Malcolm X Research Paper

“A race of people is like an individual man; until it uses its own talent, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, affirms its own selfhood, it can never fulfill itself.” (“Quotes by Malcolm”). Malcolm X had stated this during one of his anti-discrimination rallies to motivate his followers to take a stand. A human rights activist, Malcolm X sparked a revolution which encouraged active defiance against racism, a new tactic among leaders fighting for racial equality which condoned using violence to gain equality. Malcolm X had adopted his own beliefs from a young age, which had allowed him to initially base his activism around his initial beliefs. His conversion to Islam had both strengthened and altered his beliefs, which had …show more content…
Malcolm X’s initial beliefs on how racial inequality within the nation should be handled were shaped by his early childhood experiences. Malcolm X's father, Earl Little, a Baptist minister, had been an exceedingly outspoken supporter of Marcus Garvey, the leader of Black Nationalism. However, these shameless beliefs came with consequences; members of the Black Legion, a white supremacist group, had targeted his family to attack and harass them at their home due to Little’s unwavering support for Black Nationalism ("An Abridged"). Earl Little’s constant support for black nationalism and racial equality had impact Malcolm’s beliefs because Malcolm would be influenced by his father’s beliefs, which would lead for Malcolm to believe in black nationalism as well at a young age. According to the website article, “Malcolm X”, when Malcolm was growing up, the Ku Klux Klan had targeted his family due to his father's forthright beliefs of black nationalism. When Malcolm was only four years old, members of the Ku Klux Klan had smashed the windows of his home due to his father unwillingness to stop promoting black pride and power. This attack from the Ku Klux Klan was a rude awakening to the Little family because