"The Autobiography of Malcolm X"

                â€œThe Autobiography of Malcolm X” as told to Alex Haley, is about the life of the world renowned and somewhat controversial civil rights activist Malcolm X. It was co-written by Alex Haley who got his information from various interviews with Malcolm X. The book received numerous accolades and was named one of ten “required reading” non-fiction books by Time magazine.

                Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 and was named Malcolm Little. He grew up in Lansing, Michigan and lived with his mother, father and 6 siblings. When he was very young, his father was killed by white supremacists and as a result, his mother had a hard time taking care of the family. Social workers were constantly in the Little home. His mother had a nervous breakdown and was admitted into a mental hospital and as a result the kids were all sent to various foster homes.

                Malcolm excelled in middle school but dropped out once one of his teachers told him that his dream of becoming a lawyer was unrealistic for a person of color and advised him to instead, become a carpenter.

                At age 15 he moved in with his half-sister in Roxbury, Massachusetts and then spent a short time in Flint, Michigan. He would then move to Harlem where he lived a life of crime and engaged in various illegal activities like gambling, drug dealing and robbery. It was there that he got the nickname “Detroit Red.”

                Malcolm returned to Roxbury where he was arrested for robbery and convicted to 10 years in prison.

                While in prison he gained a thirst for knowledge and would spend most of his time reading. It was also in prison where he first learned about the Nation of Islam when one of his brothers told him about it on one of his visits. At the time, it was a new religion that preached black empowerment and self-reliance.

                Upon his release from prison, he would go on to become a prominent figure for the Nation of Islam. Malcolm would also go on to change his last name from Little to X, as did everyone else who was part of the Nation of Islam. They felt that the X represented the names of their ancestors who’s names and history were erased by the slave owners when they were brought to America.  He also recruited lots of new people throughout America and became the primary voice for the Nation of Islam.

                Unlike many other civil rights leaders, he believed in separation, instead of integration. He also wanted the black people to not be so dependent on the white people and instead build up their own businesses, schools and communities. He also differed from many civil rights advocates at the time because he didn’t believe in “turning the other cheek.” Although he didn’t promote violence, he did believe in retaliation. This was very controversial among the civil rights leaders of the time and led many people to refer to him as a demagogue.

                After Malcolm’s controversial “chickens coming home to roost” comments on President Kennedy’s death, he no longer had a voice for the Nation of Islam as they banned him from public speaking for 90 days. This led Malcolm X to leave the Nation of Islam and embark on a pilgrimage to Mecca.

                It was there where he would begin to experience a change of heart. A large part of this was because of all the different kinds of people that he met. He met Muslims of all colors and walks of life interacting as equals which led him to believe more in the idea of integration and unity. It was also in Mecca where he discovered that he was not practicing real Islam because it was really a religion of peace, love and unity. Malcolm created his own organization to spread this new message called the Muslim Mosque, Inc.

                His relationship with the Nation of Islam had gotten worse and he began to receive numerous death threats. On February 21, 1965 as he gave a speech in the Audubon Ballroom, he was assassinated by several members of the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X is remembered as one of the most influential and controversial leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

                I really enjoyed reading this book. To me it was a story of self-redemption, determination and hard-work. Malcolm X went from being an uneducated criminal from Harlem to one of the most powerful and influential African Americans to ever live. It also showed how hard-work and determination can go a long way when one is determined to change their life for the good. Although, I don’t agree with all of his views on fixing the injustices that the African American community faced during the period of segregation, I admire his will to take a stance and fight for what he believed in. Just like he said “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”