![]() ![]() He began to quit gambling and smoking, and refused to eat pork. Malcolm began to study about the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam. Every time he visited Malcolm, he discussed his conversion, and eventually piqued his interest. He started to focus on studying, spending time reading in the prison library.Īround this time, his brother Reginald had converted to Islam, and became a part of the Nation of Islam (NOI), a religious organization. While serving his time, he decided to further his education. However, he was granted parole after seven years. In 1946, he was arrested for burglary and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He got involved in dealing with drugs and became a leader of a gang of thieves, eventually earning the alias “ Detroit Red ” for his hair. Malcolm moved from a juvenile home to live with an older half-sister in the Roxbury section of Michigan. ![]() Because of this, he lost interest in studying and left school. However, he was discouraged by one of his eighth-grade teachers who told him that instead of dreaming of becoming a lawyer, he should become a carpenter. Malcolm was a smart kid and he excelled in school. Malcolm and the rest of the Littles were separated into different foster homes and distant family members. Malcolm’s mother experienced an emotional breakdown and was sent to a mental institution in 1937. However, the Littles believe that this was the Legion’s doing. The police ruled this out as an accident. Two years after this unfortunate event, Malcolm’s father was found dead in the municipal trolley tracks. In 1929, despite their efforts to remain hidden from the Legion, their home was devastatingly burned. These threats led the family to relocate to Lansing, Michigan. Because of this, he constantly received threats from a white supremacist organization called the Black Legion. His father, Earl Little, was a supporter of Marcus Garvey, an orator who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League.Įarl Little was a self-assured man who was willing to stand up against white men. ![]() His mother, Louise Little, was a humble homemaker. On May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm Little was born. This is why it is important to think critically about the movies and shows we are showing to other women and girls.Let me tell you more about a person who was a brave advocate for his people: Malcolm X. They are showing them how to act in situations and how to interact with other people. The women in these movies are their role models. It may not sound like a huge deal but, these are the kinds of movies younger girls are watching. A woman who is patient, calm, tolerant, and the one responsible to change a wicked man (the beast) into a pure man (his human form). This movie seems harmless at first sight, right? Well, the main character Belle exemplifies the “ideal” woman. This all sounds silly now but, has that main point of view changed at all? Sadly, we still see this kind of belief being expressed in today’s culture. Society believed a woman’s purpose was to be patient when men were aggressive. Men were expected to make mistakes and be aggressive by nature. Women have been practically viewed as fragile creatures who were responsible for bringing men back to morality. They have been expected to be moral, submissive, and patient. Women have always been put on a pedestal. Women are oppressed in these ways too, and, in addition, because of their gender.” – Phyllis Chesler, P.H.D. Men are, not because of their gender, but because they are poor men, or racially despised men, or homosexual men, or men who do not conform to strict gender stereotypes. “When I say that women are oppressed, I do not mean that men are never oppressed. Let’s be the wild, rebellious, and strong women we are. When we unite, our voices will grow louder. When others succeed, our emotions shouldn’t drown in jealousy, they should expand through inspiration. Other women aren’t competition, they are companions who inspire and fight with you at your side. When one of us is oppressed, we are all oppressed. Here, Lorde is using gender as a type of binding. She is acknowledging those differences without letting them separate her from other women. This refers to the fact that every woman is oppressed either more or in a different form as a result of their race, sexuality, class, and religion. At the same time, she is accepting the differences and talking about the multiplicity of identity. She is unifying herself with other women, despite the differences. Feminist and activist, Audre Lorde, used this quote to exemplify unity among women. ![]()
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