History
Important Dates
Major Events
Who would have said this?
Major Characters
100
What is the Ku Klux Klan
What is the Ku Klux Klan a secret society of white Southerners in the United States formed to resist the emancipation of slaves by using terrorist tactics to suppress African Americans
100
What happens in 1929?
When the family moves to Lansing, Michigan, in 1929, another white supremacist group burns down their house.
100
What happened when Malcolm Little's mother was pregnant with him?
When Malcolm Little’s mother is pregnant with Malcolm, hooded Ku Klux Klan members break the windows of his family’s house in Omaha, Nebraska.
100
Even Though the slaves have been freed, black people are still lazy and dumb.
Mr.Ostrowski
100
Who is Malcolm X?
The narrator and subject of the autobiography. As a young boy Malcolm is bright and popular but feels excluded by white people. He becomes a ruthless hustler on the streets of Boston and New York but undergoes a change of heart during his time in prison. After his release, he develops into an aggressive and persuasive spokesman for the Nation of Islam. As an independent and international political leader, he is tolerant, meditative, and ambitious.
200
What were the years that the Great Depression occurred?
1929-1939
200
What happens in 1937?
In 1937 Malcolm moves in with the Swerlins, a white foster family in Lansing.
200
When the KKK broke into Malcolm Little's house when his mother was pregnant, who were they targeting and why?
The white supremacists’ target is Malcolm’s father, Earl Little, a tall, black Baptist preacher from Georgia, because he works for Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), which supports the return of American blacks to Africa.
200
"Go and explore Boston before you settle down and try to get yourself a job!"
Malcolm's half sister Ella
200
Who is Ella Little?
Malcolm’s half-sister on his father’s side. When Malcolm is an adolescent, Ella provides him with a model of female strength and black pride. She represents family unity within the autobiography. She welcomes Malcolm into her home in Boston and always supports him, later lending him money for his pilgrimage to Mecca.
300
What year was the Ku Klux Klan created?
1866
300
Where does Malcolm spend the summer of 1940?
Malcolm spends the summer of 1940 in Boston, visiting his half-sister, Ella.
300
What happens when the family moves to Lansing Michigan?
The family moves to Lansing, Michigan and another white supremacist group burns down their house.
300
"I can't wait to start my new job at Roseland State Ballroom as the new shoeshine boy!"
Little Malcolm
300
Who is Earl Little?
Malcolm’s father. A preacher and political organizer from Georgia, Earl is a tall and outspoken authority figure in Malcolm’s early years. Earl’s assassination by whites for preaching the Black Nationalist ideas of Marcus Garvey makes him a martyr for black nationalism.
400
When was Malcolm X born?
May 19, 1925
400
When did Malcolm X die?
February 21, 1965
400
How did Malcolm believe that he was going to die when he was little?
Malcolm always believed that he was going to die through violence.
400
"Watching my house burn taught me one of many early lessons about being black in America."
Little Malcolm
400
Who is Louise Little?
Malcolm’s fair-skinned, black mother, who endures the worst of the Great Depression. For Malcolm, Louise represents the harm that the white government does even when it claims to be acting charitably. Welfare agents separate Louise from her children and put her in a mental hospital, and Malcolm’s insistence on visiting her regularly shows his strong commitment to her.
500
When did Malcolm X die?
February 21, 1965
500
What did Little Earl struggle with in the 1930s?
Earl Little struggles against a moral double standard that illustrates the hypocrisy of white society in the 1930s. White society of this time allows blacks to succeed so long as their success doesn’t affect white America. The fact that Earl meets no resistance in his career as a Christian preacher shows that whites consider him harmless to their society. Though the Midwest generally respects religious figures such as preachers, Earl’s success does not indicate that white people look to him for moral guidance. Rather, they allow him to succeed only because he is professing mainstream Christian views.
500
How old was Malcolm X when his father died?
When Malcolm is six, white men who oppose Earl’s black nationalist work kill him. Earl’s life insurance company refuses to pay what it owes the family, claiming that Earl’s death was a suicide.
500
"Even though I can pass as either black or white, I don't feel comfortable in either world."
Louise, Malcolm's mother
500
Who is Mr. Ostrowski?
Malcolm Little's teacher.
M
e
n
u