Malcolm X (106 page)
Authors: Manning Marable
472
District of Columbia representative Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Ibid.
District of Columbia representative Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Ibid.
473
not those of her father.
Rickford,
Betty Shabazz
, pp. 536-45.
not those of her father.
Rickford,
Betty Shabazz
, pp. 536-45.
473
“stories straight. You’re out, kid.”
Gerry Fulcher interview, October 3, 2007.
“stories straight. You’re out, kid.”
Gerry Fulcher interview, October 3, 2007.
473
before resigning from the force
. Ibid.
before resigning from the force
. Ibid.
474
“allegedly received from the FBI.”
Les Matthews, “Malcolm X Killer Talks; Names 4,”
Amsterdam News
, April 29, 1978.
“allegedly received from the FBI.”
Les Matthews, “Malcolm X Killer Talks; Names 4,”
Amsterdam News
, April 29, 1978.
474
“have been sure to notice.”
Charles Kaiser, “2 Held Not Guilty in Malcolm Case,”
New York Times
, July 27, 1978.
“have been sure to notice.”
Charles Kaiser, “2 Held Not Guilty in Malcolm Case,”
New York Times
, July 27, 1978.
474
to grant a new trial.
“Federal Hearings Asked into Malcolm X Murder,”
New York Times
, April 30, 1979.
to grant a new trial.
“Federal Hearings Asked into Malcolm X Murder,”
New York Times
, April 30, 1979.
474
of the Black Panther Party.
Ibid.; and “Probe Requested in Malcolm Death,”
Los Angeles Sentinel
, July 20, 1978.
of the Black Panther Party.
Ibid.; and “Probe Requested in Malcolm Death,”
Los Angeles Sentinel
, July 20, 1978.
474
died on August 4, 2009
. Robert Fleming, “Khalil Islam; Wrongly Convicted of Killing Malcolm X, Dies,”
Black Star News
, August 7, 2009.
died on August 4, 2009
. Robert Fleming, “Khalil Islam; Wrongly Convicted of Killing Malcolm X, Dies,”
Black Star News
, August 7, 2009.
475
serious to permit his release
. Jennifer Peltz, “Thomas Hagen, Only Man to Admit Role in Malcolm X Assassination, Is Freed on Parole in NYC,ʺ Associated Press, April 27, 2010.
serious to permit his release
. Jennifer Peltz, “Thomas Hagen, Only Man to Admit Role in Malcolm X Assassination, Is Freed on Parole in NYC,ʺ Associated Press, April 27, 2010.
475
associated with the Newark mosque
. See Zak Kondo,
Conspiracys: Unraveling the Assassination of Malcolm X
(Washington, D.C.: Nubia, 1993).
associated with the Newark mosque
. See Zak Kondo,
Conspiracys: Unraveling the Assassination of Malcolm X
(Washington, D.C.: Nubia, 1993).
475
They escaped with over $12,500. United States of America v. James Henry Moore and William Bradley
, Title 18 U.S.C. Secs. 2113(d) and (D.N.J. 1699); and “Livingston Bank Is Held Up,”
New York Times
, April 12, 1968.
They escaped with over $12,500. United States of America v. James Henry Moore and William Bradley
, Title 18 U.S.C. Secs. 2113(d) and (D.N.J. 1699); and “Livingston Bank Is Held Up,”
New York Times
, April 12, 1968.
475
charged with the bank robbery. United States of America v. James Henry Moore, appellant, and William Bradley,
453F. 2d 601 (3d Cir. 1971).
charged with the bank robbery. United States of America v. James Henry Moore, appellant, and William Bradley,
453F. 2d 601 (3d Cir. 1971).
475
own attorney separate from Moore. United States of America v. William Bradley
, Notice of Appearance, July 18, 1969.
own attorney separate from Moore. United States of America v. William Bradley
, Notice of Appearance, July 18, 1969.
