Malcolm X was a strong civil rights leader who taught black power and Islam to African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. His mark on the book of civil rights will forever be remembered and embraced.
Malcolm X changed from a halfway Christian doing dirty deeds into an Islamic puppet for Elijah Muhammad. His work for Elijah went unnoticed over time, and although it brought him instant popularity, it sparked jealousy in Elijah and the rest of the Islamic ministers. Even though Malcolm X changed on numerous occasions, his most important change was after he visited Mecca. After his visit, he saw that blacks and whites could live simultaneously together. He then concluded that his teachings may have been wrong, and that Martin Luther King’s nonviolent approach could be the right approach to the racial tension after all, and that segregation was not the best way to achieve racial harmony.
The African American experience during these trying civil rights times must have been hard for many, and unbearable for most. The crimes that went unnoticed against African Americans were unreal, unjust, and cruel. It was almost like people didn’t have caring hearts and everyone only cared for themselves. To stand up against the numbers, as Malcolm and King did, must take true courage, strong self-esteem, and a noteworthy belief in the cause.
Many African Americans face some of the same problems today, but not as bad as before. It seems that race is not as big of a factor anymore as it used to be. Racial tension still occurs, but not to the extent that it did during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. African Americans face different issues today. In today’s time, for the average African American, the treatment factor is more or less a stereotypical ideology compared to actual hate crimes. The law enforcement is now some-what unbiased, and makes the same calls for everyone, although this is sometimes questionable.
If Malcolm X had survived the assassination attempt, and had gone on to fulfill his life, then I feel the Civil Rights Movement would have had their poster child, and that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would not have had to take on the full burden as sole leader. Both men’s personalities are completely opposite, which would have given a good range in ideological thinking for the movement. Malcolm X showed Americans that good people can do good deeds, despite the color of their skin, their religion, or who their friends are.
