The Nation of Islam’s income ballooned to tens of millions of dollars annually. Malcolm incorporated into the Nation of Islam classes and lectures the principles of self-help, self-determination, and cooperative economics like those Garveyite principles introduced to him by his parents. The Nation of Islam expanded to own bakeries; barbershops; coffee shops; grocery stores; cleaners; a printing plant; retail stores; real estate, including three apartment buildings in Chicago; a fleet of tractor trailers; and farmland in the states of Michigan, Alabama, and Georgia. It is safe to say that the NOI owned the largest Black-owned businesses in the United States during the Jim Crow era.
The children in the NOI attended separate schools owned and operated by the NOI with a curriculum based on truth and which encouraged self-love and a love for literature. Malcolm also founded the newspaper known today as Muhammad Speaks.
Malcolm worked closely with attorneys to guarantee that Muslims were permitted to exercise their First Amendment rights of freedom of religion while in prison. Prior, Islam was not recognized nor were Muslims permitted to practice their religion; but Christians were. The lawsuit provided key legal precedence for prisoners of all Islamic sects seeking accommodations for their religious practices.
CHARLESTOWN STATE PRISON
The Charlestown State Prison opened its doors in 1805. The prison was located at Lynde’s Point, a bulge of land that sits north of downtown Boston across the Charles River. It is only five miles from Malcolm’s old haunts in Roxbury and ironically a mere half mile from Bunker Hill Memorial, which commemorates a major battle in the United States’ fight for freedom from the British. The prison initially housed thirty-four inmates, but that number grew to include many hundreds over the next century. As the inmates increased, the prison became cramped, and several expansion and reconfiguration projects were introduced in 1828, 1850, and 1867. It was rebuilt in 1878.
Prisoners were expected to work without pay on various tasks such as stonecutting, tin work, wood carving, and cabinetry. After the turn of the century, prisoners also made license plates, much like Malcolm does in this novel. Between work hours, men would return to very simple living quarters, composed of a bed, a bowl for water, and a bucket as a latrine. There was no running water in the cellblocks.
Today, the site of Charlestown State Prison is home to Bunker Hill Community College.
NORFOLK PRISON COLONY
Founded in 1927, the Norfolk Prison Colony was the first medium security prison of its kind. Its approach was rooted in redemption rather than punishment. The primary goal of the facility was rehabilitation, helping prisoners reintegrate into society with practical skills and knowledge, thereby reducing the rate of repeat offenses and allowing the prisoners to become productive members of their communities. Programming included school courses, work/trade training, and cooperative economics, which encouraged prisoners to take an active role in their own rehabilitation. The facility was designed to feel more like a college campus that closely resembled the outside world, which included having a library, newspaper, jazz orchestra, baseball team, self-sustaining farm, and debate team, which went undefeated for seven straight years.
The progressive reform tactics were met with criticism but had lasting effects on its inhabitants. By the 1980s, most of its programming was eliminated to mimic the strict policies throughout the country that has yet to produce the same positive results.
TIMELINE
May 19, 1925: Malcolm is born to Earl and Louise Little in Omaha, Nebraska. Malcolm has three older siblings to welcome him into the family: Wilfred, Hilda, and Philbert.
December 1926: After threats from the Ku Klux Klan, the Littles leave Omaha and move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
August 23, 1927: Reginald Little is born in Milwaukee.
1928: Wesley, the sixth child, is born to the Littles.
1929: The Little family moves again, this time to Lansing, Michigan. On August 11, Earl and Louise’s youngest child, Yvonne Inez Little, is born. In October, the stock market crashes, launching the financial crisis now known as the Great Depression. The following month, the Littles’ family home is burned down by a local white supremacist group called the Black Legion.
September 28, 1931: Malcolm’s father, Earl Little, is killed. Malcolm is six years old.
August 31, 1938: Robert Little, Malcolm’s half brother and youngest sibling, is born to Louise Little in Lansing, Michigan.
December 23, 1938: Louise Little is diagnosed by the state as mentally ill and sent to the Kalamazoo State Mental Hospital.
1939: Malcolm moves to Mason, Michigan, and attends Mason Prep, a nearly all-white school. He does well there, earning straight A’s and being elected president of his seventh-grade class. But his teacher discourages him from pursuing his goal of becoming a lawyer. Malcolm drops out of school.
1940: Fifteen-year-old Malcolm visits his half sister, Ella Collins, in Roxbury, a predominantly Black community in Boston, Massachusetts. He moves in with her the following winter.
1942–1945: Malcolm lives in Harlem, New York, working first for a train company, then at various jobs in and around the nightclub scene. During his time in Harlem, he has a front-row seat to the performances of some of the greatest stars in Black music history.
