Malcom X

    


Growing I was always aware about my heritage, although I’m British my descendants are African my mother and father are from Ivory-coast.From young I always had knowledge about famous leaders standing for black rights E.G Malcom X,Mohammed Ali, Maya Angelou and remember watching Roots which is based on a slave from the tribe I am from. I can honestly say that growing up British I agree that I am trapped a westernised mindset. From the wigs to the clothes  and the way I define beauty. Black people have been set free,yet our mentality is still trapped as Malcom has stated, Ethnic Minorities are still highest in crime rates we still have this mentality that crime is the only way out as it’s fast money but this is how we’re imprisoning and limiting ourself because we’re not excelling to our full potential , don’t get me wrong there’re many achievements that black people have achieved E.G Barak Obama a black president,Samuel Coleridge Taylor a famous english composure,Women like Oprah who own a talk show and is a philanthropist. It’s become more common for black youths to be trapped in an unethical lifestyle and that cycle should be broken.

I have high respects for Malcom X as regardless of his life being at steak he consistently spoke his truths. 

Many of us are familiar with Malcolm X as 

he has played a very significant role within African American community aswell as Islam .He transformed his life around significantly From a criminal, from a lower class family background he excelled and became an inspiration for several Ethnic minorities.This blog post is on is more so a movie critique than an actual documentary , seeing as I’ve read the book I have an understanding from Malcom X’s perspective himself. 

The movie commences where Malcom X first grow up in Boston. The actor denzel Washington has portrayed Malcom with an Afro/ 4C hair and not quite well manored or well repesented while in a barber shop the individuals around him encourage him about getting a relaxer which in their opinion would make him look more appealing we see his hair go from an Afro texture to a European texture ,we then continue to see him being unease and fidgety as there’re chemicals in his hair . Malcom X rushes to wash his hair out . He slowly moves the towel back that was placed on his head whilst having a huge smile on his face.The others in the shop were applauding him and making him feel good about himself having his hair permed. Through this first we can see how ethnic minorities are going through damaging themselves to make themselves look more white. 

A flashback scene has been played and showed the KKK burning and throwing  objectes in Earl Littles (Malcom X’s  father ) home then riding off . Earl Little was a priest and believed that black men and women should leave America and return back to their mother land Africa and stop working for European/ white people as they are getting satisfaction whilst black people are being discriminated in society. 

In Malcoms class he was the only black pupil aswell as the most intellectual.He had told his teacher within the future he views himself as a lawyer but his teachers always told him he couldn’t due to his skin colour and he should find an alternative job that would siut his colour. Moreover we are showed the scenes of which Malcom X starts to fall into the wrong crowd.He is viewed as an Thug in these scenes. Taking excessive drugs, wearing flashy suits and surrounding himself around white women that were whores. 

 

As flashback scene is then shown again of the KKK revisiting Earl Little’s home while everyone was asleep but this time the house had been burnt down . Earls then proceeded to leave and rush his family outside whilst having a gun in his hand and shoots back and shouts “I’m a man”. Later on it shows Earl being tied up and run over by a train the movie doesn’t go in depth with how he died but when Earl went to go and buy some groceries , he was ran over due to his actions of attempting to  question and talk back to the KKK. This was seen as abnormal as during the 1930’s as black individuals didn’t have rights. 

The drugs and lifestyle had started to take over Malcom’s life and showed he had nothing to loose. Sitting on a table with 2 white women and his friend he takes 5 bullets and speaks to himself  counting down each bullet and “ she loves me, she loves me not “ . He then takes a bullet and puts it in his his gun and attempts to shoot himself joking around , with a grin on his face ,this is were we can see malcom being ruthless .Malcom accompanied by Jarvis and two white female had planned a burglary the two ladies acted as look out outside while they did the dirty work. They left the house without being caught or any suspensions . Although they had thought they had gotten away with it police had turned up to his house. The judge has  decided the females faced only 2 years whilst Malcom X and Jarvis were charged with entering and breaking and rape of white women for 10 years in Massachusetts State Prison.

Whilst in prison he wasn’t the tough guy anymore, he was turning insane  . A prison warden had approached him during Malcom relaxing his hair , He said he can tell him how to get out of prison metaphorically which is through Islam. He believed Malcom’s mindset was based on white supremacy the warden remarked “pain yourself to be white , white men sees you and laughs as he knows yur not white “. He said Elijah Mohammed can release him out of prison and bring him into the light . This prison warden had a group of prisoners who he spoke to about Islam, who they viewed him as a leader . 