475
were ultimately dismissed. United States of America v. William Bradley
, Order for Dismissal, August 21, 1970.
were ultimately dismissed. United States of America v. William Bradley
, Order for Dismissal, August 21, 1970.
475
“years for an unrelated felony.”
Goldman,
The Death and Life of Malcolm X
, p. 428.
“years for an unrelated felony.”
Goldman,
The Death and Life of Malcolm X
, p. 428.
476
baseball achievements in high school.
“Sports Briefs,”
Amsterdam News
, February 21, 1981; Collie J. Nicholson, “King Refutes
New York Post
Claim,”
Los Angeles Sentinel
, June 24, 1999; and Newark Athletic Hall of Fame (
http://www.newarkathletichalloffame.org/_fileCabinet/NAHFPastInductees.pdf
). Carolyn Kelly-Shabazz was inducted into the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
baseball achievements in high school.
“Sports Briefs,”
Amsterdam News
, February 21, 1981; Collie J. Nicholson, “King Refutes
New York Post
Claim,”
Los Angeles Sentinel
, June 24, 1999; and Newark Athletic Hall of Fame (
http://www.newarkathletichalloffame.org/_fileCabinet/NAHFPastInductees.pdf
). Carolyn Kelly-Shabazz was inducted into the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
476
criminality to respectability seemed complete.
Omar Shabazz,
Inside Job: Betrayal of the Black Messiah
, 2010.
criminality to respectability seemed complete.
Omar Shabazz,
Inside Job: Betrayal of the Black Messiah
, 2010.
476
“religion, and freedom of assembly.”
Richard Prince, “Malcolm X Scholars Point to a Triggerman,” May 24, 2010, Maynard Institute (
http://mije.org/richardprince/malcolm-x-scholars-id-triggerman
).
“religion, and freedom of assembly.”
Richard Prince, “Malcolm X Scholars Point to a Triggerman,” May 24, 2010, Maynard Institute (
http://mije.org/richardprince/malcolm-x-scholars-id-triggerman
).
476
real killers of Malcolm X.
Omar Shabazz,
Inside Job: Betrayal of the Black Messiah
, 2010.
real killers of Malcolm X.
Omar Shabazz,
Inside Job: Betrayal of the Black Messiah
, 2010.
477
“[in which] Malcolm was assassinated.”
Louis Farrakhan interview, December 27, 2007; and Mike Wallace interview with Louis Farrakhan,
60 Minutes
, CBS, September 29, 2009.
“[in which] Malcolm was assassinated.”
Louis Farrakhan interview, December 27, 2007; and Mike Wallace interview with Louis Farrakhan,
60 Minutes
, CBS, September 29, 2009.
477
“grand jury to question me.”
Louis Farrakhan interview, December 27, 2007.
“grand jury to question me.”
Louis Farrakhan interview, December 27, 2007.
477
destroy you. I understand that.
Ibid.
destroy you. I understand that.
Ibid.
478
members in Detroit’s Cobo Center.
“Muslims Name Successor to Malcolm X,ʺ
Afro-American
, August 28, 1965.
members in Detroit’s Cobo Center.
“Muslims Name Successor to Malcolm X,ʺ
Afro-American
, August 28, 1965.
478
“didn’t mean to take your home!”
Louis Farrakhan interview, May 9, 2005.
“didn’t mean to take your home!”
Louis Farrakhan interview, May 9, 2005.
478
Farrakhan delivered the guest sermon
. Louis Farrakhan interview, December 27, 2007.
Farrakhan delivered the guest sermon
. Louis Farrakhan interview, December 27, 2007.
481
“mind, Black judgment,” Baraka asserted.
LeRoi Jones,
Home: Social Essays
(New York: William Morrow, 1966), pp. 238-50.
“mind, Black judgment,” Baraka asserted.
LeRoi Jones,
Home: Social Essays
(New York: William Morrow, 1966), pp. 238-50.
