nasher watkins

 Malcolm X

Directed by: Spike Lee

Performers: Denzel Washington(Malcolm X/Little), Spike Lee (Shorty), Angela Bassett (Betty), Delroy Lindo 

(West Indian Archie), et al with appearances by Reverend So Sharpton and Nelson Mandela.

40 acres and a Mule/Warner Bros, 1992

Malcolm X was a great movie that contained lots of interesting facts about his actual life and had lots of comedy parts to make viewers laugh. At the beginning of this movie it portrays the his troubled life along with his right hand man Shorty. Malcolm's father was killed by the KKK when he was at a young age even though police reports consider his death as a suicide. His mother on the other hand, was sent to a mental center. He was also separated from his siblings. Malcolm X was one of the most important human rights leaders and was an extremely gifted speaker. 

Malcolm X is a movie about Malcolm X and his life. At first he was a total pimp, his nickname was Red (he was reportedly a 'ginger' due to his maternal grandmother having been raped by a white man), and he robbed people. He then dates some random white girl and gets in trouble for that. Then when he was high he made a bet that actually came true but then he didn't get the money so he yelled at the bet dude [his mentor during his 'life of crime' West Indian Archie, portrayed by Lee regular Delroy Lindo, later went on to play Woody Carmichael in Crooklyn (1994)]. The bet dude didn't like that so he tried killing him. So he ran away and started stealing again and then he was caught. He went to jail for some time and then became a Muslim [a Black Muslim specifically, NOI (Nation of Islam)], because why not? 

He then got out of jail after a long time (although originally sentenced to eight to ten years; he was released after six years) because he didn't act very good like in jail  [Is this true? Jay, can you provide examples?]. Then he became a Muslim preacher. He did that for a long time until he realized he was basically being used so he quit doing that and did regular preaching [Jay, although he split from the NOI, he remained a Muslim, one might say he actually became a true believer in the Islamic faith, converting to Sunnism