Muhammad Speaks

By Alysse Swann

Malcolm as Malcolm Little

YOUNG MALCOLM
Not long ago, a young boy from Omaha,
Nebraska was been taken from his foster
house for stealing and was sent to a new
home. This boy was in foster care and
separated from his 7 siblings. Their
mother was sent to a mental institution
after constant pestering from the people
of welfare who drove her insane, in order
to take custody of her children. Malcolm
Little, a thirteen year old boy is currently
located in Lansing, Michigan. He is one of
the only black males at Lansing's West
Junior High.Treated like a puppet and a
toy, most of the students do not like
Malcolm for him but like the idea of a
black friend they could tease and taunt.
Even teachers that mean
we'll still do not understand
and respect him. Malcolms
favorite teacher once
asked Malcolm what he
wanted to be when he
grew up. Malcolm said that
he wanted to be a lawyer.
The teacher replied with
you have to be realistic in
this country. black people
cant be a lawyer. Malcolm
took this very hard and
was not fond of the teacher
after, Malcolm was treated
with worse and worse
microaggressions until he
stopped being the white
peoples clown and toy. He
was done with the town
and moved to Boston
where his half sister, Ella
lived.
 Muhammad Speaks
By Silas Reitsma

Malcolm as Detroit Red

As an ambitious
In attempting to
young man, Malcolm personify a
traveled to big cities to nonchalant,
visit relatives, his most self-centered person,
influential trip being to Malcolm became
visit his half-sister Ella in well-known and
Boston. There he saw far acquired the nickname
more promise for himself Detroit Red because
of his red conk. He
and others like him,
learns the ins and outs
despite the poverted,
of business mainly
crime-ridden conditions from pimps he
other African Americans befriends, and begins
faced. He was quick to to care a lot about
take a job and was very public image. Just to
soon drawn to the make a living, Malcolm
streets. Malcolm never sells pot to jazz
cared for that upper-class musicians until he is
RED CONK MALCOLM lifestyle, says Ella, and
caught. In a fight for
survival, he turns to
one look at the city and it
Malcolms transition from fields to streets hustling all up and
was destiny. Malcolms down the coast, which
began as early as when he was living in
Lansing, in the late 1930s. His heart did in fact lie in the sets the scene for the
experiences with white people in Lansing ghettos, where he saw darkest stages of the
convinced him that it was not the place for true black culture instead life of Malcolm X.
him. A teacher of Malcolms, Mr. of blacks adapting to be
Ostrowski, stated the following about like whites, which
Malcolms future: [Hes] got to be realistic Malcolm grew to despise.
about being a nigger. A lawyer-that's no His fascination of black
realistic goal for a nigger. On top of
street culture resulted in
condescending treatment, Malcolm
slang, gambling, drugs,
suffered the dismemberment of his family
after his father was murdered and his conks and zoot suits, and
mother driven mad by welfare agents. All his eventual move to
of this occurred while the unfortunate Harlem. Malcolms
Malcolm called Lansing home. statement, this is the
world where I belong
sums up his attitude
about becoming a
Harlemite.
Muhammad Speaks
By Marisa Paloma Williams

Malcolm as Satan
This hustler, also known
within his community as
Satan, has had a history of
robbery, narcotic
distribution and abuse,
disrespectfulness in the
workplace, and many more
crimes to society. Despite
several run-ins with local
law enforcement, Satan
has managed to continue
lurking amongst Harlem
streets. To the disgust of
many, he managed to
make his way into our own
HOOD SATAN community, and stolen
from many wealthy
Recently, there has been a homeowners. Last night,
menacing presence removed from this menacing presence
Harlems streets. A presence that was finally put to justice
previously lurked around every after a long overdue arrest
dark corner - watching, preying on and sentencing.
fellow Harlemites. Formerly know
as Detroit Red, Malcolm Little has
been active in the Harlem
community crime scene for several
years now. From low-scale
hustling to drug peddling, and now
burglary, Little was sent to prison
last night, found guilty and
sentenced for a burglary. He was
found a few nights ago, white two
white women with stolen goods
and weapons. He has been sent to
jail for ten years.
 Muhammad Speaks By AmeliaTydings-Lynch

