‘Life of Louise Norton Little’ explores mother of Malcolm X

Most biographies of Malcolm X provide little insight into the life of his mother, Louise Little.  

Her life is often dismissed with the phrase “she was in a mental institution,” ignoring fascinating facts like the busy mother was also the national recording secretary for Marcus Garvey’s pan-African movement, which commanded millions of followers throughout the 1920s and ’30s. 

But a new book, “The Life of Louise Norton Little: An extraordinary woman: Mother of Malcolm X and his 7 siblings,” fills in the blanks on her remarkable life, spent mostly in Michigan. The book meticulously details a life that was more than an asterisk. It shows how formidable and self-reliant she was during a time that the voice of an African American woman was not heard. 

How the book came about is a story unto itself with lots of moving parts, including the work of author Jessica Russell, who resides in the United Kingdom. Russell is also a part-time blogger with an interest in mental health treatment and issues. It was in one of her blogs, penned more than 10 years ago, that she decried how little is known about X’s mother.  

She had no expectations anything would come of it, but then a family member of Louise Little emailed her. The result is the 2021 book, which provides the most comprehensive look at Louise Little and the Little family. 

Her granddaughter Deborah Jones, a niece of Malcolm X, had a catbird’s seat in the development of the book, especially since the co-authors were her late brother, Steve Jones Sr., and her late Aunt Hilda Little, the oldest sister of Malcolm X. Deborah Jones is credited as the book’s photographer, with Steve Jones and Hilda Little as contributors. 

Since Steve Jones and Hilda Little died before the book was published, Deborah Jones has taken over the role of family historian. Last month, she spoke at rededication of the Malcolm X historical marker at 1003 Vincent Court in Lansing. 

“My brother Steve was the real family historian and when he came across the blog, he had me email Jessica,” she said in an interview from the study in her Grand Rapids home, which is filled with family photographs. “I get my energy and spirit from the people looking down on me,” Jones said. 

Jones said after her brother began communicating with Russell, he was able to convince his Aunt Hilda Little, Malcom X’s older sister, to talk. 

“He told her the world needs to know what happened to her,” Jones said, referring to Malcolm X’s mother. “Aunt Hilda was a very private person even among family, and Russell was able to get Aunt Hilda’s trust.” 

That trust was further cemented when Russell flew to Michigan to meet with the family in Lansing and at Woodland Park, the Black-owned northern Michigan resort where Hilda Little lived. 

After nearly a decade of indepth conversations with Little, a clearer picture of Malcom X’s mother was finally documented. Louise Little’s origin story begins on the Caribbean Island of Grenada, which she left on a steamer boat at 21. From there, she sailed to Newfoundland and then made her way inland to Montreal, where she met and married Earl Little. 

The 365-page paperback also explores the Littles’ involvement with Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association and Earl Little’s time as a traveling preacher, which eventually landed the family in Lansing. From the beginning, the family’s reception in Lansing was fraught with problems. Their first home was destroyed by arson, forcing the first of two moves. 

Garvey supporters were noted for their focus on self-reliance and self-determination, and the Little family was no different. That would all change when Earl Little was killed in an unusual trolley car accident on Lansing east side— which many consider murder — leaving a widowed Louise Little to raise her brood on her own. After a late pregnancy, Little got on the radar of the local welfare organizations, leading a judge to determine she was mentally incompetent and should be sent to Kalamazoo State Hospital. She remained there for 25 years till she was released to family and moved to Woodland Park with her adult daughters, Hilda and Yvonne. 

Russell’s impeccable research regarding Little’s institutionalization includes a trail of old paperwork. Documents detailing her incarceration are in the form of doctor and attendant notes kept by Kalamazoo State Hospital. Those records were obtained and preserved by Hilda Little in a sealed envelope. 

The contents of the envelope remained unopened and unread until Russell began her mission to document the story.  

“I began crying,” Deborah Jones said, when she first saw the cover of the book featuring the passport photo of Louise Little.  

“For more than 25 years she was able to live among the children she was taken away from. She was able to spend time with family,” Jones said. 

Jones said she didn’t learn about her grandmother’s life until she was around 10 years old. “The story was shared when we were old enough to understand,” she said. 

At 13, Jones said she was finally able to meet her grandmother for the first time while she was on leave from Kalamazoo State Hospital. “I remember it as if it was yesterday,” she recalled. 

And while she grew up in the family, hearing various firsthand accounts, Jones said she is thrilled the remarkable story of Louie Little has been properly outlined for her and everyone else to read. It’s something she never thought possible.  

“And to think the whole story came out because of a blog post — wow,” she said. “That story outside of our family is one that few knew until now.”