revolutionary action movement (ram) - Michael Schwartz Library

105
From government documents published in 1964 on Malcolm, the U .S . government
estimated that Malcolm had set U .S . foreign policy in Africa back
ten years . Malcolm became a prime target of the U .S . government's intelligence
apparatus -- FBI, Army Intelligence and CIA . Other cities also exploded
during the summer of 1964 and the repressive forces were blaming it
on Malcolm rather than on the conditions that caused the rebellions .
In a domestic context Washington saw Malcolm as a long-range
threat : He was widely popular with the black masses, but
plagued by organizational and recruiting problems that reduced
his political effectiveness . But in foreign affairs
Malcolm was an imminent and serious danger ; more than any
other single factor he was responsible for the growing suspicion
and fear with which many African countries viewed
Washington's intentions .
Washington did not accept this threat to its Third World
relations with equanimity . Malcolm X had become a marked
man . 36
When Malcolm returned from Africa in November,
1964, he described his
experiences in Africa and
the Middle East and began to talk more about
socialism in the Third World .
Almost every one of the countries that has gotten independence
has devised some kind of socialist system . . . . None of them
are adopting the capitalist system because they realize they
can't operate a capitalistic system unless you are vulturistic :
you have to have someone else's blood to suck to be a capitalist
. 37
But Malcolm's organization and his personal life were in a shambles . The
pressure from the repressive forces was taking its toll on him . Malcolm
tried to regroup . He set up a liberation school within the OAAU . He returned
to Africa to consolidate support for his petition to the U .N .
Malcolm had opened up avenues for brothers and sisters who were Muslims
36 Eric Norden, "The Assassination of Malcolm X ." Hustler , (December
1978), p . 98 .
37 George Breitman, The Last Year of Malcolm X (New York : Schocken
Books, 1967), pp . 19-20 .