Malcom starts to become more intrigued and sticked more close to the warden he reveals to him how white men have brainwashed us to feel as black is ugly. E.G the colour white is seen as pure , holy , light .Black is associated with dirt , hostile forbidding , outrageous and wicked. Which is what people use to educate themselves . These scenes show how Malcolm starts to learn not only about Islam but more about his ethnicity. Malcom was always naturally smart as already stated at the start of the movie but during his free time he had an insight of regaining his intelligence and starts to read a dictionary in contrast of Malcolm driving himself insane he started to be more out there and free spirited with inmates. 

A day after Malcom had been taught how to pray Elijah Mohammed had written a letter to him. Malcom says that he saw the Elijah Mohammed ‘ in his face he saw wisdom and pain’ with a bright light , sort of a spirt /angle but he knew he wasn’t dreaming, Malcom claimed he saw a Holy Spirit that had spoken to him . Elijah Mohammed said “ the most dangerous person in the world is a man who has nothing to loose”. After this Malcom went on his knees and begun to pray. He wrote to Elijah Mohammed and said he would dedicate his life to telling the world about the white devil and spread his face and word.

Once Malcom had left prision his first mission was to see Elijah Mohammed as he looked to him as a prophet and was the man who changed his life . He weeped when he first saw him , his first action was to join the Nation of Islam and spread the word out which converted black people from prostitution and drug users to the beautiful religion of Islam .He advised females to cover up, men and women to learn about their roots . All of the people who Malcom used to associate himself with ended up as drugs addict ,prisoners, or unable to support themselves living in neglect .Malcom had started to have a name for himself and becoming well known .  

There was tension between him and Elijah Mohammed People were looking up to Malcom a their leader now. 

We see his wife Betty Shabazz answered the phone she would hear remarks like “you’re a dead man Malcom”, Malcom was being a threat to a lot of people and was wanted dead . Accusations were made about Elijah Mohammed having multiplied mistresses , his conning ways started to unravel .He had multiple mistresses and children who he didn’t take responsibility for. Malcom was still indenile and thought “ the white devil people“, those who wrote the newspapers , wanted to use him a a folk devil. Headlines such as ‘65 year old sleeping with 20 year old women’. This started to bring issues with him and Betty as she felt he was being blinded from the picture he had pained of Elijah and just didn’t want to believe what people were saying bout him .Malcom went out of his way to to find out the truth about what was said about Elijah . He went to each and every one his sectary and they all said the same statement that Elijah had stated he loved Malcolm with all his heart as if he was his own son but he would one day turn against him. Elijah praised him to his face but was talking about him behind his back. His faith had been shattered like he could’ve ever described. Death was worse than betrayal to him and the one person who he looked up to had betrayed him . 

The death threats had worsened and was placing his family in harms way . Those even close to Malcolm were being paid to kill him E.G wiring his car to make it explode . Because he was being betrayed by the Nation of Islam Malcom had decided to leave and speak his own words he wanted to lead a new mosque , in New York City called Muslim Mosque Incorporated.

 

Haij is a Muslim pilgrimage which is compulsory for yu to do within the 10 commandments if affordable .He wanted to take this holy journey to understand his religion in more depth and from an alternative perspective . He said that he had never sincere hospitality and true brotherhood than in Mecca. Malcom had eaten from the same plate and drunk from the same glass and prayed to the same god to the same person who had blue eyes with fair skin and they were all brothers . The truth had blinded him in prision and had once blinded him again. He was not a rasisct anymore. He believed all people should be liberatied . “The true practice of Islam can destroy this divert racism”. When returning back he made a speech that he had faith that people should practice and study Islam and it would stop the plague of muslim . “Humans in Mecca consider every colour as humans”.

Malcoms calls had been tracked , him and his family fled for their safety . In the movie , Malcom’s friend had called and asked where he was located but Malcom was in a position where no friend could be trusted , his response for his friend getting him security was he believed that Allah would protect him and he didn’t need protecting from . A bug was planted in his hotel room everything that Malcom said to his wife was being heard. 

Malcoms last speech there’s a sense of darkness , the scene gives yu an impression o Malcoms death before even occurring . While Malcom walked to the stage about to start his speech someone from the crowd yelled “get your hand out my pocket “ this had created chaos , men and women running around screaming. Two men dressed in long black coats and hats during this chaos had went to the stage where Malcom was stood and shot him .Betty weeped with Malcolm in her arms pleading he awakened .He was rushed to the hospital but nothing could be done about it. 

This movie was a great movie to watch it gives you an insight of Malcom X transformed his life and spread his word out. I would suggest reading the book as it gives you more detail about how he lived.