Makenna

Malcolm XBy Makenna Pierson

This month is black history month. I am studying Malcolm X. Malcolm X was an extraordinary person. He started out in a rough place but then he built up to be a hero. He has inspired me and I hope he inspires you. In this essay I will be talking about his childhood,adulthood,and important life events.

Malcolm was one of eight children. His full name is Malcolm Little. In 1929 their house burned down and his dad died. His mom was left with eight kids and no help. Malcolm wanted to prove to his mom that he could get a scholarship and she would not have to worry about college. He was smart as a child. He loved school, he graduated Jr. High at the top of his class. He wanted to be a lawyer. Suddenly he lost interest in school and dropped out.

He moved to New York with his friend after he dropped out. He committed crimes,robbed banks, and gambled. He was in jail for 10 years. When he was in prison he heard a message from Elijah Muhammad. He wanted to know if it was true so he went to the prison library to read more about him. When he got out of jail, he turned his act around and became a civil rights activist. He wanted the rights of African American people equal to Americans. He was a public speaker and people lined up for hours or even days to listen to him speak. He got married to Betty Shabazz, and had six children. He looked up to his older brother, his mom, and Elijah Muhammad.

Some of his achievements are amazing! In December 1953 he became a minister at NOI's Boston mosque. In 1957, Malcolm founded the NOI newspaper. In 1963 New York Times reported that Malcolm X was the second most sought after speaker in the U.S. On June 29,1963 Malcolm lead one of the nation's largest civil rights events known as the Unity Rally in Harlem.

I know your probably reading about a lot of amazing people because it is black history month, but Malcolm X went from dropping out of school and going to jail to becoming a civil rights activist and being awarded the second most sought after speaker in the U.S. So, if you think about it, he turned around and changed his life in a positive way.