Malcolm X And His Understanding Of Equality
Malcolm X’s trip to Mecca have drastically changed the way he thought about people, the way that they interact with each other, his life and others like him in America, and religiously/politically. His trip to Mecca has made him come to a revelation about how he viewed race and religion back when he was just in America compared to later on when he was in Mecca. Malcolm X would've wanted to work towards a society where race doesn't impact the way you're treated. Based on his experiences in Mecca that shaped Malcolm X at the time of his death, his political ideology was one that advocated for black people and other minorities across the world to fight back against oppression and to strive towards a society where race would not impact the way individuals are treated. He believed that integration and brotherhood could be achieved through spiritual unity, specifically through Islam.
In Mecca, Malcolm X had went on his Hajj and saw a multitude of Muslims of all colors. Coming from America and being extremely aware of everyone’s skin color, he had saw the large difference in how people of many shades interacted with each other. On page 375, it gives evidence for his realization, “There was a color pattern in the huge crowds. I tucked it into my mind that when I returned home I would tell Americans this observation; that where true brotherhood existed among all colors, where no one felt segregate, where there was no “superiority” complex, no “inferiority” complex---then voluntarily, naturally, people of the same kind felt drawn together by which they had in common.”
Malcolm personally feels that Islam would help the black man in a race torn America and that no one, whether it be the government, can’t force brotherhood and togetherness onto people. On page 403, he speaks about this, “ I am in agreement one hundred percent with those racists who say that no government laws ever can force brotherhood. The only true world solution today is governments guided by true religion---of the spirit. Here in race torn America, I am convinced that the Islam religion is desperately needed, particularly by the American black man. The black man needs to reflect that he has been America’s most fervent Christian--- and where has it gotten him? In fact, in the white man’s hands, in the white man’s interpretation… where has Christianity brought this world?”
Even though Malcolm now stood up for unity unlike his previous stance on how white people are devils, he still advocated for black people to fight back when they are being pushed to the point of self defense when white racists antagonize them. On page 401, he goes into depth about this, “Well, I believe it’s a crime for anyone who is being brutalized to continue to accept that brutality without doing something to defend himself….I don’t speak against the sincere, well-meaning, good white people. I have learned that there are some. I have learned that not all white people are racists. I am speaking against and my fight is against the white racists. I firmly believe that Negroes have the right to fight against these racist, by any means necessary….I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to the American black man’s problem---just to avoid violence….To me a delayed solution is a non-solution.”
With all of the evidence presented above, Malcolm X had clearly wanted people, particularly the black man, to not be treated differently for his race. For those who wish to oppose and incite violence towards him, would be greeted with the fact that the black man will retaliate as an act of self defense to protect his life. Malcolm feels that Islam is greatly needed to aid in fixing America’s racial issues due to the observation of people of many colors coming together on his Hajj trip and seeing that there were no signs of discrimination but of brotherhood. Malcolm would have wanted to work towards a society where race is no longer a factor in America.
