{UAH} Malcolm X: Black nationalism and resistance
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9:52 AM |
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Mayimuna/ Gwokto,
Here are two articles that explore the life and philosophy of Malcolm X. As I mentioned earlier, ISLAM had almost nothing to do with Malcolm x's radical political activities. He was recruited into Islam by Elijah Mohammad while he was serving a 7 year prison sentence for burglary, in a similar manner as many young black people in the USA and in the UK are recruited into Islam today.
A highly articulate and foresighted man, Malcolm X soon became the spokesman and voice of the Nation of Islam. But please note, (Mayimuna specifically,) that the Nation of Islam was not an islamic organisation in the sense that you see Al Qaeda, Isis, Muslim Brotherhood and others that litter the political scene today. The Nation of Islam was a black supremacist political organisation that called for the liberation of the black race, and the establishment of a black nation. It never called for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate or paradise on earth, but the liberation of the black race. Its entire philosophy was the emancipation of the black race. In fact, up to today, the Nation of Islam still believes in the superiority of the black race.
Malcolm X soon got dissillusioned with the Nation of Islam and its black supremacist ideology. Elijah Mohammad preached celibacy before marriage to his followers, but Malcolm X soon discovered that Mohammad had 4 wives and 6 mistresses whom he picked from his congregation. His disgust was heightened when he discovered in fact that Elijah Mohammed and most of the Islamic preachers did not even know any of the Islamic rituals or the Koran. They basically used Islam as a tool for propagating black nationalism- partly because they associated Christianity with the enslavement of the black race and concomitantly with the racial discrimination that black Americans faced; and secondly because most of them did not know the truth about Islam, and the role it played in the enslavement and genocide of millions of black Africans.
Malcolm X broke away from the Nation of Islam, and soon began an extensive tour of Africa, during which he met African leaders like Dr Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Milton Obote and as well as many African academic of the time. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca and became converted into a Sunni muslim. After this huge international exposure, Malcolm X's pre-occupation turned to the Unity of Africa- he set up an organisation- Organisation of Afro-American Unity-. calling for the unity of all black people.
Towards the end of his life, the following were the key areas that Malcolm X progated and mobilised around:
1. Black Unity and Liberation.
2. The Iniquity and Dangers Of Capitalism
3. Anti-Imperialism.
In no serious review of Malcolm x's life and work do you find that he gave much attention to Islam. It is true he sat up his own mosque, but he was assassinated only one year after its birth- so no one can assess any mark he would have made as an Islamic preacher or evangelist.
Malcolm X was first and foremost a black nationalist and in later life became an internationalist- preaching against Imperialism and colonial subjugation of the peoples of the world. Most of Malcolm X's black liberation ideology can actually be traced back to those of Marcus Garvey- and almost none of it is traced to Islam.
Bobby
Malcolm X: Black nationalism and resistance
- Written by Suki Sangha
- Published in Revolutionaries
Malcolm X was assassinated 47 years ago, Suki Sangha looks back at his life, politics and ideology, arguing that we must learn from him today more than ever.
Malcolm X
Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little in 1925 in Nebraska, grew up in a society surrounded by racism and poverty in an economically bleak America. His autobiography gives insight into the brutality and struggle of daily existence; the framing of his father and his eventual murder for his outspoken black nationalism; and the strain of bringing up eight children on his mother who was later admitted into a mental asylum in 1939. Despite this turbulent childhood Malcolm did well as school. But he quickly learned the prejudice and injustice of being Black in a society filled with racist bigotry: on telling his teacher of his dream of becoming a lawyer he was very abruptly informed that being a lawyer was "no realistic goal for a nigger". After dropping out of school Malcolm soon made his way to Boston, moving from one job to another until he became involved in organized crime, and was eventually arrested for burglary in 1946.
During his incarceration Malcolm came into contact with The Nation of Islam also known as 'Black Muslims' – an organisation led by Elijah Muhammad. Members of the Nation would replace their surname with the letter X as a symbol representing the unknown African name taken from their ancestors by slave owners. He joined the Nation and after his release from prison was quickly elevated to become its leading spokesperson. He used this position to articulate a position of militant black nationalism – in stark contrast to the mainstream of the civil rights movement. While their support for black separatism was controversial and their rejection of white anti-racists provocative, the Nation saw its membership increase substantially due to their militant position within the growing civil rights movement and the oratorical genius that Malcolm possessed.
So it was shocking to many when growing disillusionment with Elijah Muhammad forced Malcolm to leave the organization in 1964. Apart from the host of scandals Malcolm uncovered, one of his political points of departure with the Nation was caused by their unwillingness to organize the growing anger towards racism on the streets. Black America needed an expression – and the Nation was simply not fit for purpose.
