The Unforgivable Crime: Malcolm X, Black Nationalism, and the Hypocrisy of a Nation That Supports Zionism

Thank you Reda Rountree (she/her), Under the Golden Boot, M Hope, Evan, Judy, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.We are often taught that the Civil Rights Movement was a monolithic struggle for “integration.” We are taught that the goal was simply to sit at the same lunch counter, drink from the same water fountain, and be judged by the “content of our character.”But in 1963, during a conversation that has been largely erased from the mainstream historical record, Malcolm X offered a different diagnosis. He wasn’t just critiquing racism; he was critiquing the structure that produces it. And as I sat with this transcript in 2026, I realized that nothing has changed—except the names and the platforms.The Zionist Question as a MirrorIn the segment of the conversation I focused on, Malcolm is asked about Zionism. It’s a trap, or at least a test. He is being questioned about his Black Nationalist, Pan-Africanist politics, and the interviewer tries to corner him by asking about a different nationalist movement.Malcolm’s response, and the analysis I lay out in the transcript, flips the script. He points out the fundamental contradiction that exists then and now: Black Nationalism is criminalized, while Jewish Nationalism (Zionism) was supported and funded by Western powers.“When you throw the word black in front of nationalists, it adds a different stigma onto how we start thinking about nation building... So when we demonize black nationalists... while also simultaneously supporting the nation state of Israel, it shows there’s a contradiction.”In 1963, while the U.S. government was infiltrating, surveilling, and assassinating Black leaders who spoke of self-determination, they were actively helping “all these white Jews” establish a separate state in the midst of “dark-skinned people.”In 2026, we see the same dynamic. We are told that Black people asking for economic autonomy, separate community control, or reparations are “divisive” or “radical.” Yet the United States continues to fund a nationalist project abroad. The lesson is clear: Nationalism is only acceptable when it serves whiteness.The Black Bourgeoisie and the Puppet MastersMalcolm X didn’t just attack white supremacy; he attacked the Black leadership that enabled it. When asked about a poll showing that 90% of “Negro leaders” supported Dr. King and less than 20% supported Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm laughed.He pointed out that these “leaders” were Lena Horne, Dick Gregory, and baseball players—entertainers.“These aren’t leaders. These are puppets and clowns that have been sent up over the white community and over the black community... They genuinely say exactly what they know that the white man wants to hear.”This critique resonates deeply in 2026. We are told to rally behind Black celebrities and politicians who are “palatable” to the empire. But as Malcolm notes, the system is functioning exactly as designed. The Constitution wasn’t written for us; it was written to codify us as property.When I think about the modern Democratic Party, and the Black liberals who scold anyone critical of the status quo, I see the 1963 playbook in action. They trade in “identity politics” while ensuring the material reality of Black people—poverty, over-policing, health disparities—remains unchanged. They weaponize the tropes of “unity” and “stability” to silence those who, like Malcolm, demand autonomy, not just inclusion.The System Isn’t Broken; It’s WorkingOne of the hardest truths in the transcript is Malcolm’s dissection of the Constitution. He brings up Article 1, Section 2—the Three-Fifths Compromise.“It relates us to the level of cattle... a commodity that could be bought... It was written by whites, for the benefit of whites, and to the detriment of blacks.”I paused on this to connect it to something I recently learned about gerrymandering. There are counties in Tennessee where, for years, the electoral college counted livestock—cows, pigs, chickens—with more political weight than Black human beings. The hubris of placing animals before Black people didn’t end with the plantation; it was built into the zoning and districting maps of the 20th century.Malcolm X understood this. When we say the “system is failing,” we are wrong. It is operating exactly as the original framers intended. The only thing that has changed is the branding. The problem isn’t that America is broken; the problem is that America is doing exactly what it was designed to do. And as Malcolm warned, if you believe in reform rather than revolution, you are simply asking the arsonist to hand you a bucket of water.Separation and Self-DeterminationWhen asked for the “ideal solution,” Malcolm didn’t mince words. He proposed separation.He argued that if white people can get together and help European Jews establish a nation in the Middle East, then Black people in America should be given the resources to govern themselves. He wasn’t asking for handouts; he was asking for the machinery, the transportation, and the land to till.“If the white man doesn’t want us to go back to our own people... then since we can’t get along together in peace in this country with white people, let us separate part of this continent and migrate to that separate territory.”This isn’t about hate; it’s about autonomy. It is about the right to solve our own problems without begging the master to fix the chains. Malcolm predicted that if Black people were exposed to the truth about their history and the nature of the system, they would choose separation.In 2026, we are seeing the seeds of that truth take root. As public education is gutted and Black history is erased, we are forced to do our own research. As the “liberal” order crumbles and reveals its imperialist core, more of us are waking up to the reality that the Black bourgeoise tried to shield us from: The United States is not the Black man’s country.Education Is Elevation is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Critical Conclusion: Malcolm X’s Evolution from Separation to Global SolidarityIt would be intellectually dishonest—and a disservice to his legacy—to conclude this analysis without addressing the most profound transformation in Malcolm X’s life: his break with the Nation of Islam and his shift away from strict Black separatism.The Malcolm X we hear in this 1963 interview is Minister Malcolm, the national spokesman for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. He is disciplined, sharp, and unwavering in his commitment to the Nation’s doctrine of separation. He argues that Black people should not seek integration into white society but should demand their own land, their own economy, and their own nation.But history shows us that Malcolm X did not die with those views unchanged.Malcolm X was murdered for this tenacity. The same unapologetic nature that gets a man like Donald Trump elected president got Malcolm X killed. He was targeted because he refused to let the oppressor define the terms of the struggle.We are living in the shadow of 1963. The conversations about Zionism, Black leadership, the Constitution, and self-determination are not “old news.” They are the foundation of our current reality. As we watch the erasure of Black history and the commodification of Black identity, we must return to the source.We must stop asking to be integrated into a burning house and start building our own.Related Readings * The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X* Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements by George Breitman* The End of White World Supremacy: Four Speeches by Malcolm X (edited by Benjamin Karim)* Message to the Blackman in America by Elijah Muhammad* Black Bourgeoisie by E. Franklin Frazier* The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon* How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter RodneyI’m fighting to fill a critical void left by the retreat of public education and the corporate media. I document and teach the histories, legal frameworks, and cultural knowledge that are being systematically erased or distorted. With no corporate backing or wealthy sponsors, this work depends entirely on readers like you. As a Black educator and researcher, my work depends entirely on a community of readers, not corporate sponsors. If everyone reading this became a paid subscriber, we could build a full-time digital sanctuary: a new, independent source of PBS-depth reporting and curriculum, centered on Black expertise. But right now, less than 1% of my followers are paid subscribers.If you found value in this deep dive into Malcolm X’s evolution—if you believe that understanding his full journey is essential to navigating 2026—please consider upgrading your subscription. Your support allows me to continue this work: digging through archives, connecting historical dots, and providing the context they don’t want you to have. Together, we can build the independent, Black-centered media infrastructure that the establishment refuses to fund.Education Is Elevation is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theconsciouslee.substack.com/subscribe