Malcolm X (33 page)

Muhammad stated he had instructed Malcolm Little's brother in Detroit, Michigan, to talk to Malcolm because Malcolm was going to get himself in trouble at the rate he was going.

Boston, Massachusetts
April 3, 1964

MUSLIM MOSQUE, INCORPORATED

On March 19, 1964, [BUREAU DELETION] Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, advised that Malcolm X spoke at Leverett House, Harvard University, on March 18, 1964. The occasion was one of the periodic seminars held at Leverett House, and Malcolm X's appearance was arranged by a teaching fellow at Harvard University, [BUREAU DELETION].

According [BUREAU DELETION] Malcolm X stated that he was starting a new movement which he believes will change this country's foreign and domestic policies by giving Negroes political, social and economic philosophy.

Malcolm X stated his new movement is not “anti anything.” He wants the black man to control the politics in his own residential areas by voting, helping to choose and to support their own candidates. He wishes them to become economically sound by owning and investing in the businesses within the Negro areas, and he feels that they should become socially sound by complete separation from white people and organizing their own separate society. He proceeded that the Negro has become disillusioned with non-violent action and would be ready for any action which will get immediate results in their goal for civil rights. Malcolm X stated that the Negro realizes he is being exploited and lied to and is sick of it.

[BUREAU DELETION] made available the following information on March 25, 1964.

The “Bob Kennedy Show,” a program of Radio Station WBZ, Boston, Massachusetts, which is run nightly from 6:30
P.M
. to 8
P.M
., on March 24, 1964, had as its guest speaker Malcolm X
Shabazz, identified as having been the spokesman for Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Black Muslims, until recently silenced by Elijah Muhammad. The subject of the program on that evening was to be “Negro—Separation and Supremacy.”

Malcolm X was questioned as to whether or not his being silenced by Elijah Muhammad was actually the result of a statement he had made shortly after the death of President John F. Kennedy or whether Elijah Muhammad had “dismissed” him because he was getting too popular with the Muslims and threatened the leadership of Elijah Muhammad, and this leadership being passed on to Elijah Muhammad's son and son-in-law.

Malcolm X stated that his statement, “The chicken had gone home to roost,” when mentioning the death of President John F. Kennedy had been taken out of context. He stated that at the time the topic of his talk was “God's Judgment on White America”; he had been trying to demonstrate that white America was reaping the harvest of the seed she had sown and had been using incidents all over the world to illustrate this. His remark about “the chicken had gone home to roost” was meant as another illustration of the misfortunes that had come to the United States and was not meant to show any kind of relief over the unfortunate death of the President.

He stated that all these incidents that he was using as illustrations were merely prophecies of the Bible coming true and that he had pointed out he was happy to see these prophecies coming true, and he did not mean that he was happy about the death of the president.

COMMUNICATIONS SECTION

APRIL 14, 1964
TELETYPE

CODED TELETYPE

4-01 PM URGENT 4-14-64

TO DIRECTOR /4/ /100-399321/

FROM NEW YORK /105-8999/

MALCOLM K. LITTLE, AKA

IS-NOI

LITTLE, UNDER ALIAS MALIK SHABAZZ, WITH PASSPORT NUMBER C TWO NINE FOUR TWO SEVEN FIVE, DEPARTED JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NYC, AT SEVEN O-CLOCK PM, APRIL THIRTEEN, LAST, ABOARD LUFTHANSA GERMAN AIRLINE FLIGHT FOUR ZERO ONE FOR FRANKFURT, GERMANY. TO DEPART FRANKFURT ON APRIL FOURTEEN INSTANT, FOR CAIRO, EGYPT. LITTLE HAS ONE WAY TICKET WITH ITINERARY: NEW YORK TO FRANKFURT, TO CAIRO, TO JEDDA, SAUDI ARABIA, TO CAIRO. RETURN DATE UNKNOWN. LITTLE ANNOUNCED AT MUSLIM MOSQUE, INC., RALLY ON APRIL TWELVE, LAST THAT HE WOULD MAKE THREE WEEK AFRICAN TOUR EXPECTING TO LEAVE ON APRIL SIXTEEN NEXT. LHM FOLLOWS.