481
“‘integrated out of existence.’”
“Malcolm X a Harlem Idol on Eve of Murder Trial,”
New York Times
, December 5, 1965.
“‘integrated out of existence.’”
“Malcolm X a Harlem Idol on Eve of Murder Trial,”
New York Times
, December 5, 1965.
482
“on an otherwise darkened stage.”
Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) and Ekwueme Michael Thelwell,
Ready for Revolution
(New York: Scribner, 1993), pp. 253, 259. Carmichael added, “It was simply refreshing for young Africans to hear someone stand up and so fearlessly describe the real American black folks knew and experienced daily. Especially in a setting usually so relentlessly cautious, guarded, and overly sensitive to the sensibilities of the same white ruling class responsible for perpetuating our people’s oppression” (p. 261).
“on an otherwise darkened stage.”
Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) and Ekwueme Michael Thelwell,
Ready for Revolution
(New York: Scribner, 1993), pp. 253, 259. Carmichael added, “It was simply refreshing for young Africans to hear someone stand up and so fearlessly describe the real American black folks knew and experienced daily. Especially in a setting usually so relentlessly cautious, guarded, and overly sensitive to the sensibilities of the same white ruling class responsible for perpetuating our people’s oppression” (p. 261).
483
Davis said, “is not a king.”
Ossie Davis interview, June 29, 2003.
Davis said, “is not a king.”
Ossie Davis interview, June 29, 2003.
485
necessity of armed struggle in Africa.
William Mervin Gumede,
Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC
(Cape Town, South Africa: Zebra Press, 2007), p. 24.
necessity of armed struggle in Africa.
William Mervin Gumede,
Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC
(Cape Town, South Africa: Zebra Press, 2007), p. 24.
485
that number were black Americans.
See Marable,
Race, Reform and Rebellion
, pp. 238-40.
that number were black Americans.
See Marable,
Race, Reform and Rebellion
, pp. 238-40.
486
will influence his future legacy.
The sales of
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
rose 300 percent between 1989 and 1992, during the golden age of hip-hop music. See Lewis Lord, Jeannye Thornton, and Alejandro Bodipo-Memba, “The Legacy of Malcolm X,ʺ
U.S. News and World Report
, November 15, 1992.
will influence his future legacy.
The sales of
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
rose 300 percent between 1989 and 1992, during the golden age of hip-hop music. See Lewis Lord, Jeannye Thornton, and Alejandro Bodipo-Memba, “The Legacy of Malcolm X,ʺ
U.S. News and World Report
, November 15, 1992.
486
Universal Day of Struggle Against Race Discrimination.
Paul Lee, “Unseen Unity,”
Michigan Citizen
, September 30, 2009.
Universal Day of Struggle Against Race Discrimination.
Paul Lee, “Unseen Unity,”
Michigan Citizen
, September 30, 2009.
486
“become the new Malcolm X.”
Philip Sherwell, “The New Malcolm X?”
Sunday Telegraph
, April 9, 2006.
“become the new Malcolm X.”
Philip Sherwell, “The New Malcolm X?”
Sunday Telegraph
, April 9, 2006.
487
traditions of “honorable black Americans.”
Mark Mazzetti, “Al-Qaeda Offers Obama Insults and a Warning,”
New York Times
, November 20, 2008.
traditions of “honorable black Americans.”
Mark Mazzetti, “Al-Qaeda Offers Obama Insults and a Warning,”
New York Times
, November 20, 2008.
487
“people I have ever met.”
James Baldwin, “Malcolm and Martin,”
Esquire
, vol. 77, no. 4 (April 1972), pp. 94-97, 195-202.
“people I have ever met.”
James Baldwin, “Malcolm and Martin,”
Esquire
, vol. 77, no. 4 (April 1972), pp. 94-97, 195-202.
A GLOSSARY OF TERMS
As-salaam alaikum
—An Arabic spoken greeting; the term
salaam
means “peace” and the greeting can be translated as “Peace be upon you.”
