by Andrea Williams
Viking Press, the publisher of Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention, predicts that Dr. Manning Marable’s epic account of the life and death of one of America’s most celebrated and vilified activists “will stand as the definitive work on the man and his legacy.” Though only time can prove the validity of that claim, the book’s April 4th release sparked a media firestorm almost immediately. Despite receiving praise from notable African-American intellectuals, including Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson and Henry Louis Gates, the book has also garnered its fair share of critics and others who have eagerly sensationalized parts of the content. We’ve read all 487 pages of the book that took Marable two decades to write, and here shed light on some of the most controversial topics concerning his personal life.
Malcolm’s Sexuality
Though it wasn’t the first time that the possibility of Malcolm X’s homosexuality was raised (Bruce Perry addressed it in his 1992 biography), Marable’s description of an ongoing relationship with wealthy white businessman William Paul Lennon has angered many of Malcolm’s supporters. But upon careful examination, Marable stops short of casting it as a full-on, intimate affair, describing the experience as “limited.” What is clear is that Lennon hired Malcolm as an employee and required him to engage in some kinky – but not overtly sexual – acts. This relationship occurred prior to Malcolm’s incarceration and subsequent conversion to Islam and according to Marable, “there is no evidence from his prison life in Massachusetts or from his personal life after 1952 that he was actively homosexual.” Though some have suggested that this was only a small indication of Malcolm’s true, suppressed, sexuality, a more plausible explanation for any “bisexual” turn is sheer financial need. During his days as the unlawful, immoral “Detroit Red”, Malcolm engaged in all sorts of debauchery in the name of getting paid. Sprinkling talcum powder on a certain Boston bachelor just came with the territory.
Malcolm’s Marriage
When Evelyn Williams met Malcolm Little sometime in the early- to mid-1940s, she fell for him completely. And throughout Malcolm’s involvement with numerous other women and even his incarceration, her allegiance never waned. After his metamorphosis into Malcolm X, charismatic leader of Black Nationalism, she was still there – even joining the Nation of Islam. For his part Malcolm held some deep-seeded feelings for Williams, even proposing in 1956. Unfortunately, Evelyn’s connection to his Detroit Red past concerned Malcolm, causing him to call off the engagement. According to Marable, he needed a wife that knew only of his life as the dedicated minister, hence the marriage to Betty (Sanders) Shabazz. The relationship was on shaky ground from the beginning.
At 32, Malcolm was already well planted on the fast track to national – and later international – celebrity. With a schedule that demanded his attendance at events around the country, as well as his responsibilities as the Minister of Harlem Mosque No. 7, he simply wasn’t around to ensure that his marriage got off on the right foot. During one of his trips, just four months into the marriage, a pregnant Betty was arrested when New York police raided their home.
In considering Malcolm’s past experiences with women, coupled with the Nation’s theology, Manning also suggests that, “because he viewed all women as inherently inferior and subordinate to males, he was not looking for a spouse with whom he would share his innermost feelings. He expected his wife to be obedient and chaste, to bear his children and to maintain a Muslim household.” This certainly didn’t sit well with Betty. As a college-educated, independent woman who wasn’t afraid to challenge authority (she defied her parents wishes when she agreed to marry Malcolm), she had a mind of her own and wasn’t afraid to speak up.
It is within this unstable environment that Betty made what appears to be empty threats to Malcolm about finding “satisfaction” elsewhere. Malcolm, with no one close to him that could offer advice on a peer-to-peer level, turned to his mentor, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, for support.
Malcolm’s Fidelity
Because of the careful protection of his image within the Nation of Islam and his awareness of his influence, it is unlikely that Malcolm would be careless enough to commit adultery — especially after news of Elijah Muhammad’s numerous affairs and illegitimate offspring rocked the Nation. These exploits would become one of the main catalyst’s for Malcolm’s break from the sect.
Nevertheless, Manning gives two accounts of inappropriate behavior by Malcolm, the first occurring while he was traveling in Switzerland. Malcolm ran into a woman named Fifi that he had met previously and, according to his personal diary entry, she surprised him by saying that she was madly in love with him. He also mentioned in his journal that she stopped by his hotel room later that evening. He did not, however, write any details about the visit. This ambiguity led Marable to question Malcolm’s fidelity, though it is obviously unclear what actually happened. He later admits that, regarding that situation, “no certainty can be had.”
The second event, or series of events, centered around Sharon 6x Poole, a member of the Nation of Islam’s Harlem mosque. Apparently she and Malcolm spent quite a bit of time together in the weeks before his death. Marable even asserts that she may have visited his hotel the night before his assassination. While their repeated interactions may have actually occurred, it is likely attributed to her affiliation with the Newark mosque, which was attended by each of the men who were ultimately responsible for Malcolm’s murder. It is probable that Sharon’s role may have been to get close to Malcolm in hopes of discovering a weakness or some other inside information that could aid in the plot to kill him.
As Manning states, she currently lives in New Jersey with Linwood X Cathcart, a Nation of Islam loyalist who, against the wishes of Malcolm’s supporters, attended the rally at New York’s Audubon Theater when Malcolm was killed. She was also a key police informant following the assassination, deftly shifting the blame away from the true perpetrators from New Jersey and focusing attention on members from Harlem Mosque No. 7. These individuals may have had violent histories, but were nonetheless absent from the Audubon on February 21, 1965. Manning asserts that, to this day, Poole “has maintained absolute silence about her relationships with both Malcolm X and Cathcart.”
Betty’s Fidelity
While Malcolm spent the last half of 1964 touring Africa and the Middle East, Betty and her daughters were left in the care of Charles X Kenyatta, one of Malcolm’s supporters. Marable notes that, “Betty must have felt utterly abandoned. With four children age five and under, without adequate finances, and caring for a newborn infant by herself, she could hardly have believed that her husband’s political responsibilities should take precedence over her personal needs.”
Still, she grew to develop a close relationship with Kenyatta that many deemed inappropriate. Though Marable states that “the actual extent of their relationship is difficult to discern,” people close to Malcolm believed that they were intimate because of the fact that they took numerous trips around town. These outings were observed by FBI informants – who both Betty and Kenyatta were aware of – which suggests that their actions were conspicuous because they didn’t have anything to hide.
Marable quotes another of Malcolm’s followers, James 67X, who believed that Betty was involved with Kenyatta and also claimed that she made advances toward him personally. Interestingly, Betty did not care for James 67X because she believed he was responsible for her husband’s frequent travels.
