Great Nebraskans: Malcolm X
Legends don't die.
Born May 19, 1925 in Omaha – What’s so interesting about a country of immigrants is how quickly they turn on others who are not like them after they’ve “got theirs.” Nebraska, like most of the states west of the Mississippi, is only a little more than 140 years old and was populated mostly by immigrants (well, immigrants and Indians), be they first- or second-generation, looking for that piece of land provided by the Homestead Scheme or opportunity in the way of jobs on the railroad. Yet, a land that is formed by people from all walks of life and becomes everybody’s (except the Indians’, of course) quickly transforms into a land that is everybody’s if you’re white. Such is the case with the family of Malcolm X.
Born Malcolm Little in 1925 in Omaha (Omaha being the only place where you’ll even find black people in Nebraska – assuming they don’t play football), Malcolm X’s family soon moved out of state. Not because they wanted to, but because people who wear white hoods can be awfully convincing when it’s you against many.
His mother, Louise, was half Scottish and practically white in complexion. His father, Earl, was a leader in the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Omaha. The Klan members of Omaha had a Universal Negro Improvement idea of their own and suggested the Littles leave town while they could still do it under their own power. Not really a great moment for Nebraska. But one could argue that without that gentle nudge, Malcolm X’s destiny would have been different, leading a happily repressed life and working at the meat-packing plant in WWII Omaha. The family moved to Wisconsin before finally settling in Michigan.
During his life, Malcolm X, who converted to Islam, preached that African-Americans should reconnect with their African roots, especially in terms of religion. The message was intended to build self-esteem in the black community, a sort of black nationalism, that they were a thriving, independent culture – not just slaves. Of course, if white people got back in touch with their roots, there would be a return to enslaving people.
In the same manner that most Americans deal with dissent, members of the Nation of Islam, the group Malcolm X broke from in 1964 after many years as an influential member, shot and killed Malcolm X during a rally, silencing his message of equality. Times may change, people’s attitudes toward race may change, but gun violence will always remain color blind.
Much like with Martin Luther King, several streets in the nation now bear Malcolm X’s name. None in Omaha, of course, where a plaque/marker now stands where the home of his birth once stood on Pinkney Street. Apparently Pinkney is too important of a street name to let go of for a block. After all, Malcolm X is only one of the most influential African-Americans in our nation’s history, and he was born in Nebraska.
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