Thursday, December 4, 2014

What was the primary goal of Malcolm X's movement?

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little and transformed into el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz after his pilgrimage to Mecca, began his career as an orator and civil rights leader within the Nation of Islam (NOI), a relationship that began during his years in prison.
Malcolm X remained within the NOI until 1963 when he exited. He was prompted by a public reprimand due to his "chickens coming home to roost" comment in response to the Kennedy assassination and then left after finding out about Elijah Muhammad's affairs and illegitimate children with numerous young women in the organization.
The Nation of Islam was a positive force in black communities in major cities, offering resources that community members might not otherwise have had. Their work was rooted in an idea of self-sufficiency which led to the development of businesses and faith centers. Malcolm X was the organization's most prominent speaker and used his role to draw national attention to the disease of American racism and its particular effects on poor black communities.
By the time he left the NOI to form his own organization in 1964, the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), he had abandoned his anti-white resentments—inspired by his pilgrimage when he drank from the same cup as white Muslims—while still remaining vocally critical of institutional racism.
In sum, he began his career working in the service of the Nation of Islam and its dual goals of separatism and black self-sufficiency. When he left the organization and formed his own movement, he kept the emphasis on self-sufficiency but decided that he would not eliminate the possibility of accepting offers of support from whites after the OAAU had been firmly established.

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