Malcolm X (24 page)

Comments and Contacts With Communism and Russia

The Communist Party, USA (CP, USA), has been designated by the Attorney General of the United States pursuant to Executive Order 10450.

[BUREAU DELETION] advised on [BUREAU DELETION] 1960, that during December, 1960, Minister MALCOLM X LITTLE of NOI Temple No. 7, New York City, made the following statements [to the effect that] the white man is the enemy of the black man. The Czarist government suppressed the people and the same kind of revolution as occurred in Russia will take place here in the United States. This revolution will start in Harlem and [the Nation of Islam will be] the leaders of this black man revolution.

MALCOLM X expressed himself as a great admirer of NICO-LAI [
sic
] LENIN and JOSEPH STALIN and stated that they were actually non-white men. He explained that LENIN was of the yellow race descending from the Mongols and STALIN descending from Semitic-Arabs and a Muslim mixture with dark skin. The Americans who are white will fight the Russians because they are non-white; it will be race against race and we American black men will support the Russians. We will kill all the white men in the United States. . . .

MALCOLM X criticized the United States Department of State and stated that the United States Government does not
want free Africans but the Africans will be free with the assistance of the Russian army right in Africa. He stated that the United States was responsible for encouraging England, France and Israel to invade the United Arab Republic in 1956.

[BUREAU DELETION] described subject as shrewd, canny and at times smart but further stated that he actually was a “mad dog” temporarily on a leash. According to [BUREAU DELETION] subject is violently anti-white and insists that the whites must be destroyed.

SECTION 7

REPORT: November 17, 1961. New York

This report continues to summarize Malcolm's speeches, reporting his violent anti-white sentiments. It also notes that no comments were made at NOI meetings included in the report “that could be construed as seditious, revolutionary or anarchistic.” The Bureau attempts to connect Malcolm and the NOI to other organizations, but with little success; the FBI can make no connection between the NOI and the Workers World Party, nor with labor leader A. Philip Randolph. Links with the Communist Party and several Marxist-Leninist organizations consisted only of the fact that some of these organizations had mentioned Malcolm in a favorable light or had tried to contact him. The report indicates that Malcolm is on the mailing list of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, and makes a connection between the Communist Party and the Negro American Labor Council (NALC), but the Bureau already had established that there was no known link between the NALC and the NOI. In short, the FBI's quest to establish ties between the NOI and leftist organizations had produced little substantiation.

Reporting Office: New York

Office of Origin: New York

Date: 11/17/61

Investigative Period: 10/2–11/2/61

Report made by: [BUREAU DELETION] b7C

Title: MALCOLM K. LITTLE aka

Character of case: Internal Security - NOI

Report of SA [BUREAU DELETION] b7C dated 5/17/61, at New York.

Subject is a key figure of the NYO.

It is to be noted that no mention is made of the events occurring at some of the meetings included in this report inasmuch as no speeches or comments were reported as being made that could be construed as seditious, revolutionary or anarchistic.

An information copy of this report is being designated for Chicago inasmuch as they are office of origin in the NOI case.

Two information copies of this report are being designated for Los Angeles [BUREAU DELETION]. It should be noted in this regard that Temple No. 27 is considered “subject's temple” [BUREAU DELETION],

It should be further noted that subject was in Los Angeles, California, during September and October, 1961, but there is no information available which indicates that he formulated any relationship between Temple No. 27 and the WWP [Workers World Party], or that he was in contact with representatives of the WWP.

There is not set forth in this report a characterization of the Negro American Labor Council (NALC) or the Emergency Committee for Unity on Social and Economic Problems (EUSEP) since there is no approved characterizations for either organization. It is noted that the NALC is the subject of a Cominfil investigation (NY 100-139834). Both of these organizations are headed by A. PHILIP RANDOLPH, International President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and a Vice President of the AFL-CIO and of the NAACP [BUREAU DELETION].

[BUREAU DELETION]

Speeches and Comments by Subject
(10/2–11/2/61)

At the NOI meeting held at Temple No. 7, New York City, [BUREAU DELETION] MALCOLM X was the speaker and after playing a tape recording of a debate between himself and a representative of the NAACP, MALCOLM stated that you can now see why it will be necessary for God to destroy the devil (white man) and his sympathizers. He said that a Negro leader (referring to the NAACP representative), though he knows that the work of the Honorable ELIJAH MUHAMMAD is divine, will always stand up to defend the white man. He added that there will come a time when these Negroes will have to stop defending the white man. He further added that the white man should pray that nothing happens to the Honorable ELIJAH MUHAMMAD because then there will be no one to control his followers.

[BUREAU DELETION]

At the NOI meeting held at 541 Henry Street, Oakland, California, [BUREAU DELETION] MALCOLM asked the audience why should we, the Muslims or any so-called Negro, fight for the white man in Germany or Korea? When you come home, he continued, they hang you in your own country, such as Mississippi, and rape your sisters. And then you talk about lighting for the white man.

[BUREAU DELETION]

At the NOI sponsored Street Rally held at Seventh Avenue and 125th Street, New York City, [BUREAU DELETION] MALCOLM stated that there is a law against kidnapping, lynching and raping. He stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was sent to the South to find the lynchers of MACK PARKER and EMMETT TILL. MALCOLM stated that the FBI found the lynchers, but they went free and were not punished for their crimes. He then stated that Uncle SAM is going to be put on trial for kidnapping, lynching, raping, etc. He further stated Uncle SAM would be judged and sentenced by God and that Uncle SAM now has a chance to repent to God through the Honorable ELIJAH MUHAMMAD and if he (Uncle SAM) sincerely seeks repentance, it will be the only way that he can escape destruction.

