Malcolm Little was born in 1925, the son of a Baptist Minister influenced by the ‘Back to Africa’ teachings of Marcus Garvey. Following a turbulent childhood, Malcolm fell into criminality and was imprisoned in 1946. While in prison, Malcolm was exposed to the Black Muslim faith and joined the separatist religious group, the ‘Nation of Islam’, led by Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X was a passionate and articulate speaker for the NOI, as well as a talented and tireless evangelical for the movement. He established numerous NOI temples and made countless fiery speeches across the USA. Eventually, Malcolm fell out with the NOI and Elijah Muhammad in 1964 and set up his own religious group – the MMI – as well as his own secular group – the OAAU. Prior to his assassination in 1965 by NOI members, Malcolm had started to move towards the Civil Rights ‘mainstream’ and temper his racial views. He spent moths travelling across Arabia and Africa, ‘internationalising’ the struggle of black Americans. Malcolm is often credited with inspiring the ‘Black Power’ movement and Afro-American inspired media.
In this episode, Elliot supports the achievements of Malcolm X, while Patrick offers a critical appraisal of the iconic Afro-American leader.
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