Malcolm X

By Any Means Necessary

“I think origin stories show us not how to become super, but how to become heroes, choosing altruism over the pursuit of wealth and power” (Rosenberg 2). A hero, along with their other positive characteristics, has to have the ability to put others before themselves. This trait is found in many kinds of people, and as such, the title of a hero can be given to anyone. It is just as likely to be awarded to the man with super strength as it is a 13-year-old boy if they make the right decisions, as being a hero is based on your actions and not your capabilities. They in turn, are defining idols of a society, as they reflect the best of the people they are defending. The character traits that a hero possess allows them to be idolized, as they stand in rank above a regular person. They do things that a normal human would not and face their fears in order to accomplish their goals. Choosing these defining heroes are a big deal, as choosing the wrong person to idolize could have catastrophic consequences, as you would be looking up to a bad influence. This prompts us to search for certain characteristics that we value in people, in order to categorize them as someone we can look up to. These character traits may be found in many people that would warrant our attention. A hero does not have to be wearing a cape or a shiny costume. They could be the old lady working at the soup kitchen as a volunteer, or kids picking up trash at the beach. It could be the little girl standing up for a friend or even the single parent working 100 hours a week in order to provide for their children. We have associated glamour with our perception of a hero, however the true heroes walk past us every day, and we don’t even turn our heads. However, no matter the type of hero you see, they all possess the similar characteristics of courage and the charismatic ability to empathize with people.

Malcolm XWikimedia CommonsMalcolm X demonstrated all of the character traits that should be found in someone that was seen as a hero. He was an activist that “articulated concepts of race pride and black nationalism” (Mamiya 1), along with being a strong supporter of Islam. After his assassination, he became a hero and idol in the younger black community. He headed the Nation of Islam for a while, but once he left the group, he founded more activist groups by himself, such as Afro-American Unity and Muslim Mosque Inc. He was a well-known influential speaker that caught the public’s attention, and using his social standing, took a significant role in the Black Rights movements. From being incarcerated and a hustler in Harlem to being a world famous advocator for equal rights, Malcolm X was able to connect with many people, especially African American youths in his same position, allowing him to make a bigger impact on the lives who need it most. Malcolm X used his charisma to empathize with others, while courageously fighting for those same people--qualities which a hero must possess. These are key traits that make a person worthy of being looked up to. Courage presents itself in many ways. It is defined as being heart-stoppingly scared of something but still following through with your intended action. This is quite uncommon in a lot of people, making it a big indicator to a person's character. The other trait, charisma and empathy, are the ability to connect with and be able to relate to people, while always being kind and giving people the desire to listen to what you say. It helps give your message a platform, which I find to be very important. Through his courageous actions to further the Civil Rights movement and his charismatic ability to empathize with people, Malcolm X is deemed worthy of respect, and is the epitome of the values by which a hero is defined. A hero that continuously reminds us that we can take a stand and do good in the world, no matter who we are or where we come from.

The courage that Malcolm X displayed on a daily basis validated him in the eyes of his people, and gave him a reputation that helped him gain a bigger outreach and ultimately achieve greater success as an activist. On February 19, 1965, Malcolm X spoke words that truly highlighted his courageous nature and dedication to his cause: “It is a time for martyrs now, and if I am to be one, it will be for the cause of brotherhood. That’s the only thing that can save this country” (qtd. In Hermann 11). Malcolm X’s actions reflect courage due to the bravery he portrayed by laying down his life in order to further the movement. He sees how his death would be beneficial for humanity, so he is willing to sacrifice himself to save the country. He uncannily foresaw his death and did not back down or go into hiding. Instead, he was able to overcome this huge personal dilemma, and came to the conclusion that his life would have more of an impact if he was martyred. The epitome of courage is when he was willing to put down his life for the dream that he was trying to accomplish. Malcolm X personifies his devotion to the ‘brotherhood’ by this action of courage. In his speech ‘The Prospect of Freedom’, Malcolm touches upon the topic of shooting in African American neighborhoods, and boldly makes the statement: “I wasn't here. I'm glad I wasn't here. Because I'd be dead, they'd have to kill me. I'd rather be dead than let someone walk around my house or in my neighborhood shooting it up, where my children are in the line of fire. Either they'd die or I'd die” (Prospects of Freedom 24). This quote’s significance lies in the essence of courage displayed in his very words. He had repeatedly asserted that he would have given his life in order to protect humankind, and this statement also ties in his personal feelings to his community. His courageousness is displayed as he is more than ready to defend his people from what he sees as the injustices of the world. Malcolm X was willing to alleviate injustices shown to the black community. He was willing to stand in front of gunfire, because he would have gladly died in order to to let others survive. He was willing to sacrifice himself. Knowing that he would die and being okay with that, is very hard to come to terms with for an ordinary human being. However, Malcolm is not a normal human. The courage that Malcolm X possesses is ingrained within his every decision and every word that he utters. He is the embodiment of courage, giving everything, even his life, to the benefit of others, and in doing so he is cemented in the folds of time as a hero.