After his departure from the Nation of Islam Malcolm spent time travelling the Middle East and Africa where his experiences would challenge his long held ideological views and would transform his beliefs and his conceptualization of black nationalism. On his return to the U.S he founded the Muslim Mosque Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. His radical ethos was clear – armed self-defence against aggressors, and the pursuit of freedom, justice and equality "by any means necessary."
The international travels had taught Malcolm about the need for global resistance, bringing together the domestic struggle of African Americans for equal rights with the liberation struggles of Third World nations. He was eager to meet the leaders of the civil rights movement and to turn the struggle of civil rights into a fight for wider human rights moving it from a primarily domestic issue to an international one. He also recognized the impact of capitalism on the world and while sceptical of the socialism practised by both the USSR and the American left he espoused a strong anti-capitalism, famously stating "show me a capitalist and I'll show you a bloodsucker". He understood well the use of racism by the ruling class as a means of divide and rule- "You can't have capitalism without racism."
Malcolm began to argue that unity would be central to any fight against oppression and in the struggle for equality: "When the day comes when the whites who are really fed-up — I don't mean these jive whites who pose as liberals — learn how to establish the proper type of communication with those uptown who are fed-up, and they get some co-ordinated action going, you'll get some changes… And it will take both." Over the years we see a shift in Malcolm's views – moving away from the spiritual philosophy of the Nation of Islam towards a far more political black nationalism with an international perspective.
Although marred in controversy for most of his life because of the radical views he possessed, much can be learned from the legacy of Malcolm X. Central to his ideas was the importance of struggle – to engage in struggle, the need for action and most importantly, unity. Later in life he stressed the importance of resisting globally – of bringing together the domestic struggle with the international struggle against imperialism. He states "It is incorrect to classify the revolt of the Negro as simply a radical conflict of black against white or as a purely American problem. Rather, we are today seeing a global rebellion of the oppressed against the oppressor, the exploited against the exploiter."
Today his ideas resonate more than ever as we face a global economic crisis in which our resistance must also be global. Where racism and war are used to divide us – we must stress the importance of unity in our struggle for greater equality and freedom. Where the struggle can often become domesticated we must raise the call for internationalism. At a time when we are being told to pay for an economic crisis that we did not create we must argue for militant resistance.
From International Socialist Group site
Malcolm X, whose Arabic name was El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and who was born Malcolm Little, was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in a myriad of locations in the United States including Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lansing, Michigan, Boston, Massachusetts, Flint, Michigan and New York City. He was assassinated in the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York in 1965.
Malcolm X was raised by a Baptist minister1 so we know that Christianity exerted a powerful influence on his youth. It wasn't until Malcolm served a seven-year prison sentence for burglary that he converted to the Nation of Islam.2
Much like his political, social and economic philosophies (which we'll get to later), Malcolm X's outlook on Islam can be divided between two periods: before he went to Africa and after. Before his travels, Malcolm X was quite a bit more militant. He said things like:
I am a Muslim, because it's a religion that teaches you an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. It teaches you to respect everybody, and treat everybody right. But it also teaches you if someone steps on your toe, chop off their foot. And I carry my religious axe with me all the time.3
In 1963, Malcolm X traveled to Africa, the Middle East and Europe where he met white people of whomhe could find no reason to hate.4 Furthermore, Malcolm X discovered hypocrisies and deceptions within the Nation of Islam that caused him to question his allegiance to the organization.5 At this time, he changed his socio-political worldview as well as his religious tone, saying things like:
[Islam] is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white, but the white attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam.6
It's all a matter of interpretation, isn't it? Here we see Malcolm X seeing Islam as many today call it: The religion of peace.
Black Nationalism
Malcolm X's political philosophy saw a similar transition. He is often seen as one side of a coin, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as the other. Where King saw the goal as full integration for black people into American society, Malcolm X thought it best if they were separate and self-governing. Malcolm X called his philosophy "Black Nationalism," and he separated it into three categories: a political philosophy, an economic philosophy and a social philosophy.7 He described it as follows:
- Political philosophy, where "the black man should control the politics of his own community."
- Economic philosophy, where "the black man should have a hand in controlling the economy of the so-called negro community."
- Social philosophy, where "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 likeable and sociable among our own kind."8
Following Malcolm X's international travels and his rejection of the Nation of Islam, he founded a new Muslim organization called Muslim Mosque, Inc., which sought to mobilize Muslims and non-Muslims alike to the cause of black equality.9 He took a much more positive, peaceful stance, saying things like:
I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.10
Sadly, he only had about one year to work with Muslim Mosque, Inc. before he died. He spent the bulk of his life as an activist on the fringes of society, appearing much too extreme to be taken seriously by most. However, one could argue that Malcolm X and his ilk were a necessary counterpoint to Dr. Martin Luther King, who simultaneously provided an outlet for the more angry sector of black American society while simultaneously making King and his movement appear much more reasonable and rational by comparison.
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