—An Arabic spoken greeting; the term
salaam
means “peace” and the greeting can be translated as “Peace be upon you.”
Black Legion
—A hate group related to the Ku Klux Klan which numbered nearly thirty thousand and was centered on Detroit and other Midwestern cities. The Black Legion was responsible for numerous crimes against immigrants, minorities, and suspected communists; the group was allegedly responsible for the death of Malcolm X's father, Earl Little.
—A hate group related to the Ku Klux Klan which numbered nearly thirty thousand and was centered on Detroit and other Midwestern cities. The Black Legion was responsible for numerous crimes against immigrants, minorities, and suspected communists; the group was allegedly responsible for the death of Malcolm X's father, Earl Little.
Fishing
—The searching for new converts to the Nation of Islam.
—The searching for new converts to the Nation of Islam.
Fitna
—From the Arabic verb meaning “to seduce, tempt, or lure,”
fitna
can refer to the temptation believers must face or the period of chaos and disorder prior to salvation. It can also describe fracturing or civil war within the Muslim community.
—From the Arabic verb meaning “to seduce, tempt, or lure,”
fitna
can refer to the temptation believers must face or the period of chaos and disorder prior to salvation. It can also describe fracturing or civil war within the Muslim community.
Five Pillars of Islam
—The five duties of every Sunni Muslim, including
shahada
,
salat
,
zakat
,
sawm
, and
hajj
.
—The five duties of every Sunni Muslim, including
shahada
,
salat
,
zakat
,
sawm
, and
hajj
.
Fruit of Islam
—The “Fruit,” as it is often called, is a male-only paramilitary group of the Nation of Islam, which is in charge of security and whose membership is drawn from the various mosques. Members are characterized by distinct blue or white uniforms and caps bearing a star and crescent or the abbreviation FOI.
—The “Fruit,” as it is often called, is a male-only paramilitary group of the Nation of Islam, which is in charge of security and whose membership is drawn from the various mosques. Members are characterized by distinct blue or white uniforms and caps bearing a star and crescent or the abbreviation FOI.
Hajj
—The fifth pillar of Islam, the hajj is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world and must be performed at least once by every Muslim who is physically or financially able. It occurs from the seventh to the thirteenth day during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.
—The fifth pillar of Islam, the hajj is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world and must be performed at least once by every Muslim who is physically or financially able. It occurs from the seventh to the thirteenth day during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.
Imam
—Muslim spiritual or community leader, and the person who leads prayer during a religious gathering.
—Muslim spiritual or community leader, and the person who leads prayer during a religious gathering.
Jihad
—Religious duty meaning “struggle,” jihad is the striving for perfection in Islam; it can also refer to a holy war against infidels. Some Sunni scholars categorize this as the unofficial sixth pillar of Islam.
—Religious duty meaning “struggle,” jihad is the striving for perfection in Islam; it can also refer to a holy war against infidels. Some Sunni scholars categorize this as the unofficial sixth pillar of Islam.
Kaaba
—A cuboidal building built by Abraham, according to Islamic tradition, it is enclosed within the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and is the point toward which all Muslims pray. The
Kaaba
is circled during the hajj, a process called
tawaf
.
—A cuboidal building built by Abraham, according to Islamic tradition, it is enclosed within the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and is the point toward which all Muslims pray. The
Kaaba
is circled during the hajj, a process called
tawaf
.
Kafan
—Clean white cloth that the body is wrapped in during a traditional Islamic funeral.
—Clean white cloth that the body is wrapped in during a traditional Islamic funeral.
Mecca
—The holiest city in Islam, Mecca is closed to non-Muslims and is the site of the hajj festivities.
—The holiest city in Islam, Mecca is closed to non-Muslims and is the site of the hajj festivities.
Medina
—The second holiest city in Islam, Medina is the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad and was the place of his migration from Mecca in 622 CE.
