The Analysis Of Malcolm X's Black Nationalism Idea

Malcolm X was one of the distinguished leaders for the Afro-American movements in the 1960s, contemporary with Martin Luther King Jr., but had different ideas. This article tries to have a research about Malcolm X's black nationalism idea by many aspects including the formation of his thought and its contents and so on, and give an evaluation for him compared with the the black civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr..The text includes four parts as follows:Part one, discussed history and social context of the formation of Malcolm X's black nationalism idea. From the beginning of the 20th century, especially after the Warâ…¡, there is a large influx of rural blacks in the south to the southern industrial city and major industrial centers in north. Blacks increased in the city, and the situation deteriorated in the black ghetto, including discrimination in employment and high unemployment. At the same time, the increasing of blacks stimulated economic development of black community and a group of black elites emerged. And the urban black movements showed a new trend of violence for violence by the Garveyism movement in the 1920s.Black Muslim movement in the 1930s and 1940s and black civil rights movement in the 1950s.Part two, discussed Malcolm X's experience and thought tracking. In 1925, Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and he was influenced by Garveyism that his parents advocated in his younger. Later, his father died, and his mother's mental disordered, so he was adopted by the white family. Because of the discrimination of white and the laugh from the school teachers, he left school, ran the street and committed crime with theft. In 1946, he went to prison for robbery, and accepted Black Muslim during the time. In 1952, he came out of prison and devoted himself into Black Muslim movement, and became the dean and spokesman. Because of the differences in the idea with the leader of Black Muslim and other reasons, he broke away from Black Muslim in March 1954, and constructed Muslim Mosque Incorporated and Organization of Afro-American Unity. In 1964, from April to November, he visited Mecca pilgrimage and Africa, and his black nationalism idea had changed. He was murdered in 1965.Part three, discussed the content of Malcolm X's black nationalism idea. First, black nationalism, he thinks that black people are the ancestors of human beings, white is the devil, and he rejects Christianity, names rectification of "black", and carries forward the glorious history of African achievement. Second, violence for violence, he thinks that blacks have the right of self-defense when they are attacked. Third, separatism idea, come back to Africa and found State within a state, black self-government.Part four, gives an evaluation for Malcolm X's idea, compared with contemporary Martin Luther King Jr.. Though Malcolm X didn't obtain a series of legislative achievements for civil right movement like King, he strove for right to live for blacks, brought confidence for blacks, and arose blacks' national pride. Malcolm X didn't agree with King' nonviolence, and put forward violence for violence, which had an active meaning for encouraging blacks' fight, removing blacks' recreance and beating white racists, and also compelling the legislative leaders response blacks' request for civil rights. But violence for violence can easily offend people in America with improved democracy and legal system and long-term peace, and offered excuse for Right-wing conservative forces beating down civil right movement. He didn't agree with King's integration, and he advocated separatism which catered for blacks' disappointed mind for integration, but separatism lacked white's support which accounts for most of the Americans, and most of the blacks didn't want to take away from America, in addition, they lacked of necessary material conditions. Separatism is unrealistic and unworkable in the America.Historical, dialectical analysis and evaluation of Malcolm's ideas have significance for us to understand Afro-American movements comprehensively and objectively.