By Damion Boycott
49 years ago the world lost one of the best minds the 20th century had produced, Malcolm X. The trajectory of his life closely parallels that of many African Americans; it is the story of a journey that went from prison to prominence.
Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was born on May 19th 1925 in Omaha Nebraska. His parents, Earl and Louise Little were followers of Marcus Garvey and met at a Garvey event in Canada. As a result of being a Garveyite, Malcolms' father was murdered by white racists who were not keen on the idea of him spreading the ideology of Black Nationalism. Years later Malcolms' mother was committed to a psychiatric institution, after which, he became an orphan and lived in several different foster homes.
In 1946 he was sentenced to prison for larceny and breaking and entering at the age of 20. During his incarceration he discovered the teachings of another former Garveyite, Elijah Muhammad, and became a Black Muslim. After his release from prison he quickly rose in the ranks of The Nation Of Islam and soon became the face of the organization.
His impact as a public figure in The Nation of Islam began to rival that of his mentor, Elijah Muhammad. Although he gave Elijah Muhammad credit for everything he had learned, he was actually learning and receiving lessons on history from Dr. John Henrik Clarke.
Over time there was a great deal of animosity between Malcolm and members of the N.O.I. Tensions worsened after Malcolm publicly exposed Elijah Muhammad as adulterer. Although N.O.I. members murdered Malcolm on February 21st, 1965, many believe the FBI and the powers that be were involved as well. The idea that Malcolm was under surveillance and followed by agents working for the FBI, or whom ever, is very well documented.
At the time of his death, Malcolm, who had changed his name to El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, was in the process of starting two organizations, Muslim Mosque Inc and The Organization Of Afro American Unity (OAAU). Much can be said about his greatness, but it would be difficult to cover it all in one short term article. Watch Malcolm in action on Chicago's City Desk filmed in the 1960s'.