Malcolm X

Produced By: Elton StolzeAlyssa HirdMylena MathenyJessica Gillen

RWS 200

T/Th 3:30-4:45

Six Point Summary

1 Malcolm X 2 Muslim Minister, Public Speaker, ex-

hustler 3. Learning to read 4.1965 5. Grove Press 6. He illustrates his own life through which

he attempts to impress upon his readers the need to become more self-reliant and to break the social constraints and the expectations of society.

The Actual Thesis

Malcolm X, a Muslim minister and black activist, who co-wrote his auto-biography, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, including the article, Learning to Read, written in 1965, illustrates his own life through which he attempts to impress upon his readers the need to become more self-reliant and to break the social constraints and the expectations of society.

What Will Be Covered

Malcolm X’s life and Works by Mylena

Context of The Publication by Alyssa The Larger Conversation by Jessica Malcolm X’s Political And Social

Goals by Elton

What is Context?

The interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs : environment, setting- Merriam-Webster

Why Does Context Matter in this Case?

The context for our presentation makes a huge amount of difference.

If we couldn’t define what civil rights was for Malcolm X, general equality and the ending of black slavery, we wouldn’t be able to understand his desires. The definition of civil rights of Malcolm’s time would be far from the definition of civil rights today, or even twenty years ago.

Sub-Topics

Civil RightsSelf-RelianceEducationHuman Dignity

Author’s Works

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, dictated by Malcolm X, and written by Alex Haley, became a movement standard. Malcolm X's life story proved to the Black Panther Party, founded in 1966, that ex-criminals and hustlers could be turned into revolutionaries.-Reinforces the idea that you don’t have to let the norms of society or even your ethnic background dictate what you can achieve

Speech titles: “A Message to the Grass Roots” “The Black Revolution” “The Ballet or the Bullet” “Prospects for Freedom in 1965” “A Worldwide Revolution”-The publication of his various speeches stirred up ongoing and unsolved issues with African Americans, helping the public become aware and create change for not only themselves but their own people.

http://www.africanaonline.com/malcolmx.htm

AUTHOR’S LIFE

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he grew up with racial tension as a child

His father was involved in an association set on improving the lives of blacks which led to his death

One of his homes was burned by members of the Klu Klux Klan

At one time in his life he was forced to live with a racist white couple after being separated from his family

-These reasons are what drew about his dislike for white people and justified what he did and came to believe in later years.

http://www.africanaonline.com/malcolmx.htm

In 1946 his source of income involving petty hustling, drug dealing, gambling, and so forth caught up to him and led to his arrest and ten year sentence in prison.

Upon his release in 1952 from prison, he became a devoted follower of the Black Muslim group led by Elijah Muhammad and ministered for him.

On March 8, 1964, he announced his resignation from the Lost Found Nation of Islam (NOI) after death threats from them for not following their strict rules, and formed the Muslim Mosque, Inc., an Islamic movement devoted to working in the political sphere and cooperating with civil rights leaders. Later in 1965 he was shot by a gunman affiliated with the NOI during one of his speeches.

The Four Stages of Malcolm X

MALCOLM LITTLE (1925 - 1941)

DETROIT RED (1941 - 1952)

MALCOLM X (1952 - 1963)

OMAWOLE (1964 - 1965)

http://www.brothermalcolm.net/studyguide/sg_main.html

Context of PublicationWhat was happening in the 1960s?

Vietnam War (1959-1975)

• With the United States at war, it fueled activists to get their opinion out about their own issues occurring at the time (civil rights).

• A country in turmoil sets the stage for someone with an opinion to speak up.

• Even though it didn’t have to do with black civil rights, the war created an environment in which it was easy to

be outspoken.

Martin Luther King, Jr. “I have a dream” speech (1963)

• In the height of the civil rights movement, Malcolm X was influenced by significant other fighters who shared their own opinions.

• Catered to black Muslims-Black people must rely on themselves and control their own struggle -Educate and organize (Ryan, 1)

Context of Publication

President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964

• “The most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The law also provides the federal government with the powers to enforce desegregation…the act specifically prohibited discrimination in voting, education, and the use of public facilities.”

• “In 1964 only two southern states (Tennessee and Texas) had more than 2% of their black students enrolled in integrated schools. Because of Title VI, about 6% of the black students in the South were in integrated schools by the next year.”

