NOT SOLD (BIDDING OVER)
0.00USD+ applicable fees & taxes.
This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2002 Nov 16 @ 10:00UTC-08:00 : PST/AKDT
<b>497. MALCOLM X</b> (1925 - 1965) American civil rights and Muslim leader, a brilliant orator who preached black separatism and nationalism, assassinated while giving a speech in Harlem. A superb, very rare, fine content T.L.S. "<i>Malcolm X</i>" 4pp. 4to., New York, Mar. 25, 1959, in which X writes to Elijah Muhammad about his failing relationship with his wife, Betty. At the time of this letter, X was involved in a heavy speaking schedule which brought him to such diverse places as New York, the United Arab Republic, Sudan and Uganda. He had married Betty Jean Sanders on Feb, 21, 1958, whereupon Betty immediately became pregnant with the first of X's daughters, Atallah, born in November 1958. Very likely worn down by the crush of publicity which began to surround him following the Jan. 1959 airing of a week-long television special with Mike Wallace titled "The Hate That Hate Produced", X writes to his mentor in painful, intimate detail about his anguished home life. In small part: "<i>...I do not like to burden you with personal troubles of my own, but I feel obligated to you to enclose the facts that are contained in this letter. It is to you (thanks to ALLAH) who made me what I am today, and I owe my life and my entire being to you...I did not give you all the facts on my domestic affairs...Thinking that as a man, a Muslim, and as a minister what I was automatically responsible and to blame for whatever condition my domestic affairs had fallen to I in no way said anything at any time to make my wife look bad or to make her look to blame...I have never made love to Sister Lucille nor to Minister Robert's Sister (Betty Sue). I did propose marriage to Sister Betty Sue, but never made love to her, nor do I think that I ever even told her that I loved her. My proposal was governed by a suggestion to me, but when I learned it to be only a suggestion I quickly tried to get out of it, for which I recognize my error (in building her hopes). Of the above Sisters, Sister Evelyn is the only one who had a legitimate beef against me...Most brothers who follow are slow to get married...This creates a situation where the Sisters are more forward and aggressive in seeking husbands than the brothers are in seeking wives. I mention this not out of argument, disrespect, disagreement....I am not without blame or fault; and have many weaknesses...I stayed single a long time because I knew my own weaknesses and shortcomings, and felt that marriage would blunt my affectiveness [sic]. I just could not see where I could devote the time to a sister that is demanded by the women of today...When I did marry it was at a time of great mental and spiritual weakness...Despite that I didn't marry on the spur of the moment...I deliberated long, and selected carefully. I chose Betty over the others for many reasons (and even right now I think she beats all of them). She was physically strong, near my height, looked something like me, and seemed to be able to produce children that would be strong and resemble such. Plus she seemed intelligent, and had training qualifications that could be helpful to me in my work; and she was the darkest of the three...What then started our down hill marriage? Betty had some debts...I didn't want to her to think she had married a `good thing' so I let her of her own free will continue to work and pay them off. That was one of my main mistakes, because she soon wanted me to chauffeur her to work at 6 A.M. every morning, which I outright refused to do. She had other luxurious tastes which I immediately began to curb...But the main source of our trouble was based on SEX. She placed a great deal more stress upon it than I was physically capable of doing...At a time when I was going all out to try and keep her satisfied (sexually), one day she told me that we were incompatible sexually because I had never given her any real satisfaction. From then on, try as I may I began to become very cool toward her. I didn't ever again feel right (free) with her in that sense...She began to sense that she was losing her hold over me, which by nature made her then begin to resort to various female tricks to try and get around the barrier that was becoming between us...Its [sic] easier for a woman to pretend than a man. She stayed miserable during her expectancy, and those were nine of the most miserable months of my life too...She cursed the day she married and of being pregnant, and she cursed me too...Many a night she screamed and hollered until 5 o'clock in the morning, and I know the neighbors and other Muslims in the house must know it...One of the things that made it worse was my not intending to be ruled by a woman...Things got so bad between us that I stopped sleeping in the same bed with her the last three months of her pregnancy until 3 months after her pregnancy...She would always talk of packing her bag and leave, until I started agreeing with her that I think it best, too, then she'd change...She was always talking about getting a divorce...Whenever she is leaving for a vacation somewhere...then she gets lovey dovey, confessing all her faults and promising to do better when she returns...and I think she always really means it. I had stopped all sexual relations with her. Shortly after her return from Chicago, she said to me that if I didn't watch out she was going to embarrass me and herself...So I renewed relations with her (after six months of abstenance [sic]). Again she this time outright told me that I was impotent...and even tho I could father a child I was like an old man (not engage in the act long enough to satisfy her). I had a frank discussion with her, and told her for the first time that this was the source of all our troubles. Her remarks like this were very heartbreaking to me (and would be to any other man). I explained that if a woman thinks a man is not a man sexually, she should never tell him that, especially her husband, because from then on he will always think she is pretending no matter how she acts...By you being a man I think you can understand what I mean. Bro Secretary John and his family share this apartment with me and his wife and mine treat each other with intense hostility. They can be in the same kitchen, cooking on the same stove, and never speak. Because I won't side with my wife when these little `cat' actions come up, this also causes her upset. But I think the reason the two sisters don't get along is they both want their husbands...to go to great expense (and debt) to get them separate [sic] homes...As a man, a Muslim, and a minister my home life has been so far from Muslim like that I have had difficulty for some time getting the spirit to teach when I'm in New York...I wasn't complaining to your wife because I wanted my business in the street, but I even told her that I was telling you so she could tell you at a time when you were relaxed and free from the pressure of some of your other problems...In closing, I'd like to point out that I'm not finding fault with Betty, for I think she's only doing what all other Sisters would do and the way they'd react under the same circumstances. In fact, I think she has stood up longer and better with me than most...Betty is the only Muslim that I've ever been very very mean to, and she is my wife, which makes it all the more hurting to me. My marriage life has made me feel so bad (and at times guilty) that I've stayed out there on the highway in rain and snow going from temple to temple, rather than face the things here at home. Please forgive the language and topic of this letter. I write it out of all due love and respect for you, as Our Beloved Leader and Teacher from the Lord of the Worlds...I write meekly, humbly, and respectfully to you hoping the knowledge of this will enable you to speak to my wife from any angle...[in holograph] I humbly and sincerely submit to Allah and His Messenger...</i>". With several holograph emendations in the text. A bit of marginal tearing to top, else very good condition. The best Malcolm X piece we've had the privilege of handling!<b>$15,000-20,000</b>
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