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Malcolm X Typed Letter Signed to Elijah Muhammad Announcing His Marriage. ...
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Description
"So I pray ALLAH I'm making the right move, that I'll prove as worthy married to serve the nation as I have strived to do while yet single."
Malcolm X Typed Letter Signed to Elijah Muhammad Announcing His
Marriage. One page, 8.5" x 11", East Elmhurst, New York
[Detroit, Michigan]; January 13, 1958. The letter is addressed to
his mentor, Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975), leader of the Nation of
Islam. Malcolm X writes of recent events in the Black Muslim
community and announces his intention to marry the following day.
Interestingly, he never mentions Betty Shabazz by name, instead
downplaying the significance of his decision, writing to Muhammad
that he wants it done quickly to not interfere with his speaking
engagements and to keep himself from temptation. Despite the
earlier typed address, the LOA posits that the letter was composed
in Detroit, Michigan. This important letter reveals much insight
into Malcolm X's controversial treatment of women, and adds to the
debate still going on about whether Malcolm married Betty Sanders
(later Betty Shabazz) for love or for love of the movement. It
reads, in part:"The Muslims here are happy! The spirit here is high! The new ones and the visitors are so greatly impressed by your lectures, that they themselves almost constitute a new temple...and this large influx of new blood is giving life to this tired old body. All praise is due to ALLAH. Wherein in the past this tired old man had a hard time trying to walk, today this newly revived 'youth' is ready to run to the goal...
ALLAH willing I shall go to Angola, Indiana tomorrow and get married. I hear it can be done there in one day, and I don't have too much more time than that to spare. I still may not be able to get around the promise I made for Cleveland Wednesday and Buffalo Friday. And I must be back here in time Saturday to rest up for Sunday's expected RECORD TURNOUT. I'm sending the Sister on back to New York before Sunday or after Sunday to get her affairs there finished up. It is my greatest desire that you take her there at #2 as planned where you can train her to help (or utilize whatever qualifications she may have). My main reason for deciding to marry is that I saw where at last I was getting in danger because there were too many Sisters who would do ANYTHING to trap me...and since I'm human, I decided the risk was getting to great to leave to 'chance.' So I pray ALLAH I'm making the right move, that I'll prove as worthy married to serve the nation as I have strived to do while yet single..." Boldly signed in blue ink, "Malcolm X."
The events described in this letter and Malcolm's motives are discussed at length in Manning Marable's definitive biography, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention, pages 143-150. Malcolm writes this letter to Elijah Muhammad the day after driving all night from Queens, New York to Detroit, Michigan, to call Betty from a pay phone and propose marriage. As mentioned in the letter and described in the book, Malcolm is in a hurry to get married so that he can headline big rallies. He plans to go to Indiana where he thought he could get married quickly. Instead there was a waiting period, forcing him to drive to Lansing, Michigan to get married. In the letter to Muhammad, Malcolm openly admits he's getting married as a way of resisting temptation. The letter is accompanied by a LOA from PSA/DNA.
Condition: Smoothed folds. Creased along the bottom margin.
Auction Info
2022 October 19 Historic African Americana Signature® Auction #6248 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
October, 2022
19th
Wednesday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 3
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
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