The history of America depicts a country established on the doctrines of freedom and equity, yet made by the blood, sweat and tears of Africans; captured from their homelands, their dignity as humans taken away and forced to work under harsh conditions. Throughout the 18th century, blacks faced a horde of inhumane treatment that included lynching, merciless flogging, among others. This kind of treatment was alive and prevalent towards the end of the 19th century. However, as it turned to the 20th century, more so 1950s and 1960s, blacks were fed up with this kind of treatment especially since they had attained emancipation of their slave status. A one of a kind self-determination drove the black community to form the Civil Rights Movement, which championed for equality of pertinent rights within the nation. The sole purpose of the Movement was the establishment of equal opportunities in the professional and educational areas inclusive of the general legal rights of Americans regardless of color. Malcolm X was prominent in this movement, and he worked on the emancipation of black oppression with absolute passion leading to the feeling of pride infused with a keen sense of religion and determination in the black community.
Through the diligent exertions of Malcolm X, and other Civil Rights Leaders, African Americans were able to acquire the ‘inalienable’ rights that were previously assured to them through the 15th and 14th constitutional modifications. Along with safeguarding these rights, Malcolm X aided Martin Luther King Jr in the transformation of the government’s indecision to act. Such change resulted in Civil Rights Legislations that included a bill and policies on Affirmative Action which ensured no encroachment of African American rights. Inasmuch as this is the case, nowadays statistics fails to show black progression over the years. When coupled up with the issue of incarceration, whereby the black inmate population is high compared to that of whites, it becomes hard to see the overall advancement of blacks in the community. Consequently, the issue of black progress should be looked at in terms of education, affirmative action, and nationalism, which are all things that Malcolm X championed. In the long run, education and black self-elevation are the key essentials in measuring Black excellence, opulence and decadence. The view of blacks has changed through the implementation of affirmative action, leading America to perceive them as people who contribute to their social and economic diversity.
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Malcolm X was born to a humble family in the year 1925. Later he moved to Harlem where he spent most of his life. As he grew up, he adopted a criminalist lifestyle that eventually landed him in jail. During his trial and prosecution, the jury was more interested in the relationship he had with a white woman than his crime of burglary. As a result, he received ten years instead of the customary two for burglary. This made him resent white people for a long time. While in jail, Malcolm X founded the Islamic Faith and the notion of the Nation of Islam, an association that worked to emancipate blacks from oppression and white supremacy. After serving for ten years, Malcolm X came out of prison and joined the Civil Rights Movement. He became a member of the movement and a prominent leader who preached separatism and physical retaliation against white oppression. One strong belief that Malcolm X had was that whites were characteristically the enemies of black progress and their emancipation in general and that if blacks were not careful, whites would eventually result in the killing of blacks mercilessly 1 . One significant opinion of Malcolm X that proved vital to the Civil Rights Movement was the creation of an autonomous identity within the black community. Through his ideas on Black Nationalism, he was able to rally the black community and compel blacks to own their pride and exude their identities and cultures and eventually challenge the notion of ‘equality’ in America. For many black Americans, Malcolm X was incredibly inspirational and was a prime figure in their lives. However, during the sixties, a number of people considered Malcolm X to be one radical leader due to his messages, but he was far from that since he championed for the ‘inalienable’ rights of African Americans.
Many people have a feeble understanding of the term Black Nationalism. The misinterpretation of this concept always tends to relate it to black separatism and violence. In order to understand Black Nationalism, its definition is of utmost importance. This term refers to the ideology whose primary understanding is based on the autonomy of the economic, social and political entities of the black community. In essence, it relates to a kind of independence and emancipation from external control of black affairs. Under the prime ideology of Black Nationalism, there happen to be other subsets as per the definition. These subgroups relate to the economic progress of black people and the community. Malcolm X influenced both of these nationalist paradigms and led to profound changes within the black community. The notion of Black Nationalism is deeply rooted in the African American culture, it was not merely the works of Malcolm X, but it also started towards the late eighteenth century. At that time, the early black crusaders of this notion placed emphasis on the hypocrisy and injustice in the American political systems. This and their brutality and vicious nature on slaves formed the basis of starting Black Nationalism 2 . Since that time, this ideology grew gradually without taking much effect on the nation’s black population until the coming of Malcolm X. In the early 20th century, a black liberator known as Marcus Garvey altered the very definition of the Black Nationalist ideology and in turn gave more definition to the term. His explanation was simple; he equated the nationalism of blacks to its preeminence. Over time, a number of black leaders, who included Malcolm X and Farrakhan Louis adopted Garvey’s interpretation of the nationalism of blacks. Though this was the case, other leaders such as Martin Luther King rejected this interpretation and had their other ideas. Through viewing African Americans as a preeminence, more blacks became self-aware of their dignity and identity, subsequently leading to their emancipation and an alternative understanding of civil rights.
