Source: Les Payne. The Dead Are Arising - The Life of Malcolm X (2020)
Malcolm X was beyond-concerned that the meeting with the KKK in Atlanta would haunt him forever in the NOI. That being said, he was excited by the idea of being the vanguard of the NOI heading to Atlanta, with the role of Jeremiah X to observe and report back to Chicago. Malcolm X and Jeremiah X were also instructed to keep the entire affair secret, which ended Malcolm X’s hopes of a “Harlem Hey Day”. Jeremiah X made the necessary phone call to set up the secret meeting with the Georgia Ku Klux Klan, and the lead KKK negotiator agreed to meet on 28 January 1961 at the home of Jeremiah X.
On that day, a motorcade of ten cars of at least 30 white men stopped in front of the home of Jeremiah X. After police officers briefly spoke with the head of the motorcade, they left, and shortly thereafter the motorcade revved their engines and left in the same direction as the patrol car. Malcolm X and Jeremiah X thought the meeting had somehow been canceled, but then the ten car motorcade returned. A middle-aged white man knocked on the door and once he ascertained that both NOI men were present, he said that if he wasn’t out of the house in 15 minutes, the house would be burned down. The man at the door in the “Witch Hat” was W.S. Fellows, the leader of the Georgia KKK. Both NOI men addressed Fellows as an equal with no deference, and Fellows showed zero respect for the NOI men. After about twelve minutes, Fellows went outside to tell the motorcade that all was well, and he returned with other KKK men in tow.
At least one of the assembled KKK men was an FBI informer; that fact was unknown to the other men in the room. That informer filed an official report on the meeting on 30 January 1961. Some of the KKK men in the house which were actually in the kitchen being fed by Jeremiah X’s wife, which loosened Fellows up in his discussion with Malcolm X and Jeremiah X. Fellows made it very clear that hatred of the Jews was something that both groups had in common, even bragging about being a ringleader of a spectacle lynching of a Jew in 1915.
On that day, a motorcade of ten cars of at least 30 white men stopped in front of the home of Jeremiah X. After police officers briefly spoke with the head of the motorcade, they left, and shortly thereafter the motorcade revved their engines and left in the same direction as the patrol car. Malcolm X and Jeremiah X thought the meeting had somehow been canceled, but then the ten car motorcade returned. A middle-aged white man knocked on the door and once he ascertained that both NOI men were present, he said that if he wasn’t out of the house in 15 minutes, the house would be burned down. The man at the door in the “Witch Hat” was W.S. Fellows, the leader of the Georgia KKK. Both NOI men addressed Fellows as an equal with no deference, and Fellows showed zero respect for the NOI men. After about twelve minutes, Fellows went outside to tell the motorcade that all was well, and he returned with other KKK men in tow.
At least one of the assembled KKK men was an FBI informer; that fact was unknown to the other men in the room. That informer filed an official report on the meeting on 30 January 1961. Some of the KKK men in the house which were actually in the kitchen being fed by Jeremiah X’s wife, which loosened Fellows up in his discussion with Malcolm X and Jeremiah X. Fellows made it very clear that hatred of the Jews was something that both groups had in common, even bragging about being a ringleader of a spectacle lynching of a Jew in 1915.
Malcolm X was able to finally get the conversation steered to separation and reparations, per EM’s orders. Malcolm X argued that African-Americans would need a “Nest Egg” of their own in order to create their separate society, which meant that assistance with reparations was needed from the KKK. In completing EM’s directives, Malcolm X stated that the goal of the NOI was separation, not segregation. To the KKK, that distinction simply didn’t resonate, and if it did, they didn’t seem to care, with Fellows saying “it’s all the same thing to us”.
Malcolm X delighted in debating circles around the uneducated KKK, but he held back to keep withing the spirit of EM’s instructions; all the while, Jeremiah X was taking notes. The mission of the NOI men was not to score debating points or to humiliate their adversaries, which meant that Malcolm X had to engage in “limited warfare”. The KKK simply felt that they represented the sovereign state of Georgia as well as the entire South in that living room. Fellows went so far as to offer the NOI a partnership (e.g. auxiliary) in the KKK, even offering purple robes instead of white.
Technically violating EM’s orders, Malcolm X stated that sometimes violence was necessary to defend against hypocrites who tried to lead the group astray, and that in the NOI, that role was assigned to the Fruit of Islam (FOI). That statement got the attention of the white men in the room, including the FBI informant. Malcolm X moved on to try and find out why the telegram was sent, and Fellows said that he wanted the NOI to help the KKK fight the “scourge of integration”. Then Fellows let loose with his concerns over MLK, which shifted the entire mood in the living room. Fellows could barely contain his rage, since MLK represented a clear and present threat to the KKK and their reactionary world order.
