Malcolm X (30 page)

CLAY and subject returned together by plane to NYC on 1/21/64. That same evening, CLAY was the guest of honor and speaker at a Dinner Social sponsored by the FOI and MGT of Mosque No. 7, NYC, held in Rockland Palace, 8th Avenue and 155th St., NYC. Subject did not attend the affair, and CLAY reportedly returned to Miami the following day. In a newspaper interview CLAY advised that his managers did not know that he was making this trip to NYC, and they were quite upset about it.

On 12/4/63, subject was temporarily suspended by NOI leader ELIJAH MUHAMMAD for remarks subject made in NYC on 12/1/63, relative to the assassination of former President KENNEDY. Since then subject has been forbidden to speak in public and has not outwardly engaged in any NOI activity, although he is still considered the Minister of Mosque No. 7. He has spent his time relaxing in his Queens home and working on a book about the NOI. [BUREAU DELETION] in New York did not know of his trip to Miami.

Date
   2/5/64   

Malcolm Little advised he is generally known as Malcolm X and resides at 23-11 97th Street, Queens, New York City. He stated that until sometime in December, 1963, he was the Minister in charge of the Nation of Islam (NOI) Mosque in New York City. In December, 1963, he was suspended by ELIJAH MUHAMMAD from his duties. He would not say the reason for his suspension or its duration. He stated that any comment on this would have to come from ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.

He stated that his suspension from duties caused him to reappraise his loyalty to the NOI and ELIJAH MUHAMMAD. He stated that because of his suspension, he is now more firmly devoted to ELIJAH MUHAMMAD than ever. He pointed out that his suspension proves that the rules of the NOI apply to everyone equally. He stated he is in no way bitter towards ELIJAH
MUHAMMAD and that anything that might have caused his suspension was entirely his own fault and he could blame no one else.

He stated that the NOI cooperates with the United States government more than any other Negro organization in that the NOI stops members from smoking, drinking, and committing crimes and many other things which result in a benefit to the United States government but which the government is unable or unwilling to do itself. Because of this, the NOI is the only group that really benefits the Negroes. He pointed out that other Negro groups do not have a program which will benefit the Negro and eventually the Negro will realize this. He stated that when the Negro realizes that the government, white people and so-called Negro leaders are not really helping the Negro or obtaining for the Negro the things which he wants or should have, then the Negro will start helping himself to these things. He did not care to explain this except by stating that at that time there could be a great deal of trouble.

He stated that the so-called Negro leaders are incompetent to lead the Negroes and stated that BAYARD RUSTIN, who was a leader of the one-day school boycott in New York City on February 3, 1964, is nothing but a homosexual. He furnished no other information on either RUSTIN or any other person he considered a Negro leader. He reiterated that he is cooperating with the government in view of the principles of the NOI but to suggest any other means of cooperation was an insult to his intelligence. He stated the teachings of the NOI are public and are well known to the Government. He stated he had no information concerning membership of the NOI, either as to numbers or names and even if he did have such information, he was not disposed to furnish it to the government.

He stated that he would have no objection to being contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding demonstrations or other public affairs contemplated by the NOI. He stated he realized that in the past the NOI has been blamed for a number of incidents with which they were, in fact, not involved. He stated he would be most willing to be contacted in order to clear up any such possible misunderstanding.

23-11 97th Street

On
   2/4/64   
at
   Queens, New York City
File #
   NY 105-8999   

by
   SAS [BUREAU DELETION] and [BUREAU DELETION]   

Date dictated
   2/5/64   

February 10, 1964

The Rift Widens Between Elijah Muhammad
and his Principal Lieutenant Malcolm X Little

The rift between Elijah Muhammad, self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah and the leader of the fanatical Black Muslim hate group, and his erstwhile Lieutenant Malcolm X Little appears to be widening. Little was silenced officially and publicly by Muhammad a short while after President Kennedy's assassination inasmuch as Little had made stupid and ill-timed remarks to the effect that President Kennedy's death gave him pleasure.

Little has not taken this disciplinary action gracefully and he has attempted to develop sympathy and backing for his position among other leaders of the Black Muslims in various sections of the country. He evidently feels that Elijah Muhammad is in his declining years and that he is slipping. It is no secret that Little would not hesitate one moment to take over the leadership of the Nation of Islam (NOI) and incidentally begin living in the regal style which Elijah Muhammad enjoys. While Muhammad may be getting older, he is far from ready to hand over the reins of the NOI and all the affluent service benefits that go with it to Little. Muhammad is reportedly fuming at the temerity Little has exhibited in questioning the “Messenger's” judgment and it would not surprise anyone at all familiar with the works of the NOI to see Little summarily expelled from this organization if he continues to buck the orders and wishes of Elijah Muhammad.

Date: 3/3/64

[BUREAU DELETION] of the recent publicity given the NOI in the Miami area in connection with the “LISTON-CLAY fight” [BUREAU DELETION], He said the Hampton House is the logical gathering place in Miami for any visiting NOI official or other prominent Negroes. [BUREAU DELETION]

[BUREAU DELETION] MALCOLM X stayed at the Hampton House during that period and was to leave on 2/27/64. While there MALCOLM X was in contact with [BUREAU DELETION].

[BUREAU DELETION] MALCOLM X had conferences with CASSIUS CLAY and his brother, RUDOLPH, and he tried to instill confidence in CLAY prior to the fight. He also reported that MALCOLM X said he would return to Miami in March, 1964, and also made the statement, “If you think CASSIUS CLAY was loud, wait until I start talking on the first of March.”

[BUREAU DELETION] believed MALCOLM X might oppose the NOI leadership of ELIJAH MUHAMMAD with the assistance of CLAY in the near future.

New York, New York
March 9, 1964

Malcolm K. Little

Internal Security - Nation of Islam

The March 9, 1964 edition of the
New York Times
, a daily newspaper published in New York, New York, contained an article on page 1 entitled “Malcolm X Splits With Muhammad.” It is noted that Little is publicly known as “Malcolm X.”

The article reflected that on the night of March 8, 1964, Little announced that he had broken with Elijah Muhammad's Black Muslim movement and he would organize a politically oriented “black nationalist party.”

According to the article, Little claimed that he was still a Muslim “but the main emphasis of the new movement will be black nationalism as a political concept and form of social action against the oppressors.” Little stated the party would seek to convert the Negro population from non-violence to active self-defense against white supremacists in all parts of the country.

Little stated that he would accept speaking engagements at colleges and universities, and would cooperate in local civil rights actions in the South and elsewhere in order to heighten the political consciousness of the Negroes and intensify their identification against white society. Little claimed that he has already accepted an invitation to help a civil rights committee in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

Little stated, according to the article, that his first task would be to construct an organization based in New York. He claimed support from many Negro intellectuals and professionals who could not accept Islam but accepted the Black Muslim view of race relations in the United States.

Little claimed that he had not been invited to the annual Black Muslim convention in Chicago on February 26, 1964, and he could not get a clarification of his suspension status from Elijah
Muhammad. Consequently, he decided that he could best spread Mr. Muhammad's message by staying out of the Nation of Islam (NOI) and working on his own among non-Muslim Negroes. He further claimed that he was not trying to split the Muslims, and advised all NOI members to remain in the NOI, stating that he was not encouraging them to follow him. Little also claimed that his suspension was due to the jealousy of Elijah Muhammad's family aroused by his previous popularity.

[BUREAU DELETION]