Transcript
Carter Roy (0:02)
This episode includes discussions of violence and murder. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen. The 1960s marked a decade of political upheaval, revolution and dissidence. A 1969 government report said it ranked among the most violent in our history. As unrest rose and trust in justice waned, disrupting the status quo placed a mark squarely on one's back. That was the case for Malcolm X. He lived with the danger of violence every single day. He chose to speak out against it, even when he knew it would cost his life. Toward the end, every public appearance was like staring down the barrel of an assassin's rifle. Malcolm X knew who was pointing the gun, but who told them to pull the trigger. Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy. You can find us here every Wednesday. Be sure to check us out on Instagram heconspiracypod and we would love to hear from you. So if you're watching on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. Stay with us.
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Carter Roy (3:05)
Malcolm's life as a marked man began before he was even born. When his mother, Louise Little, was pregnant with Malcolm In April of 1925, there was a late night knock on the door of the family's small cabin near Omaha, Nebraska. Outside were men in white hoods, members of the kkk. They were looking for Malcolm's father, Earl Little. He was a member of a local organization dedicated to improving the lives of black Americans. But Earl wasn't home that night. So the hooded KKK members broke the windows of the home and threaten Louise and her three small children. The next time they came back, it would be to kill the entire family. The Little family's brush with the Omaha KKK is just the beginning of a lifetime of racially motivated harassment and terror. Malcolm and his siblings are often the only black children at their school. They're called racial slurs on a daily basis. When Malcolm is 4, his family's house in Lansing, Michigan is burnt down and it's suspected to be the doing of white supremacists. When he's six, his father Earl dies after he's run over by a streetcar. Officials say it's an accident, but Malcolm later theorizes a local white supremacist group murdered Earl. Louise does her best to hold the family together on her own. But now she has seven children. By the time Malcolm is 13, she hits a breaking point. She's sent to a mental health hospital. And Malcolm and his siblings are separated into different foster homes. On paper, it looks like Malcolm tolerates the volatility of his childhood remarkably well. He maintains good grades and is well liked by his classmates, teachers and foster parents who are virtually all white. He's even voted class president at his junior high. As a young teen, Malcolm starts thinking about his future. He has a favorite teacher, one that always encourages his students ambitions. But when Malcolm, the only black kid in his class, confides that he'd like to be a lawyer, the teacher tells him that a trade like carpentry would be a more realistic goal. This is a turning point in Malcolm's life. He realizes the work he put into studying, into getting white folks to like him, it won't help him get where he wants in life. So why try? Malcolm drops out of school and moves to the east coast, eventually landing in Harlem. But Malcolm gets mixed up with local criminals. He runs illegal gambling schemes, uses and sells drugs, traffics women and burglarizes homes. It's a lifestyle that has an inevitable expiration date. For Malcolm, that's February 1946. He's 20 years old when he goes to prison. While he's inside, Malcolm returns to his studies. But he's full of anger with no outlet. Many inmates turn to religion, but Malcolm has had it with mainstream Christianity. To him, it feels synonymous with white culture. Then his brother Wilfred introduces him to the Nation of Islam. It's a decisively black organization with both religious and political aspects. Every part of it appeals to Malcolm from a spiritual perspective. Members of the Nation of Islam are Muslim. Their leader Elijah Muhammad tells his followers that converting to Islam is a return to their roots. That their ancestors may have been Muslim before they were enslaved. This approach gives Malcolm access to a religion that fully embraces his black identity. On the political side, the Nation is working on everything that dissatisfies Malcolm about black life in America. The organization wants to unify its members to work toward racial justice with some radical ideas and methods. Under Elijah, the Nation claims that the world was first run by black scientists, one of whom created a white race. According to a Nation prophecy, black people are supposed to reclaim power from so called white devils. The Nation is unflinching about their belief that reclaiming their power will require violence. Young male members are highly encouraged to join the Fruit of Islam, an internal security force trained in hand to hand combat and military drills. They don't carry weapons, but they expect a fight. Elijah Muhammad appeals to Malcolm. To him, the Nation of Islam offers a path toward dignity and a meaningful place in society while also working toward racial justice. It feels like home to Malcolm. Malcolm writes a letter to Elijah, dedicating himself to Allah. Elijah responds, welcoming Malcolm into the Nation and to their cause. The Nation of Islam gives Malcolm a new focus. He redoubles his studies and joins his prison's debate club where he hones his natural skill for public speaking. When he emerges from prison in the summer of 