Black Nightmare

This text entitled Black Nightmare is an extract from the autobiography of Malcom X, which was published in 1964. He was a famous civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1965. He was known for his positions in favour of the use of violence. This text enables us to better understand this stance. We are going to divide the text into 3 parts. The first one deals with his father political ideas. The second could be called threats and the third, murder.

Malcom X’s father was convinced that there was no future for black people in America. Black people were rejected by the white majority, who would never allow them to be integrated in their society, to enjoy the same rights, to be part of their world. Like Marcus Garvey, his father was in favour of a return to Africa policy. One of the reasons why his father advocated / believed such ideas was that his family had been victim of violence. Indeed, 3 of his 6 brothers had been killed by white men. Malcom X thought that he was bound to die by violence. Even if his father was committed to spreading Garvey’s ideas, he himself didn’t plan to move to Africa. Although he didn’t believe in integration and he aimed at owning a store. In other words, he shared the average American’s belief in the American dream, which is a paradox.

Modest as his goal was, it created a feeling of jealousy among the other African American, at least among those called Oncle Tom Negroes. The latters reported on him which of course sparked of reactions on the part of local hate group, such as the Black Legion. They blamed him for being arrogant, pretemptious, for spreading unrest among the good niggers. They quickly received threats. One night, these threats were carried out and their house was set in fire. The whole family escaped on a hurry by theirs skin of their teeth. Malcom X conveys very successfully the confusion they felt, although the use of words associated with senses (“hearing, seeing, smelling, touching”). He