1945: Malcolm returns to Roxbury after some business goes bad in Harlem. His white girlfriend, Sophia, and her friend convince Malcolm and Malcolm “Shorty” Jarvis to rob houses in wealthy white neighborhoods outside of Boston.
1946: In January, at the age of twenty, Malcolm tries to have a watch he had stolen from one of those houses fixed and is arrested. He is charged with grand larceny, breaking and entering, possession of stolen property, and firearms possession. He is convicted and, along with Shorty, receives an eight-to-ten-year sentence. In February, Malcolm enters Charlestown State Prison in Boston, Massachusetts. He serves the first two years of his sentence there and at the Massachusetts Reformatory in Concord.
1948: In March, at age twenty-two, Malcolm is transferred to Norfolk Prison Colony. During his time there, he joins the debate team and shines as an orator and persuasive speaker.
March 23, 1950: Malcolm goes back to Charlestown for the remainder of his sentence.
1952: In August, at age twenty-seven, Malcolm is released from Charlestown State Prison.
MALCOLM X’S READING LIST
The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi
David Walker’s Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World
Days of Our Years by Pierre Van Passen
The Destruction of Black Civilization by Chancellor Williams
Findings in Genetics by Gregor Mendel
The Green Book created by Victor H. Green
The Holy Quran
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Loom of Language by Frederick Bodmer
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass
The Outline of History by H. G. Wells
Negro History by Carter G. Woodson
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Sex and Race by J. A. Rogers
The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois
The Story of Civilization, Volumes 1–3, by Will and Ariel Durant
Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
AUTHOR’S NOTE
When young Malcolm found himself incarcerated at the age of twenty, I imagine he felt a number of things—from fear and anger to, eventually, hope. I wrote this book with Tiffany as a way to explore my father’s emotional and intellectual experiences during this very formative time in his life.
While Malcolm was imprisoned, the world was changing around him. He was exposed to new ideas through fellow inmates, newspapers, letters from family and mentors, and his personal readings. As he sorted through these differing perspectives, Malcolm found his true id
entity. From his studies, he earned a spot with the Norfolk Prison Colony Debating Society, with whom he debated against some of the brightest students from Yale, Harvard, MIT, and other Boston-area universities. His critical-thinking skills and persuasive arguments served him well after prison and paved the way for him to become one of America’s greatest leaders and thinkers.
In writing this book, we took some creative liberties that may not align perfectly with research on Malcolm’s life during this time—but we felt these illuminated his clarity of purpose and zeal for equality. For instance, there is evidence that Malcolm rejected the typhoid shot at Norfolk Prison because it was against his beliefs as a converting Muslim, not because he thought the guards were experimenting on prisoners. However, there is a long history of unethical scientific testing being conducted on African Americans, especially those who were incarcerated. For example, between 1932 and 1972, researchers at the Tuskegee Institute intentionally neglected to treat hundreds of Black people with syphilis—without their knowledge and under the guise of free health care—in order to study the disease. This systemic abuse of power aligns closely with the abuses Malcolm was identifying in the prison system and society at large at the time.
There is also reason to believe that Maurice Winslow, the warden at Norfolk Prison during Malcolm’s time there, was more sympathetic to Malcolm’s perspective and pursuits than we depicted in this story. Winslow’s personal diaries speak to a frustration with his superiors’ management of Malcolm’s case, particularly in returning him to Charlestown. Winslow felt forced to enact the transfer after Malcolm disobeyed certain Norfolk rules. While Winslow is clearly more kind to Malcolm than other wardens and guards in our book, we were also interested in interrogating the power dynamic inherent in any warden-prisoner relationship.
Lastly, my uncle Wilfred said that Malcolm was an avid reader (we have provided for you a suggested booklist), but it was this book in particular that helped my father win his parole: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
I remain awed by young Malcolm’s brilliance and resilience during his time in prison. Despite his lack of formal education, Malcolm was confident in his intellectual prowess and used his voice for the betterment of others. He knew he was the equal of any man. And so are you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Ilyasah Shabazz
First and foremost, I give my undying gratitude to God the Almighty!
Also, my super-duper gratitude to the people who aided me in the process of bringing this story to life. I am, of course, grateful for the strength and support of my family, who share my commitment to imparting, safeguarding, and preserving Malcolm’s legacy to future generations. Again, to my most endearing mother, for keeping my father’s presence alive in our home. To my five sisters—Attallah, Qubilah, Gamilah Lumumba, Malikah, and Malaak—as well as my nephews and niece—Malcolm, Malik, and Bettih-Bahiyah—with eternal love.
To my paternal grandparents, Reverend Earl and Louise Langdon Norton-Little. Thank you for shining your light.
