MALCOLM X: Flexibility For Change - "I Am Not A Racist".....

May 21, 1964: Upon his return to the U.S. from Mecca, Malcolm X explains that he is not a racist, and he does not subscribe to any of the tenets of racism and that he judges people based on their actions. "It's not a case of being good or bad blacks and whites it's a case of being good or bad human beings."

In 1925, Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska into a poverty-stricken family. Although the brightest in his class of white children, he was told that a “nigger” could never be more than a carpenter. After moving to Boston, he began a notorious life of crime—a list of illegal actives to much to mention. He was finally arrested and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

The Change In the third year of his imprisonment ‘Satan’ (as was nick named) under went a tremendous upheaval and joined the Nation of Islam. In his own words: 

“You know what my life had been. Picking a lock to rub someone’s house was the only way my knees had ever been bent before. I had to force my self to bend my knees. And waves of shame of embracement would force me back up. For evil to bend its knees, admitting his guilt, to implore the forgiveness of God, is the hardest thing in words… Again, again I would force myself back down into praying to Allah posture.” (Malcolm X, the Autobiography)

The Nation of Islam
After prison, Malcolm became the main driving force behind the Nation of Islam, which he built into the most powerful black movement in America. He preached a message of heat and racism; the white man being devils, and the black man being gods. 

It was many years later when Malcolm realized that teachings of the Nation of Islam which he preached at the time had not originated and in no way was affiliated with the teachings of the Holy Prophet of Islam and the Holy Qur’an. In March of 1964, Malcolm left the Nation of Islam which emerged in America among Afro-Americans of his time. In his words he wrote concerning the founder of the Black movement:

“I totally reject Elijah Muhammad’s racist philosophy which he has labeled ‘Islam’ only to fool and misuse gullible people as fooled and misused me…, (Islam) doesn’t use the colour of a man’s skin to measure him…, Islam judges a man by his intentions, by his behaviour; by his deeds.” (Malcolm , New Yoke Times & Audubon Ballroom)

The Hajj (Pilgrimage)

In his subsequent search for truth, Malcolm developed an interest in orthodox Islam which led him to make pilgrimage to Makkah (the Hajj). Makkah, the Holy land of Islam proved to be revelation for him, and a major turning point in his life. He officially embraced othodox Islam and changed his name to Malik El-Shabazz. In his own words:

“You may be shocked by those words coming from me. But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen, and experienced, has forced me to re-arrange much of my thought patterns previously held, and so to toss aside some of my pervious conclusions… America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem… I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colours together, irrespective of their colour… I could see from this, that perhaps if white Americans can accept the Oneness of God, then perhaps, too, they could accept in reality the Oneness of Man.” (Malcolm X, the Autobiography)

The Return

After the Hajj, Malcolm Malik El-Shabazz toured several African states, before eventually come back to America. Here, the radical change within him astonished the public. After consolidating the two organizations he had set up (Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Organization for Afro-American Unity), Malcolm Malik El-Shabazz proceeded upon a whirlwind tour of appearances up and down the country, motivated by his new found faith of Islam. In his not surprising encounters with his Afro-American fellowmen he wrote:

“And I know, too, that Negroes would not rush to follow me into the orthodox Islam, which had given me the light and perspective to see that black men and white men truly could to brothers. America’s Negroes especially older Negroes – are too indelibly soaked in Christianity’s double standard of oppression… I said to Harlem streets audiences that only when mankind would submit to One God, Who create all – only then would mankind even approach the ‘peace of which so much talk could be heard… but toward which so little action was taken.” (Malcolm X, the Autobiography, a few weeks before his murder)

The Assassination

On 21 February 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom, Malcolm Malik El-Shabazz stood up and addressed a crowed. As he began with the traditional Muslim greeting “Asslam o alakum brothers and sisters” three men stud up and pumped sixteen bullets into his chest at close range. Malik El-Shabazz was pronounced dead thereafter.

Amongst his last words to his biography were:

“And if I can die having exposed any meaningful truth that will help to destroy the racist cancer that is malignant in the body of America – then, all of the credit is due to Allah. Only the mistakes have been mine.” (The Autobiography)

“Before I get involved in any thing nowadays, I have to straighten out my own position, which is clear. I am not a racist in any form whatsoever I don’t believe in any form of racism. I do not believe in any form of discrimination or segregation. I believe in Islam I am a Muslim. It just teaches us to believe in Allah as God…. (Malcolm X / Malcolm El-Shabazz, eight days before his murder)

Malik El-Shabazz was a man true to himself. When he believed he did not believe half-heartedly – it was all or nothing. When he found Islam and became a Muslim, all his energies were geared towards acting in that direction, and speaking out for Islam and against falsehood and injustice.

Malik El-Shabazz has brought more Americans to Islam than any other man; he truly believed that America needs Islam. So many people love and admire him, wanting to be like him and aspiring to follow in his footsteps, yet they see what they want to see and ignore the rest. We must never forget it was Islam that made Malcolm X / Malik El-Shabazz what he becam….