3 Times Malcolm X Respected, Protected And Refused To Leave Black Women Neglected
Malcolm X fought for Black civil rights but didn’t get as much attention was his work in uplifting Black women.
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Today marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X.
The New York Times reported in 2022 that the two men who were wrongfully convicted of killing the civil rights leader were exonerated. The exoneration followed the discovery that critical evidence had been withheld during the trial. This event has only stirred up some of the deeply complicated feelings that have long surrounded the life and death of Malcolm X.
The ideologies and practices of this prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement continue to spark debate today. Malcolm X spent a period of his life in the Black Nationalist group The Nation of Islam (NOI), which opposed desegregation and believed Black people should have a separate nation. He also spent some years opposing Martin Luther King Jr.’s peaceful protest approach to achieving equality, but later in his life, he worked with MLK and left The Nation of Islam.
Some called Malcolm X a hypocrite for changing his strategy. Others would call him simply human – he was just a person adjusting his politics as he evolved. And shouldn’t we all be willing to grow once we become enlightened? One thing has always been certain: Malcolm X dedicated his life to fighting for equal rights for Black Americans. What didn’t get quite as much attention was his work in uplifting Black women. Here are three times Malcolm X also know the great Malik el-Shabazz supported Black women.
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Source: Pictures from History / Getty
Towards the end of Malcolm X’s ties with the Nation of Islam, several events caused conflict and tension between X and his mentor Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad had been accused of having sexual relationships with Black teenage girls which resulted in the birth of eight of his children. Muhammed originally denied the accusations, and Malcolm X stood by his side and publicly denied them in his defense. However, Malcolm X opened his eyes to the dark reality of pedophilia and sexual assault that was occurring in the NOI. He then publicly changed his stance and accused Muhammad of his sex crimes – for which he was later, in fact, found guilty.
Malcolm X’s choice to publicly denounce Muhammad in this way brought on harassment and attacks from the NOI – but it was a risk X was willing to take in order to protect Black girls in the NOI from future assault. He understood that his position as a leader was in jeopardy when he did this, but his position as a protector of women was more important.
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