Malcolm X as One of the Proponents of Racial Segregation - Essay Example

March 9, Malcolm_X Introduction Malcolm X is one of the proponents of racial segregation. The paper delves on the life of Malcolm X. the same paper focuses on the reasons for Malcolm X being rightfully included in the list of illustrious persons placed on our American postage stamp. Malcolm X is more than qualified to land as one of the figures on the American Stamp. Malcolm X Concept Malcolm X deserves to be one of the personalities honored to be on the American Stamp. Malcolm X served as a model for the African American Race. As a model he showed a unique way of resolving the racial discrimination issue in our American environment. Malcolm X’s growing up years led to his new way of resolving the difficulties of growing up in an unfair world. With the murder of his father at the young tender age of 6, Malcolm X realized the unfairness of the world (Goldman 162). Malcolm X believed his grandmother was raped by a White person (Goldman 27).His growing up as a criminal charged for larceny and other law violations indicated life was an uphill struggle to survive. To survived, Malcolm X had to do whatever is possible to survive in a crime-laden community. Malcolm X offers a unique way of finally resolving the racial issue. Malcolm X felt that one of America’s main problems is the African American people, including the continued discrimination of the African Americans (Goldman 9). Instead of trying to be equals in our American society with the Caucasians, Malcolm X highly recommended separation. Malcolm X recommended African Americans should live in a society filled only with African Americans. In the same manner, Malcolm X insisted the White Americans should live within a community that excludes African Americans. This concept shows that African Americans can truly live in equality if they exclude the White Americans from African American community. Going further, Malcolm X even recommended that all African Americans should return to their own home country, Africa. In Africa, the majority of the citizens belong to the African race. Thus, the small number of Caucasians living within the African communities cannot oppress or discriminate against the more numerous people of African race. Malcolm X espoused the African Americans have the right to protect themselves against threats to their lives and property (Goldman 4). Such espousing included protecting themselves against Caucasian (White people) threats. Such powerful concepts prove that people should to succumb to the pressures of society, especially pressures bordering on harassment and unlawful discrimination. Malcolm X drew the ire of his former Nation of_Islam religious members for his fiery words denouncing some of the Nation of_Islam priorities, threatening the people’s preference for the group’s issue on resolving the racial discrimination problem. On that fateful assassination February 21, 1965 day, someone had ordered the guards not to inspect the people entering the Audubon hall to listen to Malcolm X speak. The same someone ordered the bodyguards not to bring guns during the program. Likewise, there were fewer guards guarding Malcolm X. The police were requested to keep out of sight of the forum audiences by staying several yards away. Consequently, three individuals easily shot to death Malcolm X while he was speaking (Goldman 4). Malcolm X opposed integration into the White society. Instead, Malcolm X preferred living in a society that was free of any white person. Malcolm X created an impression that the White person can never be trusted. Since trust is not possible, then avoidance of the White person is a must. Malcolm X also insisted that marriage between the White person and an African American person should be banned. Such mixed marriage will destroy the purity and beauty of the African American race. The concept is grounded on the Malcolm X’s observation that many African Americans who had accepted the integration culture ended up with marrying a White person, mentioning mixed married Africans included Singer Sammy_Davies Jr., Playwright Lorriane_Hansberry, and James_Farmer (Goldman 72). Malcolm X espoused that the African Americans must be proud of their unique race. Consequently, the phrase black is a beautiful color came about. Malcolm X impressed on the people that they should not be ashamed of being born into the African American heritage. Thus, they should not try to escape their destiny by marrying a white person (Goldman 74). Malcolm X went further as to state the civil rights movement was the brainchild of the White race. The white masterminds had used the civil rights movement, led by Martin Luther King, to literally hypnotize the African Americans to join the White people on equal footing. Martin Luther King espoused equality between the African Americans and the White Americans. Such remarks indicated that Martin Luther King and Malcolm X did not have the priorities in helping the African Americans resolve their current racial discrimination issues. Malcolm X explained that the civil rights