(Brunner & Hanney 1)

Context of Publication

The Larger Conversation

Civil Rights In 1963, President John F.

Kennedy delivers a Radio and Television report to the American People on Civil Rights.

“I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”

During the time of Malcolm

X’s life, there were many

social and political issues that

impacted his views and are

portrayed in his

autobiography. These issues

include civil rights, self-

reliance, education, and black

politics. Malcolm X, though,

was not the only person that

had something to say

regarding these issues. At the

time, there were several

other important figures that

expressed similar, as well as,

different outlooks.

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Speeches/JFK/003POF03CivilRights06111963.htm

The Larger Conversation (cont’d)

Education & Self – Reliance Author Barry Burke of the article ‘Malcolm X on

Education’ agreed with his views that it is important to be self-reliant in regards to education.

“Malcolm X is a fascinating person to approach as an educational thinker -  not because he was an academic or had any scholastic achievements but as an example of what can be achieved by someone engages in 'homemade' or self-education.”

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/malcolm.htm

The Larger Conversation (cont’d)

Black Politics Peniel Joseph, author of ‘The Black Power Revolt’, also

argues in favor of Malcolm X. Malcolm reprimanded several civil rights activists for

only keeping focus on the South when “their own Northern ghettos, right at home, had enough rats and roaches to kill to keep all of the Freedom Riders busy...The North’s liberals have been so long pointing accusing fingers at the South and getting away with it that they have fits when they are exposed as the world’s worst hypocrites.”

“Joseph argues that, in fact, the roots of Black Power run much deeper. He locates them in the miserable conditions Blacks faced in big cities across the North.”

http://www.socialistworker.org/2007-2/642/642_10_BlackPower.shtml

Malcolm’s Political Philosophy

Self-Reliant thought "I am not a Republican nor a Democrat, nor an American, and got sense enough to know

it.”-Malcolm X ("Malcolm-X Make it plain" ) "I'm the man you think you are.... If you want to know what I'll do, figure out what you'll do.

I'll do the same thing -- only more of it.“-Malcolm X Human Dignity (or lack of)

"I'm not going to sit at your table and watch you eat, with nothing on my plate, and call myself a diner. Sitting at the table doesn't make you a diner, unless you eat some of what's on that plate. Being here in America doesn't make you an American.... No I'm not an American, I'm one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism. One of the 22 million black people who are the victims of democracy, nothing but disguised hypocrisy.... I'm speaking as a victim of this American system. And I see America through the eyes of a victim. I don't see any American dream; I see an American nightmare.“-Malcolm X

"We black men have a hard enough time in our own struggle for justice, and already have enough enemies as it is, to make the drastic mistake of attacking each other and adding more weight to an already unbearable load." –Malcolm X

Education "Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for

it today.“-Malcolm X "Without education, you're not going anywhere in this world.“ "My alma mater was books, a good library.... I could spend the rest of my life reading, just

satisfying my curiosity.“-Malcolm X

(Malcolm-X.org)

Civil Rights should belong to all "The common goal of 22 million Afro-Americans is … to

obtain the human rights that America has been denying us. We can never get civil rights in America until our human rights are first restored. " -Malcolm X

“I am not a racist. I am against every form of racism and segregation, every form of discrimination. I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.” -Malcolm X.

Be self-reliant work for what you have, including your freedom

“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it.” –Malcolm X

“If you're not ready to die for it, put the word 'freedom' out of your vocabulary.” -Malcolm X.

Malcolm’s Social Philosophy

(Malcolm-X.org)

Courtesy of youtube.comMALCOLM X: My personal economic philosophy is also black nationalism, which means that the

black man should have a hand in controlling the economy of the so-called Negro community, he should be developing the type of knowledge that will enable him to own and operate the businesses and thereby be able to create employment for his own people, for his own kind. And the social philosophy also is black nationalism, which means that instead of the black man trying to force himself into the society of the white man, we should be trying to eliminate from our own society the ills and the defects and make ourselves likable and sociable among our own kind. ("Malcolm-X Make it plain" )

Finishing Up

Malcolm encourages his readers to persevere, be self-reliant and educate themselves.

It is important that every individual rise above the expectations of society and strive for excellence in a society full of mediocrity and hindering labels.

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it

today.”-Malcolm X