To all my father’s siblings, who endured unfathomable trials and triumphed. All of the remaining “Littles” who shared the many family stories of accuracy, including my father’s eldest sister, my beloved aunt Hilda Little. She sacrificed her life for her parents, Earl and Louise, and her seven siblings and other relatives, including my cousins Steve, Deborah, Shawn, Sheryl, Doneesha, Shalishah, and just the whole beautiful Little clan. I especially want to mention Ilyasah LeAsah and Shahara Little-Brown, for sharing the countless laughs, stories, photographs, and love. And to our cousin, the visionary multiplatinum recording artist Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, aka Nas. We are so proud of all your accomplishments as you continue to keep your eyes on the prize.
Much gratitude to my agent, Jason Anthony, along with the entire gang at the Massie McQuilkin Agency and the Bradford Literary Agency for your work in bringing my coauthor and me together. A special thank-you to our senior editor, the phenomenal Grace Kendall, for shining her editorial skills on this literary journey. And a most important kudos to my coauthor, Tiffany D. Jackson, for whom I am eternally grateful for her patience, brilliance, and promise to share a more accurate and dynamic novel of my father’s young story to inspire future generations. You are beautiful both inside and out.
I would also like to acknowledge Imam Omar Suleiman; my lifelong sister Lisa Simone; my goddaughter Nadia Gourzong; my dear sister and goddaughter Inga Marchand, aka Foxy Brown; and baby C’yani; the Delta Sigma Thetas; The Links, Incorporated; and all my inspirational and brilliant comrades—Sister Aisha al-Adawiya, Mary D. Redd, Sharisse Stancil-Ashford, Karl Evanzz, Spike Lee, Danielle Philogene, Lisa Curvin, Bernice A. King and her family, Julio Peterson, Mikkel Tzamtzis, Kamal Koraitem, Omar A. Ali, Wassim Malak, A. J. Calloway, Ron Baldwin, Adrian Talbot, Michael Latt and Common, Jermaine Johnson, Molly Madden, Will Mega (Hiram Ashantee), Ray and Zoraya Hamlin, Carmelia Taylor, Danielle Henry, Joan Balkcom, Jennifer Smith, Tony Phillips, Lisa Simonsen, Lisa E. Davis, Lauren Walsh, Yvonne Wolf, Rafael Monserrate, Patrick Parr, Paul Eckstein—and you, the reader.
Thank you, and God bless!
Tiffany D. Jackson
First, I want to thank Ilyasah Shabazz for allowing me to be a part of your journey. I have learned so much from your grace, plethora of knowledge, and stunning resilience. Above all, thank you for caring for my well-being in the midst of this chaotic world. It has been an absolute honor.
To the brilliant Grace Kendall, thank you for considering me for this project. You are a light in this dark publishing world.
And to Brother Malcolm … you were right. About everything.
Also by Ilyasah Shabazz
Betty Before X, with Newbery Honoree Renée Watson
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
ILYASAH SHABAZZ, third daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, is an educator, activist, motivational speaker, and author of multiple award-winning publications, including her latest books, Betty Before X and X: A Novel. She is also an active advocacy worker and an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.
Visit her online at ilyasahshabazz.com, or sign up for email updates here.
TIFFANY D. JACKSON is the New York Times–bestselling author of YA novels, including the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award–winning Monday’s Not Coming, the NAACP Image Award–nominated Allegedly, Let Me Hear a Rhyme, and Grown. She received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University, her master of arts in media studies from the New School, and has over a decade of TV/film experience.
Visit her online at writeinbk.com, or sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Part 1
February 1946
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Part 2
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Part 3
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Later On
More Information
Timeline
Malcolm X’s Reading List
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
Also by Ilyasah Shabazz
About the Authors
Copyright
> Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers
An imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
Copyright © 2021 by Ilyasah Shabazz
Word definitions transcribed by Malcolm are quoted from Merriam-Webster and The Oxford English Dictionary.
Photo of Malcolm courtesy of Ilyasah Shabazz.
All rights reserved
First hardcover edition, 2021
eBook edition, 2021
fiercereads.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Shabazz, Ilyasah, author. | Jackson, Tiffany D., author.
Title: The awakening of Malcolm X / Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson.
Description: First edition. | New York: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2021. | Sequel to X: a novel. | Audience: Ages 12–18. | Audience: Grades 10–12. | Summary: While in Charlestown Prison in the 1940s, young Malcolm Little reads all the books in the library, joins the debate team and the Nation of Islam, and emerges as Malcolm X.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020009789 | ISBN 9780374313296 (hardcover)
Subjects: LCSH: X, Malcolm, 1925–1965—Childhood and youth—Juvenile fiction. | CYAC: X, Malcolm, 1925–1965—Childhood and youth—Fiction. | Prisoners—Fiction. | Reformers—Fiction. | Racism—Fiction. | Civil rights—Fiction. | Black Muslims—Fiction. | African Americans—Fiction.
The Awakening of Malcolm X Page 21