Malcolm X delighted in debating circles around the uneducated KKK, but he held back to keep withing the spirit of EM’s instructions; all the while, Jeremiah X was taking notes. The mission of the NOI men was not to score debating points or to humiliate their adversaries, which meant that Malcolm X had to engage in “limited warfare”. The KKK simply felt that they represented the sovereign state of Georgia as well as the entire South in that living room. Fellows went so far as to offer the NOI a partnership (e.g. auxiliary) in the KKK, even offering purple robes instead of white.
Technically violating EM’s orders, Malcolm X stated that sometimes violence was necessary to defend against hypocrites who tried to lead the group astray, and that in the NOI, that role was assigned to the Fruit of Islam (FOI). That statement got the attention of the white men in the room, including the FBI informant. Malcolm X moved on to try and find out why the telegram was sent, and Fellows said that he wanted the NOI to help the KKK fight the “scourge of integration”. Then Fellows let loose with his concerns over MLK, which shifted the entire mood in the living room. Fellows could barely contain his rage, since MLK represented a clear and present threat to the KKK and their reactionary world order.
Fellows directly asked both NOI men if they knew where MLK lived, and also if they would supply him with MLK’s real-time movements when he returned to Atlanta. Fellows believed that the Ku Klux Klan and the NOI both had MLK as a common enemy. The requests by Fellows embarrassed Malcolm X, as well had disheartening and shaming him. What made Malcolm X feel even worse was that the KKK simply did not see the NOI as a threat like MLK. Worse yet was that Fellows saw the NOI as a potential ally; neither EM or Malcolm C had anticipated this development.
Malcolm X made it very clear to Fellows and his cohorts that the NOI would in no way assist the KKK in that regard. Fellows, not used to any direct resistance from African-Americans, reassured both men that the dirty work would be done by the KKK, and that nothing would be traced back to the NOI. Fellows flat-out said “You don’t have to kill him”. The issue was left unresolved, since neither Malcolm X or Jeremiah X had the authority to made a decision on behalf of the NOI, so the meeting transitioned to other topics.
During the 2+ hour meeting, Malcolm X came to realize that the only part of the NOI that the KKK respected was the Fruit of Islam (FOI), which had garnered the kind of reputation with it methods earned by secret police forces, such as the
Spetsnaz and mafia goon squads. Unknown to the 2nd KKK, the FOI only attacked African-Americans, not whites. One of the klansmen with Fellows produced a card, identifying himself as a member of the “Brothers KLAW”, the rough equivalent of the FOI. Jeremiah X was able to get one of those cards from Fellows, which proved useful in avoiding a speeding ticket as he traveled in Alabama. Malcolm X and Jeremiah X were caught off guard by the respect shown the FOI by the KKK, but they were also pleased that the FOI had earned their respect. Jeremiah X placed that item concerning the FOI in the back of this mind to use, thinking he would be the one paying the price for this meeting in the NOI.
Malcolm X made it very clear to Fellows and his cohorts that the NOI would in no way assist the KKK in that regard. Fellows, not used to any direct resistance from African-Americans, reassured both men that the dirty work would be done by the KKK, and that nothing would be traced back to the NOI. Fellows flat-out said “You don’t have to kill him”. The issue was left unresolved, since neither Malcolm X or Jeremiah X had the authority to made a decision on behalf of the NOI, so the meeting transitioned to other topics.
During the 2+ hour meeting, Malcolm X came to realize that the only part of the NOI that the KKK respected was the Fruit of Islam (FOI), which had garnered the kind of reputation with it methods earned by secret police forces, such as the
Spetsnaz and mafia goon squads. Unknown to the 2nd KKK, the FOI only attacked African-Americans, not whites. One of the klansmen with Fellows produced a card, identifying himself as a member of the “Brothers KLAW”, the rough equivalent of the FOI. Jeremiah X was able to get one of those cards from Fellows, which proved useful in avoiding a speeding ticket as he traveled in Alabama. Malcolm X and Jeremiah X were caught off guard by the respect shown the FOI by the KKK, but they were also pleased that the FOI had earned their respect. Jeremiah X placed that item concerning the FOI in the back of this mind to use, thinking he would be the one paying the price for this meeting in the NOI.
Jeremiah X believed it would be at least somewhat beneficial to establish an informal non-aggression pact with the KKK, since he lived in Atlanta. Unlike Malcolm X at that point in time, Jeremiah X would intentionally lapse into his “Uncle Tom” persona in order to ingratiate himself with even the most aggressive whites, which he did during the meeting with the KKK. As the meeting closed, Fellows suggested that they create an ID code for future meetings. Malcolm X suggested 121 for the NOI, and he convinced the KKK to take 666, the number of the beast from Revelations.
