Malcolm X
"A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything."
Who Was Malcolm X?
"If you have no critics you'll likely have no success" - Malcolm X
A Defining Moment
Around the years of Malcolms birth his father was harassed and threatened by local members of the Klu Klux Klan. The bullying became so bad that Earl Little decided to move to East Lansing, Michigan. However the harassment proved worse than in Ohmaha. In 1929 soon after they moved in, A mob of white supremesists burned Earls family home to the ground. Emergency services were called but the all-white fire department stood by and watched as the house was engulfed in flames.
Two years passed and Earl Little was found dead on the tracks of a local streetcar. Although he was most likely murdered by the white supremesists, the court officially ruled his death as a suicide to avoid the large insurance payout.
"The white police and firemen came and stood around watching as the house burned to the ground," - Malcolm X
West Junior High School
After his fathers death Malcolm moved in with some family friends. He attended West Junior High School. He was a good student and was liked by his classmates. He was even elected class president. Although, He later said he felt more like a "Class pet" as opposed to a human being.
In 1939 Malcolm was asked by his english teacher what he wante to be when he grew up. He said he wanted to be a lawyer. His teacher responded, "One of life's first needs is for us to be realistic ... you need to think of something you can be ... why don't you plan on carpentry?"
Malcolm dropped out of high school at age 15.