END

JS

FBI WASH, DC

New York, New York

April 15, 1964

Malcolm K. Little
Internal Security - Nation of Islam

On April 14, 1964 [BUREAU DELETION] advised that one “Shabazz” departed John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, aboard their flight number 401 at 7:00
P.M.,
April 13, 1964.

This flight was to Frankfurt, Germany, where “Shabazz” was scheduled to make connections for Cairo, Egypt, with Middle East Airlines. “Shabazz” would depart Frankfurt aboard flight
number 788 of the latter airline at 5:35
P.M
., April 14, 1964, due to arrive in Cairo at 10:55
P.M
., April 14, 1964.

[BUREAU DELETION] “Shabazz” had made no advance reservation with Lufthansa, but appeared at the ticket counter shortly before flight time. “Shabazz” had purchased a one-way ticket for $1,300 cash from United Arab Airlines, New York City. His itinerary is as follows:

New York to Frankfurt, Germany

Frankfurt to Cairo, Egypt

Cairo to Jedda, Saudi Arabia

Jedda to Cairo

On April 14, 1964 [BUREAU DELETION] Immigration and Naturalization Service, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, advised that their records reflect that Malik Shabazz, 23-11 97th Street, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York, United States Passport number C294275, departed at 7:00
P.M.,
April 13, 1964, for Frankfurt, Germany, aboard Lufthansa flight number 401.

Malcolm Little is described as follows:

SECTION 11

February 6, 1964–May 22, 1964

Section 11
combines information regarding Malcolm's return from Africa on May 21, 1964, with reports of the suit to evict him from his home and repetitious reports from
Section 10
, added with slight modifications. Upon Malcolm's return, he immediately called a press conference at which he stated that some African nations would support his fight to try the United States in the United Nations for violating the human rights of black Americans. In Africa, he had spoken several times and “he impressed on all of these people the fact that racial discrimination in America is sponsored by the government.”

After the judge had postponed it several times, the NOI's eviction suit against Malcolm finally reached the courts in June, but the judge withheld his sentence until an “unknown future date.”

The last portions of the June 18 report can also be found in
Section 10
, but some reports are elaborated upon here. One of these repetitions, for instance, reports an FBI interview with Malcolm from February, the second of only two such interviews which Malcolm granted. In
Section 10
, Bayard Rustin's name was in fact deleted from the text, whereas it remains visible in the report included in
Section 11
. (In this edition the interview has been placed in
Section 10
, with Rustin's name restored.)

Sketchy details in
Section 10
are made concrete. For instance, the full text of Malcolm's speech from
Section 10
, report 5 is
submitted. A brief history of the Muslim Mosque, Inc. appears, and actually refers the reader to
Section 10
for details. Relationships with Civil Rights leaders and sports figures are set out, along with a summary of an alleged attempt upon Malcolm's life, which the FBI, the NOI, and Malcolm all seem to agree never happened.

New York, New York
May 22, 1964
Re: Malcolm K. Little
             Internal Security - NOI

By means of a pretext by a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on May 20, 1964, it was ascertained [BUREAU DELETION] that subject was scheduled to return from his tour of Africa on May 21, 1964, and would arrive at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, at 4:30
P.M
., May 21, 1964. A press conference by subject was scheduled for 7:00
P.M
. on that date and a reception for him was scheduled at 8:00
P.M
. on May 21, 1964, in the Skyline Room, Hotel Theresa, New York City.

On May 21, 1964, Supervising Inspector John Adams, Immigration and Naturalization Service, New York City, advised that subject, using the name Malik El Shabazz, arrived at 4:25
P.M.
that date aboard Pan American flight 115 from Paris, France. He had passport number C294275, and his destination was his residence
at 23-11 97th Street, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City.

Concerning the press conference mentioned above, the following article (in part) appeared in the
New York Times
, a New York City daily newspaper, of May 22, 1964, Late City Edition, page 22, column 5:

MALCOLM SAYS HE IS BACKED ABROAD

Asserts U.N. Will Get Case on U.S. Negro This Year

Malcolm X, the Negro nationalist leader, said yesterday he had received pledges of support from some new African nations for charges of discrimination against the United States in the United Nations.

The case against the United States for its treatment of the Negro people, he said, would be prepared and submitted to the United Nations sometime this year. He did not say which nations intended to lodge the formal charges.