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+~~Title:Malcolm X~~
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 <fs xx-large>Malcolm X</fs> (born Malcolm Little, also known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz) (1925–1965) was an [[African American]] primarily known for his political activism as the leader of the black nationalism movement, and as a priest in the Nation of [[Islam]]. He was one of [[Martin Luther King]]'s most vocal critics, rejecting nonviolent protest in favor of forceful emancipation, now famous for its slogan "By any means necessary".
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-Malcolm grew up in the world of 1930's and 1940's America, a time of intense racial tensions. Malcolm's family became victim of extreme racial harassment, systemic racism and the personal betrayal by several white people, which contributed to the set of beliefs he would end up holding. After his father's death and his mother's hospitalization, he spent his adolescence living in a series of foster homes or with relatives. Mostly left for himself, still, he ended up committing various crimes and, in 1946, was sent to prison 8 to 10 years for burglary.
+Malcolm grew up in the world of 1930's and 1940's America, a time of [[Racism|intense racial tensions]]. Malcolm's family became victim of extreme racial harassment, systemic racism and the personal betrayal by several white people, which contributed to the set of beliefs he would end up holding. After his father's death and his mother's hospitalization, he spent his adolescence living in a series of foster homes or with relatives. Mostly left for himself, still, he ended up committing various crimes and, in 1946, was sent to prison 8 to 10 years for burglary.
 In prison, Malcolm X joined the Nation of Islam and, after his parole in 1952 (having served 6 years of his sentence), quickly became one of the organization's most influential leaders. The NoI embraced black nationalism and had a significant impact on Malcolm's attitude towards other races. He was the public face of the NoI for 12 years before disillusioning and forming his own Sunni Islamic organization Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Pan-African Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU). Malcolm would spend the rest of 1964 arguing - violently, they sent him death threats - with the Nation of Islam until on February 21, 1965, Malcolm's life was cut short during an attack involving the largely defensive [[Gun|weapon of gun]].
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 The reason Malcolm X was able to gain so much fame was because many of the things he said had some truth to it. He wasn't //wrong//, per se, he was merely //misguided//. Although based on flawed premises, his arguments were sound and offered clear and precise solutions to problems. The United States really did gather independence from their oppressors through violence, and that this could be similar to what happened during the decolonization seems at least plausible((Being extra vague here because I actually don't know any better.)).
-Similarly, it is also correct that black emancipation is something the black community was indisputably entitled to and, if whites wouldn't give them on their own, they would indeed be right to take by force. Honestly, at this point I don't even think that I can disagree with this. I personally believe that using force to get there would have been ill-advised at the time, but it wouldn't necessarily have been //wrong// or //morally objectionable//((Although, of course, [[Malum Necessarium]] should be applied.)).
+Similarly, it is also correct that black emancipation is something the black community was indisputably entitled to and, if whites wouldn't give them on their own, they would indeed be right to take by force. Honestly, at this point I don't even think that I can disagree with this. I personally believe that using force to get there would have been ill-advised at the time, but it wouldn't necessarily have been //wrong// or //morally objectionable//((Although, of course, a policy of [[Malus Necessarium]] should be applied.)).
+Perhaps the most unfortunate truth that may have led Malcolm X down this path is that he was also right about [[human nature]]. Advances of black civil rights //were// and continue to be used as token victories for personal and/or political gains. Black suffrage //did// allow blacks to vote in presidential elections, but what difference did that make? They were still being treated like trash, subjected to racial segregation, systemic racism and racial profiling, and the potential of the then 11 Million eligible black voters to make a difference just //did not matter// because no presidential candidate was seriously inclined to do something about it. Even today, more than 50 years later, black communities are still subject to systemic disadvantages, economic inequality (ie. economic segregation and residential segregation), increased mortality, racial profiling and they still have to go on the streets to protest because their concerns are not being taken serious.
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+Ultimately, Malcolm X serves as a very real lesson about flawed systems. Malcolm wasn't a "bad person", he was the comparatively reasonable result of a flawed system that shaped him into what he was; a system that consequently taught Malcolm all the things he then reflected back to us in his speeches. As long as the system is the way it is, people like Malcolm //will// exist. On a similar topic, the Black Lives Matter demonstrations after the killing of [[George Floyd]], [[LonerBox]] put it very nicely:
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+Riots are not just a random collection of bad decisions. They are a sociological outcome of conditions that, ultimately, we have some kind of control over. We don't need to have systemic racism. The police don't need to keep officers with a history of unreasonable force out on the streets. Societies and the people in charge have a say over whether the conditions that lead to riots should exist. If these conditions //are// allowed to exist, then we //do not// have a say over whether or not there should be riots. [[Statistical inevitability|There will be riots]].
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+<WRAP centeralign>~[[LonerBox]], in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiNd50QT8mw|YouTube: On the Riots]].</WRAP>
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+Lastly, if all you ever know is violence against you, physically, emotionally, economically, politically and on every other level imaginable, it takes a lot of patience and compassion to not respond violently yourself. [[Forgiveness|To learn to forgive]].