Witness to the assassination of Malcolm X

The death of the great Malcolm X was a most tragic day. On February 21, 1965 Malcolm X was preparing to address the Organization of Afro-American Unity in Manhattan’s Audubon Ballroom where he was gunned down by three men, one of the gunmen was a member of the Nation of Islam Talmadge Hayer (Journal, 2014). Malcolm X was a great leader not because he wanted equality but because he wanted unity among blacks in America. His words were mush wiser than those of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. This is because Mr. X wasn’t afraid to take actions were deemed necessary. Though peace is good, can one really fight violence with peace? This is the question I believe Malcolm X was trying to answer. As many whites try to stop our movement by violence and murder Malcolm X was the only one courageous enough to give them a taste of their own medicine! Some might argue that Malcolm X’s noncooperation with whites at first was an act of hatred toward whites, but I believe that we are a product of our environment.

You can’t keep pushing someone and expect them not to push back. It appalls me to think that a fellow brother of the Nation of Islam would gun down such an important figure to our cause and movement. Hayer is no brother to me. It all happened so fast. Malcolm had not even spoken much yet when someone in the audience yelled “Nigger! Get your hand outta my pocket!” (Journal, 2014). Malcolm and his bodyguards attempted to quiet the disturbance, a man who was seated in the front row rushed forward and shot him once in the chest, then two other men charged the stage and fired several times at Malcolm. We managed to get our hands on Talmadge and gave him a beating until the police came minutes later. I was told that the other men that shot Malcolm were Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson who were also brothers of the Nation Of Islam (Journal, 2014). These men were all once friends and associates of Malcolm. I assume the reasoning behind this murder is because of jealousy. Jealousy of Malcolm because he received all of the spotlight on television and radio.

I fear that Malcom’s death will bring more violence to the black community and more violent protests because I feel the fire burning in my heart for the death or a great leader. I also fear that today’s event will show the whites that we are weak and cannot have rights among whites due to the fact that we cannot even get along with one another. I hope and pray that justice comes to Malcolm X that his killers are thrown in prison and beaten by our comrades in prison. However, I believe that this event might also strengthen the Nation Of Islam because Malcolm’s death will and already has struck peoples nerves and our Afro-American communities will know that know is the time to force civil rights and join the Nation of Islam. “No, we are not anti-white. But we don’t have time for the white man. The white man is on top already, the white man is the boss already… He has first-class citizenship already. So you are wasting your time talking to the white man.

We are working on our own people.” (Malcolm X, 1964). This quote I firmly live and stand by. Malcolm X is truly right by saying this to those who call him a racist I despise you we are not racist nor have ever been nut just a product of our environment act solely on the basis on which we have been treated. “I believe in the brotherhood of man, all men, but I don’t believe in brotherhood with anybody who doesn’t want brotherhood with me. I believe in treating people right, but I’m not going to waste my time trying to treat somebody right who doesn’t know how to return the treatment.” (Malcolm X, 1964). Malcolm X will forever be remembered among the hearts and minds of ever Afro-American and also the Nation of Islam.

References
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X X, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/authors/m/malcolm_x_2.html