7 – He Broke with the Nation of Islam After a String of Scandals
Malcolm’s relationship with Elijah Muhammad began to fracture in the early 1960s due to allegations of sexual misconduct by the NOI leader and the group’s actions in general. In late 1961, several Nation members were arrested after a confrontation with the LAPD. In April 1962, two LAPD officers assaulted several members outside Temple Number 27. The incident caused numerous angry Muslims to confront the officers who called for backup. 70 officers arrived and chaos erupted as several people were shot while a Korean War veteran named Ronald Stokes was killed.
Malcolm demanded that the NOI respond in kind. He was outraged when Muhammad rejected the idea. The Nation’s leader also blocked Malcolm’s attempts to work with civil rights organizations in a departure from how he felt about such groups in the past. This was probably the turning point in the relationship between the two men. Malcolm was also dismayed by reports of Muhammad having affairs with young NOI secretaries in what was a serious breach of the group’s teachings. Muhammad confirmed the rumors but justified his actions by citing Biblical precedent.
On December 1, 1963, Malcolm X infamously said that the murder of JFK was a case of “chickens coming home to roost.” He was pointing out that America’s climate of violence meant the country’s leaders were being killed. It was a prophetic statement since he, King, and Robert Kennedy all died within the next five years. The national press took his statement out of context and published it as an example of Malcolm’s personal hatred for all whites, and his satisfaction in seeing the death of John F. Kennedy. The Nation of Islam, mindful of the negative publicity, publicly censured Malcolm and he was not allowed speak publicly for 90 days.
At this stage, he was already thinking about leaving the group but many Nation of Islam members perceived him as a threat to Muhammad’s leadership. March 8, 1964 was a momentous day because it marked Malcolm’s official departure from the NOI. He announced his decision in public and said that while he remained a Muslim, he felt the need to break away because of the Nation’s rigid teachings which he felt was holding it back. Soon after leaving the NOI, Malcolm founded Muslim Mosque Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU); the latter was not a religious group. He also stated his desire to work with other civil rights leader, in what was a stark change to his previous rhetoric.