The mistakes Malcolm X made with women

Malcolm X made a lot of mistakes with women. In his famous autobiography, Malcolm X tells us the story of his life, but upon closer examination, all the women in his life end up on the short end of the stick.

malcolm and laura

Laura was the young woman who befriended Malcolm X when he was a 14-year-old boy working as a soda fountain clerk. Laura later becomes a drug addict and prostitute. Malcolm admits to her role in her death and even tells Alex Haley that he ruined her life. Laura, by the way, was the only woman to have a chapter named after her.

malcolm and sophia

Sophia was the white girl that Malcolm chose Laura for at a dance. She was a white girl who obviously had jungle fever and it became a mainstay in her life as a young go-getter. Later, Malcolm convinces her and her sister to become experts in her robbery scheme. Later, after keeping a piece of jewelry and being caught with a gun, Malcolm turns the state’s evidence against him and they are both sentenced to prison in the women’s reform school.

malcolm and she

She was the older half-sister of Malcolm X who moved him from foster care to Boston to live with her. She was Malcolm’s guardian and loved him very much. She was his closest ally during his lifetime. When he went to prison, it was Ella who worked feverishly to get him from maximum security to minimum security. But, when Malcolm left the Nation of Islam and made his trip to Mecca, Ella, an orthodox Muslim, had been saving her own money for the trip to Mecca and Hajj for her. Malcolm convinced her to lend him her savings so he could go in her place, she agreed and Malcolm admits to Alex Haley before he dies that he never paid her back. Even after receiving several book advances of his autobiography.

Malcolm and Betty Shabazz

Malcolm’s wife, Betty Shabazz, bore him six daughters. She was a perfect Muslim wife and mother, devoted to her husband and her cause. However, when Malcolm split from the Nation of Islam, Malcolm claims that the only argument she gave him was her inability to save money. She knew that once the split was final, Malcolm X would be cut from the Nation’s payroll and even their home would be taken from them, since he belonged to the Nation of Islam. Malcolm didn’t listen. But even worse, when Malcolm X was assassinated, Betty Shabazz was left with no money to bury her husband. Although he was under death threats and predicted that he would never live to see his autobiography finished, Malcolm X never bought life insurance for his wife and children.

There are other women who received less attention in Malcolm’s autobiography, such as a prostitute who belongs to his pimp friend Sammy. Malcolm slapped her in anger due to an ill-advised and botched robbery attempt that Malcolm planned but shot Sammy. Finally, Elijah Muhammad’s mistresses who were used by Malcolm X to bring paternity charges against Elijah Muhammad so he could slander Mr. Muhammad and build his own organizations. Alex Haley writes that Malcolm X took the women to the lawyer to bring these charges against Elijah Muhammad and it was Malcolm X who spoke on behalf of the women. These mistakes that Malcolm X made regarding women are taken from his own words in his autobiography and paint a very depressing picture of our beloved but controversial leader.