—The second holiest city in Islam, Medina is the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad and was the place of his migration from Mecca in 622 CE.
The Mother Plane
—A cylindrical spaceship believed to carry fifteen hundred smaller ships, which would destroy America and England during the judgment, according to NOI eschatology.
—A cylindrical spaceship believed to carry fifteen hundred smaller ships, which would destroy America and England during the judgment, according to NOI eschatology.
Muhammad Speaks
—Official newspaper of the Nation of Islam,
Muhammad Speaks
was started by Malcolm X as a small New York pamphlet in 1960; editorial control was quickly transferred to Herbert Muhammad, and the newspaper eventually rose to become the most widely published black weekly, with a circulation estimated between six hundred thousand and nine hundred thousand in the early 1970s.
—Official newspaper of the Nation of Islam,
Muhammad Speaks
was started by Malcolm X as a small New York pamphlet in 1960; editorial control was quickly transferred to Herbert Muhammad, and the newspaper eventually rose to become the most widely published black weekly, with a circulation estimated between six hundred thousand and nine hundred thousand in the early 1970s.
Muslim Girls Training (MGT) and General Civilization Class
—A weekly class for women within the Nation which stressed domestic skills such as keeping house, rearing children, sewing, cooking, and hygiene. It also offered a social space for women within the movement to organize and meet others with shared religious or political views.
—A weekly class for women within the Nation which stressed domestic skills such as keeping house, rearing children, sewing, cooking, and hygiene. It also offered a social space for women within the movement to organize and meet others with shared religious or political views.
Orgena
—A play written by Louis Farrakhan in the late 1950s,
Orgena
—“A Negro” spelled in reverse—depicted a history in which the black man is estranged from his original culture and then enslaved, before becoming a second-class citizen and eventually rediscovering his cultural heritage. The play was performed most notably at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in New York City.
—A play written by Louis Farrakhan in the late 1950s,
Orgena
—“A Negro” spelled in reverse—depicted a history in which the black man is estranged from his original culture and then enslaved, before becoming a second-class citizen and eventually rediscovering his cultural heritage. The play was performed most notably at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in New York City.
Original Man
—Term used by the Nation of Islam to emphasize that black people were the first humans on earth and thus the originators of human civilization.
—Term used by the Nation of Islam to emphasize that black people were the first humans on earth and thus the originators of human civilization.
The Royal Family
—Name referring to the immediate family of Elijah Muhammad, specifically his wife, Clara, daughters Ethel and Lottie, and sons Nathaniel, Herbert, Elijah Jr., Akbar, and Wallace. Son-in-law Raymond Sharrieff was also close to the family and shared a large portion of power.
—Name referring to the immediate family of Elijah Muhammad, specifically his wife, Clara, daughters Ethel and Lottie, and sons Nathaniel, Herbert, Elijah Jr., Akbar, and Wallace. Son-in-law Raymond Sharrieff was also close to the family and shared a large portion of power.
Salat
—One of the five pillars,
salat
refers to formal prayer, which is to be practiced five times a day: dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and nightfall.
—One of the five pillars,
salat
refers to formal prayer, which is to be practiced five times a day: dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and nightfall.
Saviour’s Day Convention
—The Nation’s annual gathering, held in Chicago around February 26 to honor the birth of founder W. D. Fard.
—The Nation’s annual gathering, held in Chicago around February 26 to honor the birth of founder W. D. Fard.
Sawm
—An Arabic word for fasting, it means “to abstain from eating, drinking, and intercourse,” under the terms of Islamic law. The observance of
sawm
during Ramadan is one of the five pillars.
—An Arabic word for fasting, it means “to abstain from eating, drinking, and intercourse,” under the terms of Islamic law. The observance of
sawm
during Ramadan is one of the five pillars.
