Malcolm X (40 page)
Authors: Clayborne Carson
On June 12, 1964, MALCOLM X was the guest on the program “Conversation for Peace” over radio station WEEI, Boston, Massachusetts. During the program, he stated that the real reason for his break with the NOI was due to a moral problem. He then told the story of several teenage NOI members who went to work for the NOI since 1957, and became pregnant. It was always assumed that a non-Muslim male was involved since no one ever stood with the girls when they were brought before the temple to stand charges for their actions. In February, 1963, according to MALCOLM X, he learned that ELIJAH MUHAMMAD was the father of these children and that he talked to MUHAMMAD about it and the latter admitted it. In October, 1963, MALCOLM said he was informed by ELIJAH's son, WALLACE, that it was still going on and he then realized that he could no longer represent ELIJAH MUHAMMAD. MALCOLM indicated that ELIJAH MUHAMMAD had children by six of his secretaries.
[BUREAU DELETION]
It is to be noted that since June, 1964, MALCOLM X and the MMI have attempted to publicize the illegitimate children of ELIJAH MUHAMMAD through various news media. MALCOLM X has been successful in getting the story on several radio programs during interviews, but a fear of a libel suit has apparently kept such publicity at a minimum. However, representatives of various news agencies have advised MALCOLM that they could publicize it if the women involved instituted legal action against ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.
OF AFRO-AMERICAN UNITY (OAAU)
On June 30, 1964, [BUREAU DELETION] advised that MALCOLM X sent [a] telegram on that date to Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING, Southern Christian Leadership Conference at Saint Augustine, Florida, and also to [BUREAU DELETION] the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee at Philadelphia, Mississippi, where both of the above were engaged in activities and demonstrations on behalf of the civil rights movement.
Editor's note.
In this telegram Malcolm as Chairman of the OAA U offers to dispatch OAA U members to St. Augustine, Florida, to help blacks there organize themselves “into self-defensive units” so that they can effectively protect themselves against “the vicious attack of the white race” in the event that the federal government fails to send troops to their aid. He suggests that this would give the Ku Klux Klan “a taste of their own medicine” and demonstrate that “the day of turning the other cheek to the inhuman brute beasts is long over.”
An OAAU-sponsored public meeting was held on December 13, 1964, at New York City, attended by about five hundred people.
The featured speaker was OAAU Chairman and MMI leader MALCOLM X. He devoted most of his speech to the Congo situation, claiming that the United States is responsible for the situation there because of its support for the Congo Premier MO-ISE TSHOMBE. MALCOLM X charged that it was the United States who was hiring white mercenaries for TSHOMBE and these white mercenaries described by MALCOLM X as “hired killers” are the ones who are killing innocent Africans.
MALCOLM X also spoke on Mississippi and indicated that the struggle for independence by Africans was synonymous with the struggle for freedom by Afro-Americans in the United States. MALCOLM X also stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation cannot stop the murders in Mississippi so “they” would have to take care of it. He did not elaborate further on what “they”
would do other than to remark in jest that he would pay a reward of $1,000 to anyone who would “get” the sheriff and his deputy who were recently released after being arrested for killing three civil rights workers.
After giving his speech MALCOLM X introduced Negro comedian DICK GREGORY who joked for forty minutes, chiefly concerning law enforcement and the racial situation in the South.
BREAK FROM THE NATION OF ISLAM (NOI)
On June 4, 1964, MALCOLM X appeared on Radio Station WDAS, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was asked why he left the Nation of Islam. MALCOLM stated that WALLACE MUHAMMAD, son of ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, is the one who really told him what was going on and told him to wake up and leave the organization. He said he learned from WALLACE MUHAMMAD that ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, NOI leader, fathered six illegitimate children by women who were secretaries at the NOI in Chicago. He said two of the women went to Phoenix and were put up in a motel in that city. Two other women were from Detroit. MALCOLM stated that JOHN ALI, National Secretary of the NOI, is currently running the NOI. He said ELIJAH MUHAMMAD's sons had him go to Phoenix so that JOHN ALI could run the organization. All members of the NOI were told to have absolutely nothing to do with MALCOLM. MALCOLM said JOHN ALI is running the organization (NOI) for one purpose and that is to get all the money out of it that he possibly can.
