Different Stages of Malcolm Xs Viewpoints about Freedom - Report Example

Here] [Your Here] Here] Different stages of Malcolm X’s viewpoints about freedom Malcolm X livedthree distinct and interconnected lives under the respective names Malcolm Little, Malcolm X, and EI-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. He was a leader who fought for the freedom of African Americans and to get them their respect and rights the way they were given to the white Americans. As a minister of the Nation of Islam Malcolm cleared why he and his people (the African Americans) were the victims of all kinds of coercion from the white people in a thorough manner. Here are the words that clear why he thought his men were controlled by the white Americans and what his people could do to overpower them and get their freedom permanently: The political philosophy of Black Nationalism means: We must control the politics and the politicians of our community. They must no longer take orders from outside forces. We will organize and sweep out of office all Negro politicians who are puppets for the outside forces.1 Above stated text of the statement was made by Malcolm X in the opening of his press conference at New York’s Park Sheraton Hotel, March 12. The mentioned quote tells us that Malcolm’s concern was not only the behaviors and oppositions of the white people but he believed that there were people inside his people who were basically the puppets controlled by the outside forces. 1. Sheppard Roland. “The assassinations of Malcolm X and martin Luther king, Jr.” The freedom that Malcolm X addressed was the freedom for individuals to accept themselves as they were and to not feel the pressure from the social order to work in the correspondence with their standards and not feel like they are beautiful as they are naturally. Malcolm wanted to make them realize that they would not have to dye their hair, or conk them to make them look like that of a white man and so on. Malcolm felt that the freedom is something that allows you to be yourself, and not feel pressured by other cultures to conform to their way of life.  However, he later admitted that he was not as free as he initially thought he was, as he began to put conk in his hair to make them look like that of a white man’s. He realized that he didn’t have the freedom to accept himself as he was and that he felt the pressure from his friends and other surrounding people.  Malcolm describes the physical pain he endured so that he could feel the pride of belonging to Roxboro Hill. Nevertheless, later Malcolm realized that the pain he was suffering for his hair was just a deceiving method used to help them (he and other black people) to ignore the real problems of being manipulated to cause harm to themselves by white society so that they could fit the standards of the white people instead of having the freedom to accept themselves as they were. After his visit to Mecca On March, 1964 after his visit to Mecca, Malcolm X explained his changed views on violence and racism in these words: “I dont speak against the sincere, well-meaning, good white people. I have learned that there are some. I have learned that not all white people are racists. I am speaking against and my fight is against the white racists. I believe that Negroes have the right to fight against these racists, by any means that are necessary.”1 1. John, Simkin. "Malcolm X: Biography." Malcolm continued; “I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to the American black mans problem - just to avoid violence. I dont go for non-violence if it also means a delayed solution. To me a delayed solution is a non-solution. Or Ill say it another way. If it must take violence to get the black man his human rights in this country, Im for violence exactly as you know the Irish, the Poles, or Jews would be if they were flagrantly discriminated against.”1 The hurdles he wanted to demolish The Biggest problem that Malcolm saw in his people was that they were not in a state of realization that they had all the right to fight back against their enemies or to those who treat them in a bad manner. Malcolm wanted them to change their thoughts as according to him one of the only ways to get freedom from the white Americans was to change their own mindsets. Malcolm said: "We must revamp our entire thinking and redirect our learning trends so that we can put forth a confident identity and wipe out the false image built up by an oppressive society. We can build a foundation for liberating our minds by studying the different philosophies and psychologies of others. Provisions are being made for the study of languages of Eastern origin such as Swahili, Hausa, and Arabic. Such studies will give us, as Afro-Americans, a direct access to ideas and history of our ancestors, as well as histories of mankind at large."2 More so than any other Afro-American leader, Malcolm X realized that there must be a concomitant cultural and educational revolution if the physical revolution is to be successful. No revolution has ever sustained itself on emotion. 1. John, Simkin. "Malcolm X: Biography." 2. Smith Nicole. "Comparison of narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass and the autobiography of Malcolm X." Furthermore, Malcolm believed that the lack of education was another reason behind the suffering of African Americans. He started to educate himself before he reached others. He started to read the dictionary page by page and copied everything so he can recall it later on. As stated in one of the important quotes in his autobiography: “Id never realized so many words existed! I didnt know which words I needed to learn”. Both of Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass understood the power of language and as their progressed toward their goals of fluency, each was amazed at his ability and in awe at the opportunities afforded by such skills.”1 There can be a huge debate on the matter that why Malcolm’s thoughts about the freedom changed time after time despite of the fact that he was always loyal to his men and wanted to serve himself for his people to get them freedom and respect they always deserved. As I see it, Malcolm was a bendable man and that was because he educated himself. The most important part of his life that turned his life upside down was the time he spent in the prison where he educated himself about the religion of Islam and moved towards the goals he set to raise his voice for the black people who deserved as good as the white people all around the world. He said; “I am not a racist in any form whatever. I dont believe in any form of racism. I dont believe in any form of discrimination or segregation. I believe in Islam.”1 1. "Review of Malcolm Xs The Autobiography of Malcolm X." This was the final achievement of Malcolm X and the resolution that makes his life story into a classic American tale: that in the end, he had the capability and flexibility to move beyond the burning fire of his racial hatred and emerge an integrated open-minded human being. His conversion to Islam led him to a more long-drawn-out understanding of racial problems. He now understood them on both on national and international levels. As he saw it; white Americans had ill-treated black Americans from slavery through segregation, and Western societies had traditionally used and abused nonwhites. Just as his conversion to Islam offered him the possibility of deliverance under Allah, his development of self-discovery offered him the chance of a more prolific, though still limited, place in society. No matter how many sins he attempted in his early life, when he found the meaning of his existence he put all of his efforts to get respect and freedom to all the black people all around the world. There have always been many people who believed he was an extremist himself but after going through the chapters of his life, I can tell that without a shadow of a doubt Malcolm X was and still is an iconic American who brought great changes among his race and among white Americans. Works Cited John, Simkin. "Malcolm X : Biography." Spartacus Educational - Home Page. Web. Retrieved on 10 Apr. 2011. . Anonymous. "Review of Malcolm Xs The Autobiography of Malcolm X - BrothersJudd.com." Brothers Judd Good Books and Recommended Reading - 12-Apr-11. 8 Aug. 1999. Web. Retrieved on 10 Apr. 2011. . Sheppard, Roland. "The assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther king, Jr." holt labor library - home page. 22 jan. 2009. Web. Retrieved on 10 Apr. 2011. . Smith, Nicole. "Comparison of narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass and the autobiography of Malcolm X" article myriad. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. . Read More