Shahada
—The recitation of the
shahada
, meaning “witnessing,” is the most important of the five pillars of Islam. The recitation translates as “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
—The recitation of the
shahada
, meaning “witnessing,” is the most important of the five pillars of Islam. The recitation translates as “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
Shi’a—Second largest denomination of Muslims, Shi’as regard Ali (Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law) and his lineage as the legitimate heirs to the Prophet.
Sunni—Refers to those who accept the Sunna, or words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad; it is the largest Muslim community, comprising nearly 90 percent of all Muslims worldwide.
Tawaf
—An Islamic ritual of the hajj and
umrah,
meant to demonstrate the unity of believers, in which Muslims circumambulate the Kaaba seven times counterclockwise.
—An Islamic ritual of the hajj and
umrah,
meant to demonstrate the unity of believers, in which Muslims circumambulate the Kaaba seven times counterclockwise.
Tribe of Shabazz
—According to NOI theology, the Tribe of Shabazz was the lone survivor of thirteen tribes that lived sixty-six trillion years ago. Led by a scientist of the same name, it was believed that members of the Nation were descendants of the tribe, which eventually settled in present-day Mecca.
—According to NOI theology, the Tribe of Shabazz was the lone survivor of thirteen tribes that lived sixty-six trillion years ago. Led by a scientist of the same name, it was believed that members of the Nation were descendants of the tribe, which eventually settled in present-day Mecca.
Ummah
—Arabic word meaning “community” or “nation,” it refers to the Arab world or, in Islam, the diaspora of believers throughout the world.
—Arabic word meaning “community” or “nation,” it refers to the Arab world or, in Islam, the diaspora of believers throughout the world.
Umrah
—Lesser pilgrimage compared to the hajj, it refers to travel to the holy sites out of season.
—Lesser pilgrimage compared to the hajj, it refers to travel to the holy sites out of season.
Walaikum salaam
—The typical response to
As-salaam alaikum
, meaning “And upon you be peace.”
—The typical response to
As-salaam alaikum
, meaning “And upon you be peace.”
Well of Zamzam
—A well located within the Masjid al-Haram, not far from the
Kaaba
. Pilgrims drink from the well each year during hajj or
umrah
.
—A well located within the Masjid al-Haram, not far from the
Kaaba
. Pilgrims drink from the well each year during hajj or
umrah
.
“A White Man’s Heaven Is a Black Man’s Hell”
—Song composed by calypso singer and future national minister Louis Farrakhan for the Nation of Islam.
—Song composed by calypso singer and future national minister Louis Farrakhan for the Nation of Islam.
X
—Each Nation of Islam member was required to drop his or her surname and replace it with an
X
, representing the unknown ancestral surname that had been stripped away through slavery. Numbers preceded the
X
if more than one member of a mosque shared the same first name, progressing in order of membership.
—Each Nation of Islam member was required to drop his or her surname and replace it with an
X
, representing the unknown ancestral surname that had been stripped away through slavery. Numbers preceded the
X
if more than one member of a mosque shared the same first name, progressing in order of membership.
Yacub’s History
—According to NOI theology, Dr. Yacub (often spelled Yakub) was an evil scientist who lived in Mecca in 8400 BCE. After he and his followers were exiled to an island in the Aegean Sea, Dr. Yacub sought revenge by genetically grafting the black gene from the Original Man until the white race was eventually created, long after his death at the age of 152.
—According to NOI theology, Dr. Yacub (often spelled Yakub) was an evil scientist who lived in Mecca in 8400 BCE. After he and his followers were exiled to an island in the Aegean Sea, Dr. Yacub sought revenge by genetically grafting the black gene from the Original Man until the white race was eventually created, long after his death at the age of 152.
Zakat
—Another of the five pillars,
zakat
is the calculated percentage of one’s possessions or earnings to be given to the needy and community.
—Another of the five pillars,
zakat
is the calculated percentage of one’s possessions or earnings to be given to the needy and community.
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