By Any Means Necessary
By Any Means Necessary
Brittany Heil
June 23, 2013
“We declare our right on this earth…to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.” Theses are the words of Malcolm X, a civil rights leader and political activist in the 1960s. Malcolm X was perhaps one of the most controversial elements in the civil rights movement. His life was full of racism and discrimination. Though his early life was full of ups and downs, he managed to “turn his life around”. In doing this he managed to gain the upper hand of the African American culture by giving them hope that one day they would if not be apart of, what he called, “white mans society” Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925. He was the fourth of eight children. His mother Louise Norton Little, was a homemaker. She was born to a black mother and a white father. Earl Little, his father was a Baptist minister and avid supporter of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Gravey. Death threats from the white supremacist organization, the Black Legion, and Ku Klux Klan was imminent before Malcolm X was born due to Earls civil rights activism. While Louise Little was pregnant with Malcolm, the Ku Klux Klan threatened the family and even stormed their home because Earl was “spreading trouble among the good Negroes.” Because of this, Earl relocated his family first to Milwaukee, in 1926, then to Lansing, Michigan, in 1928. He was told to move out and was taken to court because the land contract stated only Caucasians could live there. Before the eviction took place the house was burned to the ground, but the Little family escaped safely. From there, Earl Little moved his family to a more segregated area in East Lansing. In 1930, though, they decided the racial segregated situation was too stressful. So, Earl Little built his family a new home
Brittany Heil
June 23, 2013
“We declare our right on this earth…to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.” Theses are the words of Malcolm X, a civil rights leader and political activist in the 1960s. Malcolm X was perhaps one of the most controversial elements in the civil rights movement. His life was full of racism and discrimination. Though his early life was full of ups and downs, he managed to “turn his life around”. In doing this he managed to gain the upper hand of the African American culture by giving them hope that one day they would if not be apart of, what he called, “white mans society” Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925. He was the fourth of eight children. His mother Louise Norton Little, was a homemaker. She was born to a black mother and a white father. Earl Little, his father was a Baptist minister and avid supporter of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Gravey. Death threats from the white supremacist organization, the Black Legion, and Ku Klux Klan was imminent before Malcolm X was born due to Earls civil rights activism. While Louise Little was pregnant with Malcolm, the Ku Klux Klan threatened the family and even stormed their home because Earl was “spreading trouble among the good Negroes.” Because of this, Earl relocated his family first to Milwaukee, in 1926, then to Lansing, Michigan, in 1928. He was told to move out and was taken to court because the land contract stated only Caucasians could live there. Before the eviction took place the house was burned to the ground, but the Little family escaped safely. From there, Earl Little moved his family to a more segregated area in East Lansing. In 1930, though, they decided the racial segregated situation was too stressful. So, Earl Little built his family a new home