Imagine being afraid to go outside, because if you make one wrong move, or even nothing at all you may be killed. That’s how some blacks lived including Malcolm X. Poverty, murder, crime, segregation, and racism. Thats was just how life was for Malcolm X. Nobody wanted to take a stand for equality for African Americans. Until the poverty stricken, petty thief, former prison inmate with a hate for all “ White devils”. Will lead African Americans through one of the hardest parts of our existence.
The best word to explain Malcolm X’s childhood is terrorization. Terrorized by the same whites that wanted to “save America”. When Malcolm was very young, his house got burned down twice. When he was six, his father died. It was ruled a suicide, but most people think it was a murder by the black legion. His mother struggled raising the kids, sometimes, when they had no food, his mom would boil dandelion heads. When he was about twelve his mother got sent to a psychiatric ward, she went clinically insane because of his father’s death. He went to many foster homes that were openly racist. When he was fourteen he moved with his sister where he saw his first black community. He went into a life of petty theft and drugs When he was twenty he went to prison for ten years.
While in prison, he was introduced to the Nation of Islam. After being released he found the group and joined the Nation of Islam. Once he joined he quickly became known as the main spokesperson. Upon joining, he rid himself of his “slave” name, and became Malcolm X. He believed in the opposite of MLK, “Fight against white oppression by any means necessary.”
Since his house was burned down in Lansing he had developed a sort of mistrust and a kind of hate for the white man. Elijah Muhammad’s version of Islam was to separate white and black people. Malcolm loved the idea of this religion. He taught people that blacks were the original people of the world and that Blacks are superior to whites and that the white race's demise is coming near. Malcolm gained so much popularity with people from urban areas that lived in poverty, because they were the ones that were oppressed.
Malcolm X idolized Elijah Muhammad until he realized Elijah warped and made Islam fit to how he wanted it, the taliban does the same thing. So Malcolm left the Nation of Islam. Elijah Muhammad hated Malcolm for doing this, so much he actually wanted to kill him for it. Elijah thought malcolm knew too much about the corruption of him and the Nation of Islam. Soon after Malcolm went to Jeddah Saudi Arabia where he saw whites, blacks and every other race of people and they were acting as equals. His racial views were changed forever.
Malcolm X was shot by four men, three of whom were members of the NOI, while the fourth was never found. He knew the NOI was after him since he left. He was always ready to defend himself and his family. Elijah Muhammad most likely was behind all of this. Elijah was worried because Malcolm knew that he had lots of children out of wedlock and was bending Islam to fit how he liked it. But the federal government may have partnered with the NOI but this is highly unlikely.