Malcolm X Characteristics

Malcolm X converted to the Nation of Islam in 1948 after a lot of correspondence and visitation from his siblings. It was in Norfolk Prison Colony that he was first introduced to the philosophy of the Nation of Islam, which touched so close to home because of the Black Nationalist message of racial pride that he had once heard when he was a little boy. Malcolm X was one of the last members of family to join the Nation of Islam, but his dedication to the NOI and to Muhammed was like no other person. Malcolm experienced a transformation when he immersed and dedicated himself to the NOI. Equally important was the transformation that the Nation of Islam experienced from Malcolm’s leadership. From 1948 to 1964, Malcolm X increased the membership
Malcolm wrote, “Right there, in prison, debating, speaking to a crowd, was as exhilarating to me as the discovery of knowledge through reading” (Marable 91). During his term in prison, Malcolm underwent a process of self-improvement. Throughout his participation in the prison education debate program along with his self-directed study including his exploration of Islam, Malcolm X’s intellectual growth and development prepared him for a career at the NOI. At the Norfolk debate program, the prisoners would engage in weekly exchanges on a variety of issues. He possessed an excellent tenor voice, which helped him attract listeners (Marable 90-91). Malcolm used the public forum of debating to introduce Islam to the African American inmates, which paved the way for their religious conversion. It was these experiences in prison that helped him become a minister of the Nation of Islam. After becoming a member, Malcolm X preached about the vision of the NOI and adhered to the organization's adaptation of Garvey's philosophy of Black Nationalism emphasizing group empowerment and that a self-sustainable, all black capitalist economy was possible through social