[BUREAU DELETION]

At the NOI meeting held at Temple No. 7, New York City, [BUREAU DELETION] MALCOLM was the speaker and asked what is the American way of life? He then stated that no people on earth know the American way of life like the so-called Negro does. He stated that we have helped them fight for freedom but do we have freedom. He continued that the Negroes in America have helped their slavemasters more than any other people but are still second-class citizens.

MALCOLM then described America as a white wolf who sees a black lion coming towards him from the East and asks us, the black men who are like the sheep who have felt the teeth of the wolf, to fight for him. MALCOLM then stated that he has never told anyone that they should or should not fight; however, he
added that it seemed to him that the sheep would want to see the wolf destroyed.

MALCOLM continued that the Honorable ELIJAH MUHAMMAD has taught us that we cannot fight the devil with his own weapons and that ELIJAH MUHAMMAD has given the light of truth as a weapon and that this weapon is all that is needed to bring the devil to his knees.

[BUREAU DELETION]

Speeches and Comments by Subject
(4/3–5/7/62)

At the NOI meeting held at Temple No. 7, New York City, [BUREAU DELETION] that subject was the speaker and he said that the Honorable ELIJAH MUHAMMAD said that all of the white men, including their babies, are devils. He also said that you cannot change the nature of the snake nor can you change the nature of the white man. He added that the Muslims of the East do not know that the white man is a devil unless they learn it through the Honorable ELIJAH MUHAMMAD. Subject added that common sense should tell “us” that if the white man is a devil, then the black man has to be God.

[BUREAU DELETION] at the NOI meeting held at Temple No. 1, Detroit, Michigan, [BUREAU DELETION] the subject was the speaker, and he said that the Dred Scott Decision defined the legal rights of the Negro and white man, and that the Negro was the white man's property, and that the white man has regarded the Negro as a chattel. He went on to say that the American Negro does not have civil rights because he does not have human rights. He stated that the Negro is and has been nothing more than the white man's watchdog. All the white man had to say was “sic 'em” and the dumb Negroes went off to war in Germany, Japan and Korea. MALCOLM said that the so-called Negro must learn that there is nothing black in Uncle SAM and that the letters “USA” do not include the Negro. MALCOLM described KHRUSHCHEV and President JOHN F. KENNEDY as maniacs who are about to blow up the world with atomic weapons, and that only Allah and his Messenger offer a
solution to the Negro. He further added that the black man in the world today has moved into the era of power and control.

Relationship with Communist, Marxist
and Socialist Organizations
1. Communist Party (CP)

[BUREAU DELETION] at a Board Meeting of the CP of Illinois, held in Chicago, Illinois, on [BUREAU DELETION] a report was given by CLAUDE LIGHTFOOT, from the National Executive Committee of the CP, in preparation for the forthcoming convention of the Negro American Labor Council (NALC).

In this report, LIGHTFOOT stated that in the Negro liberation movement there has been a growing tendency of nationalism particularly among Negro youth, and that the youth were not convinced that labor can play a role in this liberation since they do not see labor playing a role at the present time. LIGHTFOOT then added that the NALC thus becomes important in the development of the Negro labor alliance and that it will be the policy of the CP at the coming NALC Convention to attempt to change the policy and outlook of the NALC. LIGHTFOOT referred to a recent street corner meeting held in New York City which included speeches by [BUREAU DELETION] and MALCOLM X, head of the New York Muslim Temple, among others. LIGHTFOOT went on to say that [BUREAU DELETION] is still the personality of the NALC, but that he is not an organizer and will allow the Communists to do his organizing.

2. Provisional Organizing Committee
for a Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (POC)

[BUREAU DELETION] that at a meeting of the Chicago Area Chapter of the POC, ARMANDO ROMAN stated that when he was recently in New York City, he learned that the POC there is using its Puerto Rican comrades to try and make contact
with the NOI and to set up a meeting with MALCOLM X of New York.

3. Worker World Party (WWP)

[BUREAU DELETION] that at a meeting of the Buffalo Branch of the WWP held at 831 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, [BUREAU DELETION] a member reported on an NOI meeting which she attended and which was held in Buffalo, New York, and at which subject was the speaker. She stated that subject claimed that the black race goes back to ancient history, had formerly ruled the world, and predicted that they would rule again. She said subject also stated that KHRUSHCHEV and President KENNEDY are enemies, but that both of them are the enemies of the Muslims.

[BUREAU DELETION] that at a meeting of the Buffalo Branch of the WWP held at 831 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, [BUREAU DELETION] a member gave a report on a Muslim meeting she had attended and said that MALCOLM X engaged in a panel discussion with several ministers and made “fools” out of them. She stated that she was impressed by the way MALCOLM handled the discussion and that according to him, Muslims believe in segregation and they should operate businesses independent of the whites. She added that she did not agree with the Muslims' policies regarding segregation.

[BUREAU DELETION] that another member at this same meeting stated that while the Muslims are against white supremacists, they are also against segregation and that because of this the Muslims could become fascists rather than socialists, and he advised those present to be cautious in their dealings with the Muslims.

4. Fair Play for Cuba Committee (FPCC)

[BUREAU DELETION] made available the names and addresses of individuals in New York City who currently are on the mailing list of the FPCC, Room 329, 799 Broadway, New York, New York. Among the names furnished was that of: