Malcolm X: Too Much Man for One Story

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.