MALCOLM X: REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA | BY: MEGAN CHELLIAH

May 11, 2020

Throughout his life, and even after his death, Malcolm X was represented in a variety of ways in the media. Depending on different periods of his life and which media outlets were reporting, Malcolm X was either demonized or idolized. As a result of the transformative nature of his identity, he, “has been framed by mainstream media during his lifetime as the most feared man in American history, as well as elevated after his death to a heroic icon of African American identity”(Abernethy, 2013, p. 4). Race, socioeconomic status, and religion were big factors in determining who would think about Malcolm X in what way, and therefore which media outlets would portray him certain ways. 

The lack of consensus surrounding Malcolm X’s representation in the media can be attributed to the reinventive and transformative nature of his life and its position as a “chronology of changes”(Abernethy, 2013, p. 2). While he is best known for his work as an American minister and human rights activist, that is not how he was known throughout his entire life. He began his life like most others with childhood innocence, which was soon corrupted through his experiences with racism and inequality throughout his youth. Malcolm X had a rough childhood, jumping around foster homes and cities. He faced moral corruption from his peers and struggled with self-negotiation of the levels of inequality that he saw around him. It was during this time that he was nicknamed “Detroit Red'' and soon landed himself in jail for a ten year sentance for larceny and breaking and entering. He struggled with religion and godlessness in prison until he was introduced to the Nation of Islam. He went through a moral reformation and embraced Elijah Muhamad’s black nationalist theology in prison. Upon his release, he became one of Islam’s most passionate recruits, taking on his new personae of Malcolm X, a prominent leader of the Nation of Islam. From this point he took on a more politically focused direction, focusing his efforts on things such as civil rights in the US. He became known in opposition to Martin Luther King Jr. because of their difference in theological and ideological opinions. His time in the spotlight opened his eyes to other ways of thinking and getting things done which caused another transformation in identity and in his representation to others. He turned towards political and religous integrity focusing more on the ideologies of Pan-Africanist and Sunni Muslim, further being known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. This summarization is meant to articulate the three major personaes that Malcolm X embodied during his dynamic lifetime, Detroit Red, Malcolm X, and El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, which showcase his ability to transform his image and persona to fit his ideological perspective and influence others through it. 

During his time with the Nation of Islam and his activism in the civil rights movement, he was regarded by mainstream media as a “preacher of hate.” This negative portrayal from mainstream media can be attributed to the fact that much of mainstream media was targeted towards white Americans and Christianity was mainly accepted religion. So not only did Malcolm X represent a counter hegemonic ideology that put him in opposition to the majority, or white Americans, his position as a prominent Muslim leader who called for harsher actions in the fight for civil rights put him in opposition to Martin Luther King Jr. as well. His image in the media during this period of his life skewed more negatively as the dominant hegemonic views of the nation were ones that viewed the Nation of Islam in a negative and extremist light. Many black Muslims were thought of by others as anti-white, anti-integration, and anti-Christian. It is because of this as well as his position in opposition to Martin Luther King Jr., that violence is an idea that is most often associated with Malcolm X and the movements he led and supported. While Malcolm X did not necessarily instigate any violence directly by himself, the media still pinned much of it on him and what he represented, and characterized him as a violent man and a threat to society. Malcolm X became the face of the movement as well as the scapegoat for the parts of it that weren’t perfect. 

During his lifetime Malcolm X was keenly aware of the power of media and his ability to sculpt his image through its lens. Throughout each period of his life he worked to shape the image that he presented to the public. He worked hard to make sure the image of Malcolm X that was presented to the public was one that was in line with the message he wanted to send. He has said that he had a theoretical grasp of what he coined the ‘science of imagery’. The science of imagery is what helped him in crafting his public image in order to best support his beliefs and actions. This theory is what allowed him to exploit his image for the sake of promoting black empowerment. He was able to identify and analyze his role in an ideological context and identify his role and representation within a larger context. The media did its job in representing his image as exciting and wild which allowed him to gain the level of fame and notoriety he did. The big personality and extremism that he represented is what allowed him to draw the eyes and ears of the white people in America at the time; it is also what solidified his place in history. The media helped cement his place as a controversial icon in American history, whether that be as a hero or villain, depending on which group of people one identifies with. 

His murder on February 21,1965 set in motion major coverage from various media outlets and journalists. People who had once demonized him throughout publications were now seeking truth from his murder as well as elevating his public image to that of a martyr. His death amplified his presence in the media as well as his representation throughout. Malcolm X predicted that the same predominately white media outlets that constantly demonized him and his image when he was alive would continue to do so after his death. He was right in this fact, most of them actually treated his death as not a loss of a public figure in society, but more of a relief to the communities and groups that feared him and his influence. His representation became heavily dependent on who the audience was and which media outlets they listened to. 

In a Smithsonian Channel documentary released in 2018 it becomes very clear that so much about Malcolm X’s life got lost in translation as a result of the media’s bias. How his life was told, and how his story was regarded by people became so tainted by biased media influenced by the hegemonic ideals of American society. It becomes clear that many media outlets and journalists cherry picked which parts of his story they would use when telling his story, leading to a tainted version of who the man really was being what was shown to the masses. The media presented Malcolm X in a negative, violent light without giving context to which he may have seemed angry or violent. A prominent image the media circulated was of Malcolm holding a gun peaking out his front door. This image was used to paint him in a violent and aggressive way, supporting the negative pesona of him built by the media. However, if one was to look at Malcolm X’s experience as a whole, it should be noted that the nursery in his house where his newborn daughter slept had actually been firebombed, which is why he may have been seen taking such precautions to protect himself and his family. The documentary provides context to his story, allowing the viewer to see the charismatic, thoughtful man that was behind the mask of this prominent, iconic figure. It showcases how many people stereotype him as an angry, aggressive black man, when in reality he was very intellectual and cunning with his words which is what allowed him to rise to the level of prominence he did. The media tended to skate over the level of intellect that Malcolm X had which fed into the angry black man persona and allowed his demonized and threatening image to become more known than the images of him debating or speaking to the masses that highlight his intellect and leadership abilities.

Overall, Malcom X’s representation in the media is fluid and ever evolving, especially as more modern pieces are put out attempting to re-analyze his life and his place in American history. Malcolm X remains a controversial American icon that is regarded differently to various groups of people. He allowed himself to be constantly and continually viewed through the lens of media throughout his life, guaranteeing that we will never have access to unmediated Malcolm. His theoretical grasp of what he termed the science of imagery allowed him to exploit his own image in the interests of black empowerment leading to the emergence of many activist groups today. His death had a huge impact on representation in the media and helped raise questions regarding how Malcolm X, and people like him, are represented to the greater American public, and why those outlets chose to showcase their image within history and society certain ways.