Malcolm as Malcolm X
Malcolm was nervous but he
upset that so many Black used the skills he had
people went around still learned from prison
trying to conform to and his passionate belief in
white culture. He hated the teaching of Muhammed
seeing his old friends to give him strength. His
from the streets still inspired many people at the
addicted to drugs and New York Temple and was
chasing after white soon promoted to Minister
ACTIVIST EXTRAORDINAIRE women. He decided to of the Temple. The Nation
take matters in his own of Islam still had a relatively
Malcolm X started his religious journey while hands so he went to small number of members
in prison. Ironically at this time he was still Elijah and asked if he but it was slowly growing.
known as Satan for his passionate hate for could try and recruit new Suddenly The Nation of
religion. Malcolm's family urged him to members .Malcolm went Islam was brought into the
contact Elijah Muhammad the leader of the to the neighborhoods he public's eye because of the
Nation of Islam a religion that was loosely had know well as a documentary the hate that
based of Islam and focused mainly on the hustler told people about hate produced. Malcolm
empowerment of Blacks in America. After the Nation of Islam and became one of the Nations
getting out of prison Malcolm quickly joined the teachings of the main public figures and he
the Nation of Islam. He became a strong honorable Elijah was largely responsible for
believer and was in regular correspondence Muhammad, but few the large increase in
with Elijah Muhammad. After years of people listened. He members. Eventually
writing letters to each other Malcolm decided started trying to recruit however other members of
to go and meet the man who had saved him people with anywhere the Nation and Elijah
from himself. He traveled to Chicago to meet and any way that he Muhammad became jealous
the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm could.Although his of Malcolm's influence and
was even more impressed by him in person efforts were futile his they tried to eliminate him.
then he was from the letters. Elijah told devotion to the cause At the same time Malcolm's
Malcolm to reject his white slave owner's didnt go unnoticed and fait began to waver after
name and go by X until Allah came and gave he was awarded with the discovering Elijahs
him a new name. Malcolm changed his name job of adultery. After saying that
from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X and from Assistant minister of the JFKs assassination was a
that point on was known as Malcolm X. New York Temple.At case of the chickens
Elijah offered for Malcolm to come live and first speaking in front of coming home to roost
study with him at his home in Chicago people made him Malcolm was officially
Malcolm happily agreed.
suspended then expelled
from the Nation of Islam.
 Muhammad Speaks
By Joe Friedman

Malcolm as El-Shabazz
His first stop on his transformation and it
strip was in Cairo, and was spread back in
he was very impressed America. He was
with how helpful surprised when he
people were to him. returned home to find
He met royals in out that the letter had
Jordan who were kind been read by so many
to him, gave him a people. He made
room, and this made speeches about what
him feel respected. he discovered abroad
He spent a lot of travel and the impact Islam
time reading about had on him. He also
religion and also about recognized that he had
race relations. become a very divisive
In Mecca he saw figure. He concludes
people of all races his autobiography by
coming together to saying, if I can die
INDEPENDENT MUSLIM worship. He learned having brought any
Malcolm X leaves the nation of Islam that not all white light, having exposed
because he finds out that Elijah was people were evil and any meaningful truth
corrupt and had committed adultery and that people of different that will help to destroy
then lied about it. This was against the races could coexist. the racist cancer that
teachings of Islam and Malcolm X was not Having dinner and is malignant in the
sure what he would say to other members good conversations body of america - then,
of the Nation if they were to ask him about with people from all of the credit is due
it Malcolm learns that Elijah was been different racial and to Allah. Only the
speaking poorly about him to other cultural backgrounds mistakes have been
members of the Nation of Islam. Elijah broadened his mine (Haley 389).
Muhammad used Malcolms comments perspective. He went Because Malcolm X
about President Kennedys assassination to a trial and asked for came to be a
as an excuse to silence him. This meant permission to convert polarizing figure in the
that he couldnt preach or speak on behalf to Islam. Permission Nation of Islam and
of the Nation. After learning that Elijah was granted and he the split between them
Muhammad ordered his assassination, was grateful. He was ugly, he remained
Malcolm X decided to permanently break changed his name to a target. On February
off from the Nation of Islam. Malik el-Shabazz 20, 1965, he was
After Malcolm X leaves the Nation of because he felt the X assassinated. While it
Islam, he decides to go on the Hajj to represented the Nation is generally believed
Mecca.He wanted to make the pilgrimage of Islam and he that three members of
required of all Muslims and see how true wanted to be the Nation of Islam
Islam worked. Part of his travel to Mecca associated with Islam committed the crime, it
involved to trips to Africa and parts of the the religion. He wrote has never been
Middle East. He was treated like a a letter describing his proven.
celebrity during his travels. religious