/about/bio.html)



Be a blessing and be blessed! Namaste! Peace! Love! Joy! Think!!!!!!!!!!

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