AN UNSUNG HERO
By
Wayne L. Parker
As a white man who fancies himself an educated, open-minded individual, I thought I’d pay a long overdue tribute to a man who, in my opinion, was destined to be one of this nation’s greatest leaders. But for his violent murder, this man would have been a tremendous boon not only for Black people, but for this nation as a whole.
As with most great leaders, that is, those who can influence large numbers of people to think and/or act in a certain way, this particular leader was a much maligned, feared, and reviled seeker of the TRUTH. It was his quest for the truth which eventually resulted in his murder.
Malcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His father was a traveling preacher who taught Blacks that they would only find their salvation by returning to Africa.
After moving to Lansing, Michigan, the Little family’s house was burned down by local racists and then Malcolm’s father was murdered.
After the murder of his father young Malcolm, then 6, watched as his proud mother struggled to raise him, his sister, and three brothers. His mother worked hard but gradually fell behind in the bills. A constant irritant was the procession of state “do-gooders” who would drop by to tempt Mrs. Little to sign up for state assistance.
Having finally succumbed to the entreaties of the state workers, Mrs. Little suffered one humiliation after another at the hands of the very people who claimed to be helping her. The Little family finally broke up and the children were sent off to various foster homes. Mrs. Little went insane.
Thus began the long, tortuous journey to enlightenment by the man who would come to be known as Malcolm X.
Throughout his short life Malcolm X was branded a hate-monger, racist, thief, and rabble-rouser. At various times in his life each of these charges could have been true. From reading his autobiography, as told to Alex Haley, the most notable aspect of Malcolm X’s life was that of constant evolution. Malcolm showed an ability, as well as an eagerness, to change his thinking when presented with facts which challenged his view of life. It was because of this strong intellectual quality that he was able to maintain a steady progress toward learning the truth about life.
Malcolm evolved from a bitter, cynical crook to an eloquent and effective champion of the Black people. His messages came to have significance for ALL people, however, not just for Blacks.
While in prison Malcolm was introduced to The Nation of Islam. Upon his release he became an eloquent and popular spokesman for the movement.
Malcolm was a fierce, fiery speaker who could inspire a great deal of emotion in his listeners. One of his favorite messages was that it wasn’t enough for Black people to demand respect; they first had to DESERVE it and then, failing to receive it, would they be justified in the use of force to get it. The power of his oratory and the truth of his ideas drew many supporters from all walks of life, as well as many races. Indeed, he was quoted as saying, “Since I learned the TRUTH in Mecca, my dearest friends have come to include ALL kinds--some Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, and even atheists! I have friends who are called Capitalists, Socialists, and Communists!.....My friends today are black, brown, red, yellow, and WHITE!”
Ironically, the “truth” which he spoke of discovering was to lead him to suspect that the Nation of Islam, an organization which he championed for many years, was a fraud. Indeed, Malcolm X had become such a force of his own that certain members of The Nation of Islam feared he would eventually take over the leadership of the movement and prevent them from realizing their ambitions of using The Nation for their own personal enrichment. With an idealist like Malcolm in charge, their selfish goals would be frustrated.
Consequently, Malcolm was pushed out of the organization. To the chagrin of those he left behind, he took a great many followers with him. He began building a movement of his own, greatly upstaging The Nation of Islam.
With his powerful presence, brought about in no small part by the truth and ferocity of his message, Malcolm X rose above all of his contemporaries. He began a movement which was destined to include all those who believed in truth, fairness, and justice.
I do not know whether his assassination was ordered by anyone in the Nation of Islam, but at least two of his murderers were members of that organization. Thus, a great leader was plucked from our midst; gunned down by men who weren’t fit even to carry out his kitchen garbage.
The most frustrating aspect of this whole tragedy is that the only remaining memory of Malcolm X is that of a hateful, violent, bitter racist. By the time of his death Malcolm had put that part of his life far behind him. In discussing that portion of his life, he stated, “That was a bad scene, brother. The sickness and madness of those days--I’m glad to be free of them. It’s a time for martyrs now. And if I’m to be one, it will be in the cause of brotherhood. That’s the only thing that can save this country. I’ve learned it the hard way--but I’ve learned it....”
Rest in peace, brother. We sure do miss you.