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Malcolm X Deeply Revealing Signed Typed Letter to Elijah Muhammad
Malcolm X Deeply Revealing Signed Typed Letter to Elijah Muhammad
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Malcolm X

Malcolm X Deeply Revealing Signed Typed Letter to Elijah Muhammad

Malcolm X TLS, as two extensively typed pages, 8.5" x 11", on tissue stock with red typed highlights. Dated "July 13, 1960", just five years before his death, and boldly signed by Malcolm X in blue ink, in addition to including a full four line autographed post script. Signed as "Bro Malcolm X", under his typed name of "As-Salaam-Alaikum". In impeccable condition.

An incredible and eloquent long letter, typed by Malcolm X to his teacher Elijah Muhammad going into extensive detail on his progress in spreading his teachings. While one reads his letter, it becomes readily apparent just how much of a one man "Force-Majeure" Malcolm X truly was. He was involved in everything, stirring up all elements of the Black movement everywhere in the world, and pulling in assistance from all walks of life. His humble, yet activist, and fully enigmatic writing skills shine in this letter to his teacher, beginning with his first sentence "I thank ALLAH for the time HE blessed me to be with you last week, and also for the financial help you gave me, which I know you need for yourself. "

And in his metaphoric, philosophical, complimentary and yet inspiring tone, he continues, "I look upon it as "seed-corn", which I do not intend to eat, but to plant, so that when you see it again it will have produced a decidedly large "increase".

This is a man who was able to instill leadership, inspiration, hope and unity. And yet it was his very ties with his "teacher" Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam that ultimately ended his life when in February 1965, he was assassinated by three members of the Nation of Islam after he had grown disillusioned with this group. If he only knew …

However, during his years from 1952 to 1964, Malcolm X focused on proselytizing black supremacy, advocated the separation of black and white Americans and rejected the civil rights movement for its emphasis on integration.

Malcolm X promoted the Nation's teachings including the specific beliefs:

· that black people are the original people of the world

· that white people are "devils"

· that blacks are superior to whites, and

· that the demise of the white race is imminent.

Many whites and some blacks were alarmed by Malcolm X and the statements he made during this period. He and the Nation of Islam were described as hatemongers, black supremacists, racists, violence seekers, segregationists, and a threat to improved race relations. He was accused of being anti-Semitic. One of the goals of the civil rights movement was to end disenfranchisement of African Americans, but the Nation of Islam forbade its members from participating in voting and other aspects of the political process. Civil rights organizations denounced him and the "Nation" as irresponsible extremists whose views did not represent African Americans. He called the 1963 March on Washington "the farce on Washington", and said he did not know why so many black people were excited about a demonstration "run by whites in front of a statue of a president who has been dead for a hundred years and who didn't like us when he was alive".

But for all the things Malcolm X represented, he still wielded enormous power. In this letter to Elijah Muhammad he referenced that "He is off to Philadelphia to show my slides tonight .. Helping to build up caravans in those cities for the trip to New York on the 31st." … "I re-established contact with the Nigerian I had met on the plane coming back from Albany. ALLAH really blessed me to thoroughly brainwash several of them and them back to Nigeria loaded down with our literature …", "my main purpose in dealing with them is always to establish good diplomatic relations with those in governmental positions, figuring somewhere done the line they may come in handy …", "ALLAH blessed me to make friends with (John Patterson, the only so-called Negro on Wall Street and who firm owns Harlem's newest Newspaper), a column titled "Muhammed has 'em really worried" attracted much attention … " Malcolm X even had wheels in motion on forging alliances with Wall Street and the investment firm, writing that "Mr Patterson wants to know what he can do to help us. He is very impressed by what you have already done … I have approached him not on a religious basis but on an economic basis he understands better … I explained your Future Plan to him, and he said it is in his field to set up the proper machinery (system) to raise funds, finance, or get financial backers for such projects. ALLAH has blessed me to sell him on the idea of meeting with you in person. He's a native New Yorker and understand the cold facts of life. He see the handwriting on the Wall in Africa. He sees the Black Man coming to the top. And he sees you the only one in America with the vision to devise a program that will be in keeping with the pace that is being set now all over the earth by Dark Mankind."

There would be little debate about that Malcolm X certainly knew how to use his skills to create unity, an incredible spiderweb network of supporters, and fully work the system. He was everywhere, not only literally everywhere on the planet, but everywhere socially and economically. Even his concluding sentence "I must dash off to Philadelphia" ends with his intense, driven, high energy personality.

In an ironic twist, it was this very "machine" that Malcolm helped to build, which he became disenfranchised with. It was during his pilgrimage to Mecca that Malcolm X had his second epiphany which rocked his beliefs to the core, and set him on an alternate path. Malcolm witnessed what he claims he never saw in the United States: men of all color and nationalities treating each other equally. “Throngs of people, obviously Muslims from everywhere, bound for the pilgrimage,” he’d begun to notice at the airport terminal before boarding the plane for Cairo in Frankfurt, “were hugging and embracing. They were of all complexions, the whole atmosphere was of warmth and friendliness. The feeling hit me that there really wasn’t any color problem here. The effect was as though I had just stepped out of a prison.” To enter the state of ihram required of all pilgrims heading for Mecca, Malcolm abandoned his trademark black suit and dark tie for the two-piece white garment pilgrims must drape over their upper and lower bodies. “Every one of the thousands at the airport, about to leave for Jedda, was dressed this way,”  Malcolm wrote. “You could be a king or a peasant and no one would know.” That, of course, is the point of ihram. As Islam interprets it, it reflects the equality of man before God.

He entered Mecca in 1964 as "Malcolm X", but he left Mecca as "El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz", when he became an orthodox Muslim, adopted the Muslim name and distanced himself from the teachings of the black Muslims. This was the moment he sealed his fate as his previous followers, and "The Nation of Islam" assassinated him in 1965, when his new path and preachings were in direct conflict with their beliefs. Most of the energy of his adult life was invested in the pursuit of black supremacy, and in one short moment, he made a complete 180 degree turn and the last year of his life was spent in embracing unification, and co-existence.

In 1965 Life Magazine published a legacy article on the life and death of Malcolm X, within which they quoted him shortly before his assassination (and in perhaps his last epiphany) as having said "I did many things as a Muslim that I am sorry for now. I was a zombie back then - like all Muslims - I was hypnotized, pointed in a certain direction and told to march. Well I guess a man's entitled to make a fool of himself if he's ready to pay the cost. It cost me 12 years".

This phenomenal, revealing, lengthy letter typed and signed by Malcolm X shows his true brilliance during "those very 12 years" of his life.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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