Born Malcolm Little in 1925, he started life as the son of an outspoken Baptist minister and avid supporter of Black Nationalist leader, Marcus Garvey. He was one of eight children.
Due to his father’s interest in the Black Nationalist movement, there were many death threats made by the white supremacist organization, Black Legion, and the family had to move twice. In 1929, their family home was burned to the ground. In 1931, his father was murdered, even though the police ruled it accidental.
It was no wonder that Malcolm dropped out of school, spent some time with drugs, gambling and prostitution, was arrested and convicted of burglary and spent time in jail.
It was while in jail that Malcolm began to study the teachings of the Nation of Islam. In this he learned that the white people actively kept the blacks from becoming successful. He left jail with a new surname, X, and a new mindset.
Being that one of his first memories had to do with racism, he eagerly embraced this new life.
Malcolm was appointed a minister for the Nation of Islam and was put in charge of creating a newspaper to spread the word of NOI across the United States. For many years he advocated separation of black and white Americans and presented an alternative to Dr. Martin Luther King’s of racial integration.
Dr. King was highly critical of what Malcolm X was preaching, “I feel that Malcolm has done himself and our people a great disservice.”
Shortly before he was assassinated in 1965, he terminated his relationship with the NOI, partly due to the fact that his leader and mentor E. Mohammad was having affairs with some of the women in the NOI and had children with them. He felt betrayed and left the organization.
He left and founded his own religious organization, the Muslim Mosque, Inc. After his trip to Saudi Arabia, he came back to the US with a different philosophy – he stated that he had met “blond-haired, blue-eyed men I could call brothers.”
Should Malcolm X have his own postage stamp? Well, should Strom Thurmond? Strom Thurmond spent the last third of his life repenting for his racist actions and statements, but I would not say he is deserving of a US postage stamp. Malcom X only spent the last year of his life repenting. Even if Malcolm X lived a full life and passed of old age as did Strom Thurmond, I would not say that either Malcolm X or Strom Thurmond is deserving of a stamp. For that matter, should David Duke? Mr. Duke considers himself a racial realist – asserting that all people have basic human rights to preserve their own heritage – sounds a bit like Malcolm X during his NOI days.
I would not put any of these people in the category of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s or Nelson Mandella’s of the world.
I understand that US Postage stamps are supposed to represent American Heritage, pieces of history or works of art and really Malcolm X is part of American culture, heritage and history, although, I just don’t see how anyone who really did not do anything more that spew racial hatred should be given that opportunity, alive or dead. I would not put Paula Deen on a stamp and I like her.