[BUREAU DELETION]
On June 12, 1964, MALCOLM X appeared on the PAUL VINCAQUIN program “Conversation for Peace,” on Radio Station WEEI, Boston, Massachusetts. The program commenced at 2:10
P.M
. and continued until 5:00
P.M
. During the interview, MALCOLM stated that he was forced from the NOI because of a moral issue which he could no longer put up with and consequently severed relations with ELIJAH MUHAMMAD. . . .
MALCOLM stated that he realized that he could never again represent ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, knowing that one of the
most high officials in the Muslim movement was the father of the children of six secretaries.
An article in the June 26, 1964 issue of the
New York Post
, a local New York newspaper, captioned “MALCOLM X to ELIJAH; Let's End the Fighting.” This article states:
Malcolm X today called for an end to the three month dispute which has split the black Muslim movement in Harlem.
In an open letter to ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, he urged an end to hostilities which threaten to flare into open warfare between the two groups, his dissidents and the parent body headed by ELIJAH. He called for unity in solving the problems of Negroes in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and other parts of the South.
“Instead of wasting all this energy fighting each other,” he wrote, “we should be working in unity with other leaders and organizations in an effort to solve the very serious problems facing all Afro-Americans.”
He asked ELIJAH MUHAMMAD how, since the Muslims did not resort to violence when they were attacked by “white racists” in Los Angeles and Rochester, N. Y., they could justify declaring war on each other.
MALCOLM X's statement came on the heels of an announcement by MUHAMMAD's followers that they had received a “tip” from one of MALCOLM's followers that plans were being made to assassinate ELIJAH MUHAMMAD when he arrives at Kennedy International Airport Sunday morning.
MALCOLM X, reached at his Boston hotel, denied that he or his followers were plotting to kill the Muslim leader. “I'm surprised at the accusation,” he said. “No Muslim would think of assassinating MUHAMMAD. He has never been in any danger in his life.
“We don't have to kill him. What he has done will bring him to his grave.”
MUHAMMAD's followers said that they would take every precaution to protect their leader. “We have our own security guards,” they said. “We just want the police to know about the threat. MALCOLM wants to regain his position by killing the Messenger.”
MALCOLM X scoffed at the accusation and said that the assassination threat was an excuse by MUHAMMAD to bypass the June 28th speaking engagement [in New York]. “I just don't think he'll come,” he said.
At New York
The
New York Herald Tribune
, a local New York daily newspaper, dated June 16, 1964, contained an article captioned “Eight Guards, Thirty-two Police for MALCOLM X.” In this article it is stated that the police and guards were guarding MALCOLM X because of anonymous telephone tips to the wire service and a newspaper that MALCOLM would be shot if he appeared in court for an eviction trial. MALCOLM is quoted as saying, “There is no people in the United States more able to carry out this threat than the Black Muslims. I know; I taught them myself.”
“MUHAMMAD was nobody until I came to New York as his emissary,” MALCOLM stated. “If they had left me alone I would not have revealed any of this.”
The
New York World Telegram and Sun
, dated June 18, 1964, contained an article captioned “MALCOLM X Man Marked for Death.” This article states in part that “police fear that MALCOLM X is a marked man. The former East Coast leader of the Black Muslims goes nowhere without police shadows and his own core of rifle-bearing bodyguards. His own adherents insist he is targeted for assassination by June 29.
MALCOLM X contacted the New York City Police Department on July 7, 1964 and advised them that an attempt was made on his life that day.
[BUREAU DELETION]
MALCOLM X contacted the New York City Police Department on July 3, 1964, and advised them that he was returning home alone in his car at 11:30
P.M
.the same date and stopped in front of his home at 33-11 [sic] 97th Street, East Elmhurst, New York, when two unknown Negro males approached his car and touched the door, at which time he sped away, drove around the block and returned to his residence and the two unknown Negro males were nowhere in sight.
A police guard was placed in front of MALCOLM's home until 4:00
P.M
., July 4, 1964. It is believed that the complaint of MALCOLM X was a publicity stunt since he apparently notified the wire and news service as well as the police department about the incident.
