Near the end of his life, in 1964, Malcolm X took a hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudia Arabia that transformed him. For the first time, he was treated as an equal, not a second class citizen. As he would later note, he saw "all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans" getting along in harmony and equality. He began to see that racial reconciliation between whites and blacks was possible and that not all...
Near the end of his life, in 1964, Malcolm X took a hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudia Arabia that transformed him. For the first time, he was treated as an equal, not a second class citizen. As he would later note, he saw "all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans" getting along in harmony and equality. He began to see that racial reconciliation between whites and blacks was possible and that not all whites were devils.
He wrote that “the Holy City of Mecca had been the first time I had ever stood before the Creator of All and felt like a complete human being.”
Not only did he rethink his hatred of whites, he revised his ideas of black separatism. Brotherhood, he realized, was possible, for he had experienced it.
Malcolm X's courage in openly changing his views was an inspiration to many. If he had previously made a contribution to black pride by encouraging blacks to embrace their identity and independence, he now showed that it was possible to embrace a wider vision that included all of humanity.
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