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Malcolm X (May 19,1925 –February 21,1965) was born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. Malcolm was a respected Muslim minister and human rights activist. He was orphaned early in life. His father was killed when he was six years old and his mother was submitted to a mental hospital just seven years later. Despite the struggles he endured growing up, Malcolm eventually went on to become one of the most respected leaders in the history of the world. He is known throughout the world for teaching black independence and fighting for the freedom and civil rights of his people.

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There is a little Malcolm in all of us, and these are 10 Malcolm X quotes that can get you through the day:

1. Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or

anything. If you're a man, you take it.

Interpretation: African Americans must never fall for the myth that equality can be granted to us by asking for it. The world is competitive and in order to get something you want, you must be willing to fight for it. This means being the best that you can be, standing up for what you believe in, engaging in collective economics and working for your community. For men, it means being the leaders that the black community needs: Intelligent, responsible, economically self-sufficient and brave. Black women should provide their own version of strength in such a way that it protects and preserves the black family. This is how we can get ahead, only by working together. Never let things like affirmative action convince you that black people can get ahead without being able to compete on the global stage. This is extremely important.

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2. There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss,

contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the

next time.

Without struggle, there is typically no progress. A butterfly must struggle in order to break out of his cocoon. A baby must struggle to get out of the womb. You have to struggle to get through school or get in shape at the gym. All of the difficult and stressful challenges we endure in life are part of God’s training camp. This camp prepares us for the future, and makes us better and more capable than we were before.

Also with each struggle is the opportunity to learn. The best way to salvage benefits from a setback is to learn from it so that you can do a better job the next time around. Don’t allow the world to make you weak. You are strong and capable. Now go for it!

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3. Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who

prepare for it today. Education is the most valuable asset that you carry with you in life. We live in a digital age, where learning is taking place at a rapid-fire pace. Therefore, it is essential that you not take for granted the opportunity to learn whenever you can. Education is also a shield that protects you from those seeking to exploit you or do harm to those you love. There have been numerous conspiratorial plots over time to take advantage of the disenfranchised in America, and education/knowledge are the best ways to protect yourself. Also, remember that you don’t have to go to school in order to get a good education. You can learn anything you want to know by studying on the Internet. You also have to know the difference between going to school and actually becoming a truly educated person. Many African Americans are miseducated or indoctrinated at school, going through life believing that they understand a lot, when they may understand very little. Get plenty of education, keep getting it throughout your life and don’t get it all in an Americanized classroom. Learn the things you need to be successful.

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4. Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts

his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.

Being peaceful and courteous is symptomatic of your degree of dignity as a human being. Respecting others is extremely important. But there are times when peace is no longer the appropriate response, especially if you are under attack. With this statement, Malcolm is making it clear that it is not wise or ethical to attack another human being without provocation. But once you’ve been physically attacked yourself, you are within your moral right to respond forcefully. Putting someone in the cemetery may simply be

a figure of speech, but a message is sent when you stand up for yourself. People typically respect you if they know you’re serious about defending the people you love. Don’t be a coward.

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5. If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.

If you go through life without knowing who you are, there is always someone out there who would like to tell you. But the problem is that they will take your permeable psyche and make you into an image of themselves. This can leave you vulnerable to manipulation, harm and sabotage by those seeking to exploit you for their own personal gain.

So, Malcolm is telling you plainly to stand for something! If people know that you already stand for something, they are less likely to try to take advantage of you. One good example might be the mindset of a pimp. Does a pimp seek out employees who are confident, educated and self-aware? No, they seek out people who are spiritually lost, struggling, and insecure. Well, the

pimp analogy is universal, since there are pimps everywhere you look: At church, in corporate America, and in your personal life. So, make sure that you know who you are, so that these people will not use you as their next target.

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6. I believe in the brotherhood of man, all men, but I don't believe in brotherhood

with anybody who doesn't want brotherhood with me. I believe in treating people right, but I'm not going to waste my time trying to treat somebody right

who doesn't know how to return the treatment.

What Malcolm is talking about here is self-respect. This is a

simple idea, but one that many black people struggle with. When you’ve been treated as a second-class citizen for so many years, it’s difficult to suddenly wake up and feel that you are worthy of equal treatment. But Malcolm is telling you that you

are somebody and you’re worthy of being treated with dignity. Never bow to someone who doesn’t respect you. Never apologize for being who you are. Never hold your head down in shame. Demand that others treat you with the dignity you deserve. If they do not, then you owe them absolutely nothing.

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7. I don't even call it violence when it's in self-defense; I call it intelligence.

This quote typically has non-physical interpretations, since we fortunately live in an era where violence isn’t typically necessary for us to fight for our rights. The primary exceptions are in situations that involve either racial violence or police brutality.

Often-times, the black person who defends himself/herself is called an “angry black man” or “angry black woman.” We are often shamed away from defending ourselves politically, physically or even financially. This is nonsense, and nothing more than a ploy to keep us defenseless by making us embarrassed to stand up for our rights. Some refer to black anger against racist whites as “reverse racism.” This is a silly idea, because our outrage would not have occurred had whites not spent hundreds of years hurting the people we love. Don’t let people play these mind games with you. efend your community, and don’t be afraid to be angry. Sometimes, there is something to be angry about.

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8. If you have no critics you'll likely have no success.

One of the great barriers to personal achievement is fear. Often times, this fear comes from fear of failure or criticism. Criticism is difficult to accept, since it hits us in a very personal place. But the problem is that if you allow this fear to cripple you, you’ll find your dreams dying a slow and painful death. Don’t let this happen to you. Go into the lion’s den and don’t be afraid to tell the world that you’re right. The deeper you go, the more the haters will rise up to confront you. The most success you have, the more arrows will be thrown at your head. But the key is to allow your energy to be driven more by passion and desire than by fear of failure. When fear is guiding you, you’re always thinking about the worst that can happen. But when passion is your guide, you’re thinking about the best things that can happen. Holding onto passion and desire can make all the difference later on, when times start to get tough. In other words, GO-FOR-IT.

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9. You can't hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree. You can't hate Africa and

not hate yourself. For hundreds of years, black people have been taught to hate every part of ourselves. We’ve been taught to hate Africa. We’ve been taught to hate dark skin. We’ve been taught to hate dark people. This brainwashing has been consistent and extremely powerful. It leads to violence, a lack of unity and many other detrimental phenomena that have continued to corrupt our souls and destroy our communities. Start by re-programming yourself. Re-learn your history so that it’s not filled with European thought. Join causes that relate to the continent of Africa and the African American community. Take the time to study African history and countries from sources other than your public school teacher. When you study who you are and where you came from, you’ll find that your people are greater than you could ever even imagine.

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10. You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless

he has his freedom. Raise a little hell for the things that you believe in and don’t be afraid of what people are going to think. One of the greatest weapons of the oppressor is the fear of the oppressed. There are times when we are ostracized for doing what is right. We are also told that being too radical will get us into trouble with white people. While you certainly have to choose your battles, you must also realize that there is typically no progress without struggle. When one is making the decision on whether or not to fight, he is confronted with two inconvenient possibilities: 1) He can risk the losses that come with fighting for his freedom, or 2) he can die a sad and lonely spiritual death by submitting to the forces that oppress him. So, no matter how you look at it, either outcome is going to be difficult. Our ancestors only made progress because they weren’t afraid of becoming “trouble makers.” So, go make some trouble in your own life so you can clear a better path for your children. That’s the sacrifice that Malcolm X made for us.