[BUREAU DELETION]
MALCOLM X was contacted on July 5, 1964 [BUREAU DELETION], who advised MALCOLM that orders to kill him, MALCOLM, have come from Chicago and that witnesses can be furnished if MALCOLM wants to take the NOI to court.
[BUREAU DELETION]
At Boston, Massachusetts
On June 12, 1964, [BUREAU DELETION] Boston, Massachusetts, advised that at approximately 1:40
P.M.
on the same date [BUREAU DELETION] had received an anonymous phone call concerning MALCOLM X. The caller stated that “MALCOLM X is going to be bumped off.”
[BUREAU DELETION] advised that police were sent to guard MALCOLM X who was appearing on a radio program, Station WEEI at 182 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts from 2:10
P.M
. until 5:00
P.M
. and at 10:00
P.M
. the same date MALCOLM X was to appear on Radio Station WMEX, Boston.
MALCOLM X appeared on the JERRY WILLIAMS Radio Program on WMEX, Boston, from 10:00
P.M
., June 12, 1964, to 1:00
A.M.,
June 13, 1964. WILLIAMS introduced MALCOLM X as the former spokesman for ELIJAH MUHAMMAD and the Muslims. He stated he understood several threats had been made on MALCOLM's life that day and MALCOLM stated that several threats had been made on his life during the last five months.
MALCOLM then remarked that recently on a radio program in Chicago known as “Hot Line,” JOHN ALI, National Secretary of the Muslims, had been asked by a telephone caller if it was true that the Muslim Movement was trying to kill MALCOLM X. According to MALCOLM, JOHN ALI replied that they were trying to kill MALCOLM X and that he should be killed.
To Africa, April 13, 1964
through May 21, 1964
On May 21, 1964, Supervisor JOHN ADAMS, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, New York, advised that MALCOLM X LITTLE, Passport Number C294275, using the name MALIK EL SHABAZZ arrived in the United States at 4:25
P.M
., aboard Pan American flight 115 from Paris, France.
On July 13, 1964, [BUREAU DELETION] furnished an itinerary of MALCOLM X during his trip to Africa which indicated the following schedule:
April 13, 1964 | He departed the United States for Cairo, Egypt. |
April 14 to May 5, 1964 | In Cairo, United Arab Republic, Beirut , Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, where he completed pilgrimage to Mecca. |
May 6, 1964 | In Lagos, Nigeria. |
May 8, 1964 | In Ibadan, Nigeria. |
May 10, 1964 | In Accra, Ghana. |
May 18, 1964 | Morocco. |
May 19, 1964 | In Algiers. |
May 21, 1964 | Returned to the United States. |
At Ibadan, Nigeria
[BUREAU DELETION] made available on May 27, 1964 a copy of the newspaper
Pilot
, datelined Ibadan, Nigeria, dated May 8, 1964, [which] contained an article of an interview with MALCOLM X. According to this article MALCOLM X stated
“United States Peace Corps are spies. They are missionaries of neo-colonialism and although white American Peace Corps were dangerous, enough to invoke protest from any country they were operating, Negro American Peace Corps were more dangerous and objectional.” This article also stated that MALCOLM X remarked that the “Negroes in Peace Corps were being used by the American Government to place a wedge between American Negroes and Africans with views toward ending concept of Africanization of Negroes.”
MALCOLM X added, “Peace Corps has been instructed to present such a repugnant image of American Negroes to the extent that Africans would be compelled to be unsympathetic to Negro causes in America.”
MALCOLM X arrived in Ibadan, Nigeria on May 8, 1964. He visited the university of Ibadan where he spoke before an audience of from four hundred to five hundred persons sponsored by the National Union of Nigerian Students.
At Accra, Ghana
[BUREAU DELETION] advised on June 11, 1964 that MALCOLM X arrived in Accra, Ghana on May 11, 1964. He was not officially invited to Ghana by the Ghanaian Government but came at the invitation of the “Marxist Forum,” a new student organization in the University of Ghana. He did not have an interview with President NKRUMAH nor did the government hold any official reception for him.