Zoot Suit Reflection

The youth of Malcolm X contrasts greatly with his adulthood. It contrasted so greatly that Malcolm himself diminished the importance of his youth in the development of the man he had become. I think there are a couple of reasons for this and I would like to discuss which reason is more viable. The concept of a double-v was used during Malcolm's youth to describe the current situation blacks found themselves in. A victory abroad without a victory over racism at home would be a failure. This sentiment manifested itself into many protests against the white establishment and the black involvement in it, for example, the zoot suit. 

Zoot suiters, Malcolm included, wore flashy suits that used up a lot of material. They were protesting efforts to conserve resources for the war while also rebelling against the dominion whites held over society. Malcolm later diminished the importance of his actions during this zoot suit era. Why would he do such a thing? Robin Kelley argues that this time was a very important influence on the man Malcolm X would become. I think that there are two possible explanations for the disregard of his past. The first would be the respect and prestige that he had garnered from becoming a Civil Right leader. His methods were at time radical, but everything that he did as an adult was towards the goal of racial equality. It is possible that Malcolm felt that the activities of his youth were not aimed at any greater goal, just actions to satisfy his youthful urges. The second explanation would be his religion. As an adult Malcolm converted to Islam and along with this comes many rules and guidelines to live by. The actions of his youth were in direct contrast with the teachings of Islam and I think that in order to legitimize himself in the eyes of his Islamic peers, Malcolm had to distance himself from anything in his past that was unsavory. This is indeed my interpretation and I am interested to hear other people's opinion on the matter.