Chapter 12 - Summary, The Autobiography Of Malcolm X | The Autobiography of Malcolm X -Summary, Themes & Characters - Novels PDF Download

Savior

• In the spring of 1952 Malcolm is up for parole. He decides to go back to Detroit instead of Harlem or Boston since there is a large community of Nation of Islam followers there, and the police won't know him.
• Before he leaves for Detroit, Malcolm buys three things: glasses, a suitcase, and a wristwatch.
• In Detroit, he sees all of the oppression that he's been reading about in prison. He'd been seeing it all of his life, but he now he understands it.
• Malcolm lives with his brother Wilfred, and he is amazed to see how a Muslim family operates. It's much more orderly, calm, and peaceful than any family situation Malcolm has ever seen. This is where he learns how to pray and other social aspects of being a Muslim.
• On Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, Malcolm goes to Detroit Temple Number One. He's never seen so many black people so happy to see each other in his entire life. There's only one problem: the congregation is small. Everyone else seems to be okay with that; but you know Malcolm, he always wants more.
• This time, he's willing to wait because he is so excited to finally meet Elijah Muhammad. He sounds like a kid waiting to meet Santa Claus. Malcolm listens to Mr. Muhammad's preaching, and then he's shocked when Elijah Muhammad also makes a parable about him right in the middle of the sermon. Later Malcolm gets to ask Mr. Muhammad how many Muslims there should be at their temple, and when he replies that there should be thousands, Malcolm makes up his mind that he is going to be a great evangelist for the Nation of Islam.
• Around this time, Malcolm finally gets his name changed. From now on he is known as Malcolm X instead of Malcolm Little.
• Malcolm X's first attempts at recruiting don't go very well. Even the people who agree to come to the temple don't show up. But after a couple of months he manages to triple the membership of the Temple.
• By the way, did we tell you that Malcolm X is obsessed with Elijah Muhammad? Seriously. He would do anything for that guy. It's officially bro-mantic.
• So when Elijah Muhammad tells Malcolm X that he should be a minister one day, you can imagine his reaction. He tells us that even though he speaks on radio, television, and national platforms, he's never as excited as he was the first time he spoke as Detroit Temple Number One's Assistant Minister.
• He speaks to the audience about slavery and the rape that transpired during that time. He gets so emotional that sometimes he just wanders the streets thinking about the atrocities that were committed.
• One day, men from the FBI come to ask Malcolm why he hasn't registered for the Korean War draft. When he goes to the draft board to clear everything up, he tells them that he is a conscientious objector.
• Malcolm spends a bunch of time hanging out with Elijah Muhammad and his mom. They talk for hours, or go visit Muslim owned stores, or Muhammad teaches Malcolm different life lessons. When he's with Muhammad's mom, Malcolm gets to learn his whole life story.
• Malcolm picks up the story where Elijah Muhammad's mom leaves off and tells us about W. D. Fard. He taught the Koran and the Bible, and sold silk. This guy is the one who taught Elijah Muhammad about Allah, Islam, and the idea that African Americans are descendants of Muslims.
• Eventually, Fard reveals that he is the Messiah to Elijah Muhammad. They start University of Islam together, and Muhammad is named supreme Minister. Suddenly in 1934, Master Fard disappears.
• Muhammad goes on the lam, running away from "hypocrites" who are trying to kill him. He is arrested in 1942 and released in 1946.
• Malcolm believes every single word that Elijah Muhammad says and convinces his entire Temple to believe the same.