Fellows and the rest of this entourage went straight to a movie theater where they conducted an anti-integration event. One speaker at the rally indicated that it was okay to help African-Americans relocate to segregate themselves from whites. In private with the Imperial Wizard, the meeting with the NOI was discussed (with the FBI informant present), and plans were made to follow up with Jeremiah X at the very least.
In Chicago, EM seemed satisfied with Malcolm X’s verbal account of the meeting and with this written report, but EM did pick up on Malcolm X’s resentment at being limited in what he was allowed to do. EM made it very clear that the meeting with the KKK needed to remain a secret, even inside the NOI. Jeremiah X, with EM’s support, developed long-term contacts from the 1961 meeting with the KKK that allowed him to negotiate with white business owners and farmers, which didn’t exactly inspire confidence with most of the areas African-Americans as the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum.
The NOI’s crossover connections with the KKK became a sort of tragi-comedy, with Jeremiah X actually taking photos (and being photographed) with members of the KKK, with none other than MLK present. MLK advised Jeremiah X to not cross the street to engage members of the KKK; Jeremiah X’s response was to dismiss MLK as ignorant.
Fellows and the rest of this entourage went straight to a movie theater where they conducted an anti-integration event. One speaker at the rally indicated that it was okay to help African-Americans relocate to segregate themselves from whites. In private with the Imperial Wizard, the meeting with the NOI was discussed (with the FBI informant present), and plans were made to follow up with Jeremiah X at the very least.
In Chicago, EM seemed satisfied with Malcolm X’s verbal account of the meeting and with this written report, but EM did pick up on Malcolm X’s resentment at being limited in what he was allowed to do. EM made it very clear that the meeting with the KKK needed to remain a secret, even inside the NOI. Jeremiah X, with EM’s support, developed long-term contacts from the 1961 meeting with the KKK that allowed him to negotiate with white business owners and farmers, which didn’t exactly inspire confidence with most of the areas African-Americans as the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum.
The NOI’s crossover connections with the KKK became a sort of tragi-comedy, with Jeremiah X actually taking photos (and being photographed) with members of the KKK, with none other than MLK present. MLK advised Jeremiah X to not cross the street to engage members of the KKK; Jeremiah X’s response was to dismiss MLK as ignorant.
While continuing to make commercial ties with the KKK, Jeremiah X developed a relationship with such Civil Rights leaders as Medgar Evers; yet Jeremiah X attended a daylight KKK rally in 1962 in Atlanta, and was even positively singled-out in the crowd by a speaker. Malcolm X believed that the NOI had betrayed the very constituents it claimed to support and protect. Malcolm X’s eyes finally started to open in terms of seeing who EM really was; it was the secret cooperation with the NOI and the KKK that let Malcolm X to that epiphany, and his repulsion was primal. EM noticed the change in Malcolm X, and he didn’t involve him in future NOI dealings with the KKK, even banning Malcolm X from going to the South, since that was Jeremiah X’s realm for the NOI.
The only thing the FBI was interested in was the potential for NOI violence, never really believing the KKK was much of a threat in comparison. The FBI informant in the KKK did not feature the death threats towards MLK in his report of the NOI meeting; it’s also possible that Hoover made sure that if there was a reference, it wasn’t included in the official report. The more Malcolm X learned from his confidential sources about EM’s “Southern Strategy”, the more Malcolm X doubted and distrusted EM. EMs disciples told him that Malcolm X was asking probing and sensitive questions, and he became increasingly wary. Throughout EM’s overtures and deals with the KKK, the NOI always came out on the short end of the stick, which was the ultimate goal (and thrill) of the KKK.
Malcolm X never did describe or chronicle the meeting with the KKK, not even in his autobiography. Willing to talk about any other risky venture in his life, Malcolm X refused to do so regarding the KKK. It was only after his total break with the NOI that Malcolm X talked about the meeting, seeing it as a shameful breach and a huge error in his judgment.
The only thing the FBI was interested in was the potential for NOI violence, never really believing the KKK was much of a threat in comparison. The FBI informant in the KKK did not feature the death threats towards MLK in his report of the NOI meeting; it’s also possible that Hoover made sure that if there was a reference, it wasn’t included in the official report. The more Malcolm X learned from his confidential sources about EM’s “Southern Strategy”, the more Malcolm X doubted and distrusted EM. EMs disciples told him that Malcolm X was asking probing and sensitive questions, and he became increasingly wary. Throughout EM’s overtures and deals with the KKK, the NOI always came out on the short end of the stick, which was the ultimate goal (and thrill) of the KKK.
Malcolm X never did describe or chronicle the meeting with the KKK, not even in his autobiography. Willing to talk about any other risky venture in his life, Malcolm X refused to do so regarding the KKK. It was only after his total break with the NOI that Malcolm X talked about the meeting, seeing it as a shameful breach and a huge error in his judgment.