movement was an artificial backfire implemented by the African Americans to slow down the real forest fire. In fact, Malcolm X insisted the White leaders favorably used the civil rights movement to helping pay for the expenses of the movement. The White people used media to increase the hype about the civil rights movement in order to offer a fake impression on the African Americans that the white people are okay with the equality propositions of the Martin Luther King and other African American civil rights leaders (Goldman 74). With his brief engagements with the white people, Malcolm X affirmed some White people do not discriminate against the African American people. One of those persons was Mike Handler, a journalist of the popular Times magazine. Malcolm X’s constant conversations with Mike showed Mike had no prejudices against the African American people. Another person was Charles_Silberman of the Fortune magazine. Malcolm admired the literary masterpiece of Charles entitled Crisis in Black_and White (Goldman 162). ‘ Malcolm X’s visiting Mecca to attend hajj did not reduce his prior impression of the discrimination-laden White Americans. However, the hajj religious pilgrimage had impressed on him that the prior de_facto racial discrimination by the White had been changed to a de_jure type. Consequently, the prior de_facto image of whites as devils had been replaced by the new concept that the White people are the African Americans’ enemies. The defacto concept means the issue is informal or underground or not legally recognized. On the other hand, the de_jure concept means the concept is formalized, institutionalized or legal. Thus, the African Americans must continue to keep watch 24 hours a day to defend against any possible discrimination attacks by the unremorseful White Americans (Goldman 171). By separating from the Nation of_Islam group, Malcolm X showed that he betrayed his former group. As such people from both Malcolm X’s new group, Muslim_Mosque, felt that the two African American groups should not fight each other but instead fight against the White Americans (Goldman 171). Members of both groups tried to reconcile the differences between the group of Elijah_Mohammad, leader of the Nation of_Islam and Malcolm X’s group Muslim_Mosque. However, both leaders refused the reconciliation overtures of the both groups’ members. Malcolm X’s travel to different African cities proved his concept of a segregated African American community. Malcolm X relaxed the use of bodyguards while touring freely the different African Cities. His friends were dismayed over Malcolm X’s happy lax and even unguarded touring of the African cities. While touring the cities, Malcolm X happily felt he had returned home to his cultural past, Africa (Goldman 174). He could see eye to eye with the people of his own race. As he roamed the cities, he felt the community enjoy they could achieve their dreams and aspirations within the oppressive discrimination acts of the White Americans. Consequently, Malcolm X kept returning to Africa to savor the unique feeling of being within an exclusive African race only society, a feeling which other White Americans can never feel while being trapped in their American environment. Malcolm had made a mark in American society. Malcolm X inspired the people of his own African American race to refuse succumbing to the White-dominated society. The African Americans are challenged to be happy with what they are and to avoid contact with the untrustworthy White Americans. Such powerful reminder from Malcolm X alleviates the African American peoples’ anger over the maltreatment of the current American society. Malcolm X was able to rally the African American people to freely voice their sentiments. Many African Americans were touched by Malcolm X’s fiery words of encouragement. However, Malcolm X also made the members of other African American groups angry. By espousing a different African American freedom from discrimination concept, Malcolm X was imputing on the minds of the people that the concepts espoused by other African American groups were wrong. Such impressions made the other groups angry at Malcolm X. in fact, some quarters blamed the Nation of_Islam for masterminding the assassination of Malcolm X. Other sectors felt that FBI contributed its share to inspiring the assassination of Malcolm X (Goldman 4). Conclusion Malcolm X is one of the espousers of living in a separate African American community. Malcolm X’s life was filled with fighting against a continuing lifetime threat, racial discrimination. Malcolm X espoused separation and not integration into the White community. Not trusting the White people, Malcolm X espoused returning to their original home, Africa. Because of Malcolm X’s power concept of segregation, other groups felt endangered by Malcolm X’s position. Evidently, Malcolm X is very qualified to be one of the personalities placed on the prestigious American Stamp. Works Cited Goldman, Peter. The Death and Life of Malcolm X. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1979. Printed. Read More