The Autobiography of

Malcolm X
As told by Alex Haley

Early Life
Malcolm Little was born in
a small home in Omaha,
Nebraska. His father was
Reverend Earl Little and
his mother Louise Little.
Earl Little was a baptist
minister who would travel
around town to preach at
secret meetings.

One of Malcolms most vivid

childhood memories was
waking up to screaming
chaos. His house was burning
down around him. The family
ran out into the lawn and
cried as they watched their
house burn by the hands of
the Black Legion, a white
supremacist hate group. When
the white police and
firefighters arrived, they
did nothing but look as the
Little house turned into
ash.

"I remember snatched

awake into a frightening
confusion of pistol shots
and shouting and smoke
and flames" (Haley 5).

Earl and Louise Little

This would not be the only

tragedy the family would
experience at the hands of
the white man. In 1931,
Earl Little was found dead
on the towns trolley
tracks. He had been beaten
over the head multiple
times before being tied to
the tracks and left to be
run over.

This incident sent Malcolm

s mother spiraling into
insanity and eventually led
to her admittance to a
mental hospital. Malcolm
was then sent to live in a
juvenile home in Mason,
Michigan. Here, he attended
Mason High School, where he
thrived. He was the top of
his class, and his class
president.

One day, his English teacher asked him what he

wanted to be. He answered a lawyer. His English
teacher responded to this by telling him to be
more realistic, and that there were many good
positions open in carpentry. This event made
Malcolm restless with his current situation, and
he wanted out. He then went to live with his half
sister, Ella, in Boston, an event that would open
his eyes to a whole new world.

In Boston, Malcolm met

Malcolm Shorty Jarvis.
Shorty hooked him up with
his first job, shining
shoes at the Roseland
State Ballroom. He hopped
around from job to job,
until he found himself in
Harlem working as a server
on a train. With a solid
job, Malcolm went to live
in a house run by
prostitutes.

After referring a military agent

to a prostitute, Malcolm was
fired from his job as a server.
This is the beginning of his
life as a drug hustler. He went
around selling marijuana, and
later cocaine to New York
musicians, constantly moving to
avoid being arrested. In 1945,
his luck ran out, and Malcolm
was arrested with charges of
burglary. Little did he know
then, going to prison would
inspire one of the most
important transitions in his
life.

While in the Concord Reformatory,

Malcolm's younger brother
Reginald visited him, and told
him of his conversion to the
Muslim religion. Malcolm was
intrigued by the teachings of
Elijah Muhammad, and decided to
join the Nation of Islam (NOI).
Doing this had a cleansing effect
on Malcolm, and it inspired him
to recover from his days of
hustling, and educate himself. He
read up on as many subjects as he
could, and learned to reason and
speak publicly.

Malcolm was released in 1952 after

serving only seven years. After he
was released, he started meeting
with Elijah Muhammad and gaining
respect in the NOI. After
extensive training, Elijah sendt
Malcolm to Boston to establish a
temple. He then goes on to
minister at temples in Chicago,
Philadelphia, and New York. With
his new fame, Malcolm is faced
with the awkward reality that his
fame has surpassed that of his
mentors. He traveled to the
Middle East and Africa, tuning in
on his African ancestry. This is
also the time he changed his name
from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X.

The trips Malcolm took to the

Middle East were eye opening
to him. Going to Mecca and
taking part in the Hajj
changed his life. He realized
that people of all colors and
backgrounds could agree and
work together, as opposed to
his past self who often
preached violence and
believed that integration
could never be achieved. This
was a major turning point in
Malcolms life, as he realized
that he didnt agree with the
morales of the Nation of
Islam.

In January of 1958, Malcolm

married Sister Betty X, who
was working as a nurse. He
proposed to her
spontaneously through a
payphone call. Together,
they had five children.

Shes the only one I would

trust with my life

In 1964, Malcolm left the

Nation of Islam. He
discovered that Elijah
Muhammad, someone whom he
had always looked up to,
had committed adultery. He
had had relationships with
at least six female
members and some had even
resulted in children.
Malcolm was torn and
angered. He decided to
start his own
organization, Muslim
Mosque, Inc.

Malcolm is one of history

s greatest public
speakers. He debated with
Martin Luther King Jr.,
and made speeches
promoting self-love and
standing up for the
equality of the AfroAmerican people. Time
magazine named him one of
the most in demand public
speakers of his time.

Malcolms strong opinions made

him an obvious target for
violence. Malcolm was
assassinated on February 21,
1965, just a week after his
house was firebombed. He was
shot by rival members of the
Nation of Islam. Malcolm left
an important legacy behind, and
continues to inspire people
today.

The Legacy of Malcolm X

Malcolm X left a permanent impact on the American people. He embodies the idea of
self examination, something we can all learn from. His words still inspire many of us
today. His story will never be forgotten.

A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.

-Malcolm X

Works Cited
Book:
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.
Images:
"Photographs." Malcolm X. Jay Studios, 2015. Web. Oct.
2015. <http://malcolmx.com/photographs/ >.
"Malcolm X Kidding around with Muhammad Ali, New York,
1963." Rare Historical Photos. N.p., 19 Jan. 2014. Web. 8
Oct. 2015. < http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/malcolm-xkidding-around-muhammad-ali-new-york-1963/ >.
Scapiro, Rich. "Malcolm Xs Assassin Living in Plain
Sight
in Newark: Author." NY Daily News. N.p., 15 Feb. 2015. Web.
5 Oct. 2015. <http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyccrime/malcolm-x-assassination-mystery-article-1.2115843