"X" replaced the white slavemaster name of "Little" which some blue-eyed devil named Little had
imposed upon my paternal forebears. The receipt of my "X" meant that forever after in the nation
of Islam, I would be known as Malcolm X. Mr. Muhammad taught that we would keep this "X" until
God Himself returned and gave us a Holy Name from His own mouth.
Recruit as I would in the Detroit ghetto bars, in the poolrooms, and on the corners, I found my
poor, ignorant, brainwashed black brothers mostly too deaf, dumb, and blind, mentally, morally,
and spiritually, to respond. It angered me that only now and then would one display even a little
curiosity about the teachings that would resurrect the black man.
These few I would almost beg to visit Temple Number One at our next meeting. But then not half
of those who agreed to come would actually show up.
Gradually, enough were made interested, though, that each month, a few more automobiles
lengthened our caravans to Temple Two in Chicago. But even after seeing and hearing Elijah
Muhammad in person, only a few of the interested visitors would apply by formal letter to Mr.
Muhammad to be accepted for Nation of Islam membership.
With a few months of plugging away, however, our storefront Temple One about tripled its
membership. And that so deeply pleased Mr. Muhammad that he paid us the honor of a personal
visit.
Mr. Muhammad gave me warm praise when Minister Lemuel Hassan told how hard I had labored
in the cause of Islam.
Our caravans grew. I remember with what pride we led twenty-five automobiles to Chicago. And
each time we went, we were honored with dinner at the home of Elijah Muhammad. He was
interested in my potential, I could tell from things he would say.
And I worshiped him.
In early 1953, 1 left the furniture store. I earned a little better weekly pay check working at the Gar
Wood factory in Detroit, where big garbage truck bodies were made. I cleaned up behind the
welders each time they finished another truck body.
Mr. Muhammad was saying at his dining table by this time that one of his worst needs was more
young men willing to work as hard as they would have to in order to bear the responsibilities of
his ministers. He was saying that the teachings should be spreading further than they had, and
temples needed to be established in other cities.
It simply had never occurred to me that / might be a minister. I had never felt remotely qualified to
directly represent Mr. Muhammad. If someone had asked me about becoming a minister, I would
have been astonished, and told them I was happy and willing to serve Mr. Muhammad in the
lowliest capacity.
I don't know if Mr. Muhammad suggested it or if our Temple One Minister Lemuel Hassan on his
own decision encouraged me to address our assembled brothers and sisters. I know that I
testified to what Mr. Muhammad's teachings had done for me: "If I told you the life I have lived,
you would find it hard to believe me.... When I say something about the white man, I am not
talking about someone I don't know... ."
Soon after that, Minister Lemuel Hassan urged me to address the brothers and sisters with an
extemporaneous lecture. I was uncertain, and hesitant-but at least I had debated in prison, and I
tried my best. (Of course, I can't remember exactly what I said, but I do know that in my beginning
efforts my favorite subject was Christianity and the horrors of slavery, where I felt well-equipped
from so much reading in prison. )