Malcolm X’s charisma and ability to empathize with people provided him a valuable asset to utilize in order to influence others to reach their full potential. In one of his most famous speeches, ‘The Ballot or the Bullet’, he leverages humor in order to connect with his audience, and even with serious topics, Malcolm X finds a way in order to integrate a light-hearted but deliberate tone in order to get his message across:

We suffer political oppression, economic exploitation and social degradation. All of 'em from the same enemy. The government has failed us. You can't deny that. Any time you're living in the  20th century, 1964, and you walking around here singing "We Shall Overcome," the government has failed you. This is part of what's wrong with you, you do too much singing. Today it's time to stop singing and start swinging. You can't sing up on freedom. But you can swing up on some freedom. Cassius Clay can sing. But singing didn't help him to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Swinging helped him.. (qtd. In King Solomon Baptist Church 20)

Malcolm XWikimedia Commons The humor that Malcolm brought into his speech is a tactic he used to not only put his audience at ease, but in fact, to make the point of his message clearer. It also made people anticipate listening to him and take what he was saying to heart. This allowed him to relate to his audience and create a closer bond with them. This personal connection that Malcolm forged with his followers allowed him to mainstream his message more than any other activist. He uses this characteristic as an advantage and uses it to spread his outreach. Malcolm stood for equal rights, and in this quote, he explains how the audience had to take matters into their own hands, as they couldn’t rely on the government to defend their rights. This is significant as he used this to spread his positive message that was hugely beneficial to the black community, who were being burdened by the weight of racism at the time, which Malcom did everything in his power to stop. In his autobiography, Malcolm X comes to a revelation after getting kicked out of the Nation of Islam and attending a street rally, and realizes that he was once like the misguided youth of Harlem and other ghetto areas, and seems to connect with his people more than ever:

And because I had been a hustler, I knew better than all whites knew, and better than nearly all of the black 'leaders' knew, that actually the most dangerous black man in America was the ghetto hustler. Why do I say this? The hustler, out there in the ghetto jungles, has less respect for the white power structure than any other Negro in North America. The ghetto hustler is internally restrained by nothing. He has no religion, no concept of morality, no civic responsibility, no fear--nothing. To survive, he is out there constantly preying upon others, probing for any human weakness like a ferret. The ghetto hustler is forever frustrated, restless, and anxious for some 'action'. Whatever he undertakes, he commits himself to it fully, absolutely. What makes the ghetto hustler yet more dangerous is his 'glamour' image to the school-dropout youth in the ghetto. These ghetto teen-agers see the hell caught by their parents struggling to get somewhere, or see that they have given up struggling in the prejudiced, intolerant white man’s world. The ghetto teen-agers make up their own minds they would rather be like the hustlers whom they see dressed ‘sharp’ and flashing money and displaying no respect for anybody or anything. So the ghetto youth become attracted to the hustler worlds of dope, thievery, prostitution, and general crime and immorality. (X 340)

This shows that Malcolm X is able to relate to poor African Americans more than almost anyone else can. This gave him the support of his people, as they highly respect one of their own, giving him a handle on what seemed to be an untamable people. His connection to his audience gave him an upper hand, as he could influence the people that needed it most desperately, and as such becomes a role model to most of the erroneous youth, giving them brighter prospects in life. This makes Malcolm X a hero as he changed many lives just with his ability to connect with his supporters, as nobody else would have had such an impact as him. He was a catalyst for a revolution due to his connection and his true compassion for the people. The charisma and empathy that Malcolm X exhibits emanates from the impact he has left. His ability to connect and relate to his audience gave him an edge and allowed him to influence numerous lives, and in turn, making his name legendary and reflected as a hero in the eyes of millions.

The acts of courage and empathetic charisma that Malcolm X displayed validated him as a hero to countless people, and his role in furthering the Civil Rights Movement only highlighted the positive impact he had made. He was a beneficial role model through his actions but also taught us that we can be heroes too, despite our background. Malcolm X was born in a shoddy part of a rural town, and from there he blossomed into the great activist that he was known as. He exploited his advantages, such as gaining the support of the lower class African community of the time and connecting with people through his humorous attitude, in order to spread his positive message. He also displayed his courageous nature on many occasions, and due to this combination of traits, was able to make a huge difference in the world.

Malcolm X, 1964Wikimedia CommonsInfluenced largely by Malcolm, in the summer of 1966 members of SNCC called for black power for black people. Their lack of power was the foundation of Malcolm’s charge that they were denied human rights in America. His clarity on this matter, as America continues its retreat from its commitment to full freedom for his people, has guaranteed for him pride of place among black leaders. (Editors 8)

The legacy that he left behind was revolutionary, and is unmatched till today. He impacted countless lives and his ideals were very forward thinking for his time. Malcolm X demonstrates values that were uncommon at the time, and his ability to overcome adversity but still do so much good for the world is no doubt an inspiration to people by example. Malcolm X did not have any powers. He did not have wealth or fame, but he created a name for himself by his choices and the path he choose to take. He helped millions of people and died for his cause. Malcolm X is most surely a great hero with many followers to rally the message he spent his whole life preaching. Malcolm X is an inspiration as not only did he tell everyone to stand up for their rights and values, but had the strength to do so himself, since childhood he had stood strongly and firmly by the ideals that he believed were true. The values of a hero are exhibited by Malcolm, as just like a hero, he had the courage to stand up for himself and others in the face of discrimination and racism, and come out victorious in the end. The world wouldn’t be the way it is if not for the work that Malcolm X did. He showed us to stand up for ourselves … by any means necessary.

Works Cited

American Public Media, King Solomon Baptist Church. “American RadioWorks - Say It Plain, Say It Loud.” APM Reports - Investigations and Documentaries from American Public Media, 1964, americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/blackspeech/mx.html.

Editors, History.com. “Malcolm X.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/malcolm-x.

Herrmann, Steve. “Americas | Malcolm X: Key Quotes.” BBC News, BBC, 18 Feb. 2005, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4277981.stm

Mamiya, Lawrence A. “Malcolm X.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Feb. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Malcolm-X.

Mossberg, Donnie. “Malcolm X - Prospects for Freedom in 1965 - January 7, 1965.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Dec. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m2E4UCD0Vs

Rosenberg, Robin. “The Psychology Behind Superhero Origin Stories.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Feb. 2013, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-psychology-behind-superhero-origin-stories-4015776/.