The Autobiography of Malcolm X pages 1 - 178

Up until now I have known very little about Malcolm X. If you would have asked me what I knew, I would have said he was a civil rights leader who did not believe in peaceful protest. I would have said he was the polar opposite of Martin Luther King Jr. in that he did not believe in turning the other cheek. I probably would have gone as far to say he hated white people and called them all devils.

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I am learning fast that some of my preconceived notions about Malcolm X are inaccurate. Many of the things I may have known come from the philosophy of Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X's mentor for many years. Even though I am less than halfway through this autobiography, Malcolm has made reference many times to his split from Elijah Muhammad and how he now disagrees with his philosophies since they are not supported by true Islam.

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The beginning of this book is very exciting. It chronicles Malcolm Little's early life up until he is around 21 years old. Readers meet Malcolm's parents and his brothers and sisters. Malcolms father is a preecher who also holds meetings for the Marcus Garvey society, which troubles the white people in his town. One night a group of white men kill Malcolms father, and then lay his body across the train tracks to be run over. The insurace company cheats his mother out of the money she and her family have coming to them. Malcolm's mother eventually has a mental breakdown and is taken to a mental hospital. Malcolm and his siblings are split up into different homes.

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Malcolm's life changes several years later when he moves to Boston to live with his sister. It is here that Malcolm begins a life of pimping, hustling, drinking, and smoking 'reefers'. Malcolms talent for hustling eventually takes him to Harlem where he is eventually charged with burglary and sentenced to ten years in jail. I left many of the details out here. This part of the book was very easy to read since it caters to people's interest in crime and street living. Malcolm was smart to grab his readers attention in this way.

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I am now reading about Malcolm's first years in jail. He is beginning to learn more about Islam, and is coresponding with Elijah Muhammad on nearly a daily basis. I have been really interested in learning about Muhammad's philosophies, especially how he explains how the races developed.

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I am glad I am finally learning more about this important figure in American history. I am also glad I have not watched Spike Lee's film yet. It will be interesting to see how well it represents what I am reading now.