Malcolm X (1925–65,) born Malcolm Little, was an American political activist and civil rights leader. This prominent leader in the Nation of Islām was a principal 20th-century spokesperson for race pride and black nationalism.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm X was converted to the Nation of Islām while serving a prison sentence (1946–52) for burglary. Malcolm began to study Islāmic teachings and to practice the religion devotedly and, upon his release, became a Muslim minister. His following in the movement first matched and soon exceeded that of Muslim leader Elijah Mohammed.
Following differences with Muhammad, Malcolm formed two rival organizations in 1964, the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) and the Muslim Mosque. After a pilgrimage to Mecca, he converted to orthodox Islām and began to eschew separatism in favor of a policy supporting racial coexistence.
In 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated during an OAAU meeting in a New York City auditorium. After his death, the widespread distribution of his life story—The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965)—made him an ideological hero, especially among African American youth.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Malcolm X
When a person places the proper value on freedom, there is nothing under the sun that he will not do to acquire that freedom. Whenever you hear a man saying he wants freedom, but in the next breath he is going to tell you what he won’t do to get it, or what he doesn’t believe in doing in order to get it, he doesn’t believe in freedom. A man who believes in freedom will do anything under the sun to acquire… or preserve his freedom.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Freedom
It is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks. It is legal and lawful to own a shotgun or a rifle. We believe in obeying the law.
—Malcolm X
I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Respect, Respectability
Nonviolence is fine as long as it works.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Obedience, Violence
You don’t have to be a man to fight for freedom. All you have to do is to be an intelligent human being.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Freedom
It is impossible for capitalism to survive, primarily because the system of capitalism needs some blood to suck. Capitalism used to be like an eagle, but now it’s more like a vulture. It used to be strong enough to go and suck anybody’s blood whether they were strong or not. But now it has become more cowardly, like the vulture, and it can only suck the blood of the helpless. As the nations of the world free themselves, the capitalism has less victims, less to suck, and it becomes weaker and weaker. It’s only a matter of time in my opinion before it will collapse completely.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Capitalism
If violence is wrong in America, violence is wrong abroad. If it is wrong to be violent defending black women and black children and black babies and black men, then it is wrong for America to draft us, and make us violent abroad in defense of her. And if it is right for America to draft us, and teach us how to be violent in defense of her, then it is right for you and me to do whatever is necessary to defend our own people right here in this country.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Violence
Don’t be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn’t do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t know what you know today.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Equality
The only way we’ll get freedom for ourselves is to identify ourselves with every oppressed people in the world. We are blood brothers to the people of Brazil, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba—yes Cuba too.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Freedom
Without education, you’re not going anywhere in this world.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Education
A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Purpose
I believe in the brotherhood of man, all men, but I don’t believe in brotherhood with anybody who doesn’t want brotherhood with me. I believe in treating people right, but I’m not going to waste my time trying to treat somebody right who doesn’t know how to return the treatment.
—Malcolm X
The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Preparation
The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Media
History is a people’s memory, and without a memory, man is demoted to the lower animals.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Animals
We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Rightness, Right
You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Freedom
Power never takes a step back except in the face of more power.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Power
You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or who says it.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Patriotism, Truth
We do not condemn the preachers as an individual but we condemn what they teach. We urge that the preachers teach the truth, to teach our people the one important guiding rule of conduct—unity of purpose.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Truth
The Negro revolution is controlled by foxy white liberals, by the Government itself. But the Black Revolution is controlled only by God.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Revolution
Any person who claims to have deep feeling for other human beings should think a long, long time before he votes to have other men kept behind bars – caged. I am not Saying there shouldn’t be prisons, but there shouldn’t be bars. Behind bars, a man never reforms. He will never forget. He never will get completely over the memory of the bars.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Rationality
You show me a capitalist, and I’ll show you a bloodsucker.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Greed
Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Defense, Oppression
I see America through the eyes of a victim. I don’t see any American dream. I see an American nightmare.
—Malcolm X
In all our deeds, the proper value and respect for time determines success or failure.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Value
Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Body, Give, Freedom
I believe in a religion that believes in freedom. Any time I have to accept a religion that won’t let me fight a battle for my people, I say to hell with that religion.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Freedom
My Alma mater was books, a good library… I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Libraries, Curiosity, Books
Sitting at the table doesn’t make you a diner, unless you eat some of what’s on that plate. Being here in America doesn’t make you an American. Being born here in America doesn’t make you an American.
—Malcolm X
Topics: America
One of the biggest troubles of colleges is there are too many distractions, too much panty raiding, fraternities and boola-boola and all of that.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Education
If you’re not ready to die for it, put the word “freedom” out of your vocabulary.
—Malcolm X
Topics: Freedom
If I have a cup of coffee that is too strong for me because it is too black, I weaken it by pouring cream into it. I integrate it with cream. If I keep pouring enough cream in the coffee, pretty soon the entire flavor of the coffee is changed; the very nature of the coffee is changed. If enough cream is poured in, eventually you don’t even know that I had coffee in this cup. This is what happened with the March on Washington. The whites didn’t integrate it; they infiltrated it. Whites joined it; they engulfed it; they became so much a part of it, it lost its original flavor. It ceased to be a black march; it ceased to be militant; it ceased to be angry; it ceased to be impatient. In fact, it ceased to be a march.
—Malcolm X
People don’t realize how a man’s whole life can be changed by one book.
—Malcolm X
It’s just like when you’ve got some coffee that’s too black, which means it’s too strong. What do you do? You integrate it with cream, you make it weak. But if you pour too much cream in it, you won’t even know you ever had coffee. It used to be hot, it becomes cool. It used to be strong, it becomes weak. It used to wake you up, now it puts you to sleep.
—Malcolm X
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