Another crucial factor that Malcolm X affected was in the education of Black Americans. To understand Malcolm's influence on education, it is of utmost importance to comprehend how black education was prior to the advent of the Civil Rights Movement. Before the sixties, blacks faced quite a number of problems in regards to their education status. The government of America denied blacks an education and their access to self-definition tools. This ultimately barred the professional progress of many blacks 3 . In simple terms, inasmuch as a black citizen had the desire to advance professionally, lack of education blocked this progress and rendered them obsolete. In addition, there was a disparity in student education in that white students received better and higher quality education compared to black students who were more often neglected. Malcolm X championed for educational reforms within schools and ensured the emancipation of the young African mind. Ultimately, this led to change in today's African-American community and the civil rights pertaining to education at large.
Studies indicate a rise in the numbers of African-American teenagers registered in schools across the country before the 1960s. In the past ten years, blacks have shown lower school dropout rates, and this indicates that more students are getting and staying in school than before the 1960s 4 . Researchers associate the increase of African-American students with the growth of interest in parents in seeing their children pass in schools. This was championed for by the likes of Malcolm X. Studies indicate that in the past five years, many African American parents commenced the reading of books to their children, participating in school activities, and helping their children with homework subsequently fostering black American youths to fight for success. Through building this desire, the subsequent result is the inevitable development of a drive to become more productive and efficient as American citizens. Thus, the classrooms become something more than a ground of debate. Ultimately, going to school develops the work ethic and organizational skills of students leading them to acquire and exercise their ‘inalienable’ rights in corporate America. Through working on such self-deterministic agendas, Malcolm X made a great impact on the Civil Rights of America that is still felt up to date.
During and before the sixties, Malcolm's strategy on the Civil Rights Movement was that of militancy. In contrast to Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s nonviolence policy, Malcolm stood on the ground of furious and apprehensive resistance. This kind of approach had a profound bearing on the movement. In effect, he seriously challenged King’s stance and overall strategy. This contrast was eerily evident, and even one of Martin Luther King’s advisors was vocal in stating the profound difference in ideologies. He is famously referred to as saying that in the North, the mounting Nation of Islam was becoming popular while in the South, the message of non-violent action was a total contrast. Malcolm brought his political agenda to the movement by consolidating a wide array of militant organizers across the nation. He formed a nationwide network of students referred to as the Revolutionary Action Movement. Ultimately, his stance on militancy inspired young activists who started coordinating with him on the emancipation goals of black people. This kind of activism was exhibited on several occasions. One notable one was during the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. On this occasion, he praised one militant movement saying that the President did not fully support their movement and ideologies, consequently resulting in a state of the nation that tended towards terror, which ultimately led to his death.
Overall, Malcolm X made a tremendous impact on the civil rights movement. More so, his work on the identity of the black person was effective in bringing about an uprising that ensured the rights of black people were looked into. His was not a message of sound doctrines in diplomacy but was an emancipation of the soul of African Americans. A famous journalist, Angela Davis notes that the American ruling class would never even hope to completely stifle Black Nationalism in America so it turned to accepting their cultural context while doing all they can to bury all revolutionary movements 5 . Although this is the case, through Malcolm X’s strategies, the civil rights movement stands out to this very day. It echoes that pain of African Americans and shows their passion in liberating themselves.
Bibliography
Davis, Angela. "Interview With Angela Davis | The Two Nations Of Black America | FRONTLINE | PBS". Pbs.Org . Last modified 2017. Accessed April 27, 2017. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/race/interviews/davis2.html .
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Goldman, Peter. The Death and Life of Malcolm X . 1st ed. New York: Harper and Row Publisher, 1973.
Verharen, Charles C. "Philosophy’s Roles in Afrocentric Education.” Journal of Black Studies. 32, no. 3 (2002): 295-321.
Willie, Charles V. "The Contextual Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Student Achievement Tests Scores by Race.” Urban Education 36, no. 4 (2001): 461-478.
1 Peter Goldman, The Death And Life Of Malcolm X , 1st ed. (New York: Harper and Row Publisher, 1973).
2 Darren Davis and Ronald E. Brown, "The Antipathy of Black Nationalisms: Behavioral and Attitudinal Implications of an African American Ideology", American Journal of Political Science 46, no. 2 (2002): 239-252.
3 Charles C. Verharen, "Philosophy’s Roles in Afrocentric Education,” Journal of Black Studies. 32, no. 3 (2002): 295-321.
4 Charles V. Willie, "The Contextual Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Student Achievement Tests Scores by Race,” Urban Education 36, no. 4 (2001): 461-478.
5 Angela Davis, "Interview With Angela Davis | The Two Nations Of Black America | FRONTLINE | PBS", Pbs.Org , last modified 2017, accessed April 27, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/race/interviews/davis2.html.