1952, he's transformed. He's done with crime. Now he wants to change the world. Malcolm stops using his last name, instead adopting the Nation of Islam practice of replacing it with the letter X. When Malcolm's ancestors were enslaved, they were forced to take their slave masters names and eventually lost their own. Rather than using a name inherited from a history of slavery, Malcolm chooses to acknowledge that his real family surname is unknown and therefore represented with an X. Elijah immediately sees the potential in Malcolm as an effusive and effective spokesman for the Nation of Islam. He takes a special interest in Malcolm, mentoring him and offering Special favors. For example, when Malcolm gets married to Betty Dean Sanders, who he met at a Nation of Islam lecture in Harlem, Elijah reportedly pays her nursing school tuition. Elijah's attention pays off. When Malcolm speaks publicly about the virtues of the Nation and their cause, people listen. His own transformation from a criminal to sharp public speaker and devout Muslim is seen by many in the audience as a case study for what the Nation can do to remake black people and their prospects. Many of those who heard Malcolm's early speeches credit them with changing the course of their lives. According to the Netflix docuseries who Killed Malcolm X? Malcolm helps increase the Nation of Islam's membership. During the 1950s, the nation expands from only a few hundred active members to a nationally recognized organization with over 25,000 dedicated followers. Malcolm spearheads the opening of mosques all over the country and himself presides over one in Harlem. Even though only a small, small percentage of the black American population are Nation members, the organization holds significant influence among many black Americans. His perspective about the power of the Nation is shared across racial lines. But while it galvanizes many in the black community, it disturbs mainstream white America and piques the attention of of law enforcement. The NYPD starts keeping tabs on Malcolm as soon as he settles in New York. As a public figure with a criminal history and ties to a growing radical political organization, Malcolm is someone the police consider dangerous. The surveillance is encouraged by folks higher up the chain of command. J. Edgar Hoover, leader of the FBI, has also taken a keen interest in Malcolm. Hoover is dubious of any black radical movement and that includes Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. Hoover recognizes that Malcolm has the ability to animate a significant percentage of the black American population. And remember, the Nation includes a militia like army, the Fruit of Islam. Hoover worries about the combination of Fruit of Islam soldiers and Malcolm's reach into the black community, resulting in violence and chaos. J. Edgar Hoover isn't the only one concerned about Malcolm's ability to upset the status quo. Malcolm's undeniable hold on the Nation's fellowship and growing notoriety nationwide is quietly sowing discord among the organization's other leaders. Even Malcolm's mentor, Elijah Muhammad, begins to chafe against Malcolm's star power. By the early 1960s, it feels like he's no longer the face of the Nation. Malcolm X is. There are a few reasons behind this mistrust. One is simple jealousy. Other leaders never like the special treatment Malcolm once got from Elijah and think Malcolm enjoys the spotlight a little too much. The bigger problem is that Malcolm is also widely seen as the natural successor to the aging Elijah. That possibility makes Elijah's sons view Malcolm as an outright right threat to their birthright. According to some Nation insiders, there's more at stake here than just spiritual leadership. Growing membership to the Nation means more tithing. Malcolm often preaches about how that money goes into community support and small business loans. Some of it does, and some of it also reportedly goes directly into the pockets of Elijah and his family. The assumption among Elijah's sons is that if Malcolm ever came into power and discovered where the money was flowing, their cash cow would be sacrificed. There's mistrust on both sides. Even though Malcolm does his best to stamp out the rumor that he's the heir apparent, it's clear that some people inside the Nation still consider him to be one. Because whenever other members have a grievance with Elijah, they bring it to Malcolm. Admitting to even a minor disagreement with the Nation's leader is a big taboo. Membership requires unquestioning loyalty to Elijah. But Malcolm isn't afraid to confront the supreme leader. At the end of 1963, Malcolm openly disobeys orders from Elijah, who responds by suspending Malcolm from public speaking for 90 days. Malcolm doesn't listen. It's a clear signal to other Nation members and to the public. Malcolm is done following Elijah, and that is a stance that the Nation cannot tolerate. According to Malcolm's own account, a former assistant approaches him with apprehension. It's a stance Malcolm must have been familiar with by now. This is a fellow member of the Nation who is about to break the chain of command. Malcolm's right. The subordinate confesses that another Nation member ordered him to install a bomb in Malcolm's car. When Malcolm turned the ignition, the whole thing was supposed to explode. Malcolm escapes this time, but the implication is clear. Someone with authority inside the Nation wants him dead. Malcolm responds by publicly announcing his official break with the Nation and the formation of of his own organization. Malcolm is resolute. He will continue his work until it kills him.