The Hate That Hate Produced

The Hate That Hate Produced
Title	The Hate That Hate Produced
Director	Mike Wallace
Producer	Louis Lomax
Narrator	Mike Wallace
Network	WNTA-TV
Released	July 13–17, 1959
Runtime	Five-part series
Language	English

Contents

Background and Production
Content and Themes
Impact and Public Reaction
Relationship to the Civil Rights Movement
Historical Significance and Legacy

The Hate That Hate Produced

The Hate That Hate Produced is a five-part television documentary series that aired in July 1959 on WNTA-TV in New York City. Produced by journalist Louis Lomax and narrated by Mike Wallace, the program was a groundbreaking and controversial exposé on the Nation of Islam and its leader, Elijah Muhammad. Its broadcast brought the ideology of Black nationalism and the figure of Malcolm X to widespread national attention for the first time, significantly impacting public perception of the broader Civil rights movement.

Background and Production

The documentary was conceived by Louis Lomax, an African American journalist who had been researching the Nation of Islam. Lomax partnered with veteran newsman Mike Wallace, who was then hosting a nightly interview program called Night Beat. Their goal was to investigate and present a group that was largely unknown to the white American public and often misunderstood within the broader African American community. The production took place during a period of heightened racial tension, as the Civil rights movement was gaining momentum through the Montgomery bus boycott and the emerging leadership of figures like Martin Luther King Jr., who advocated for nonviolent resistance and integration.

Filming involved extensive interviews with Elijah Muhammad at the Nation's headquarters in Chicago, and with several of its ministers, most notably Malcolm X, the charismatic spokesman for Harlem's Muhammad's Temple No. 7. The title, The Hate That Hate Produced, was drawn from a line in the program suggesting that the Black separatism and anti-white rhetoric of the Nation were a direct response to the pervasive racism and White supremacy in American society.

Content and Themes

The documentary presented the Nation of Islam's theology and political platform in a stark, sensational manner. It detailed the group's belief that white people were "devils" created by an evil scientist named Yakub, its call for the establishment of a separate Black nation, and its strict moral code promoting economic self-sufficiency and discipline. A central focus was the fiery oratory of Malcolm X, who articulated a philosophy of Black pride and self-defense, explicitly rejecting the nonviolent approach of the mainstream Civil rights movement.

Themes of systemic oppression, White supremacy, and the psychological impact of racism were explored through the lens of the Nation's ideology. The program contrasted the Nation's message with the prevailing integrationist goals of organizations like the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). By framing the Nation as a product of America's own racial hatred, the documentary implicitly critiqued the nation's failure to address civil rights meaningfully.

Impact and Public Reaction

The broadcast had an immediate and seismic impact. For the vast majority of white viewers, it was their first encounter with Black nationalism and the powerful rhetoric of Malcolm X. The presentation, however, was widely criticized for its sensational tone, which many felt framed the Nation of Islam as a dangerous and hate-filled cult rather than providing deep sociological context. The mainstream Civil Rights Movement leadership, including Martin Luther King Jr., was alarmed, fearing the documentary would tarnish the movement's image and bolster white resistance to desegregation.

Within the African American community, reactions were mixed. Some were horrified by the portrayal, while others, particularly in northern urban centers, found the Nation's message of empowerment and uncompromising stance against racism resonant. The program undoubtedly catapulted Malcolm X to national prominence, making him a household name and a formidable alternative voice to the nonviolent leadership.

Relationship to the Civil Rights Movement

The Hate That Hate Produced fundamentally altered the landscape of the Civil rights movement by introducing a radical alternative to its dominant philosophy. It highlighted a deep ideological rift between the integrationist, Christian-inspired nonviolence of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the separatist, Islamic-informed militancy of the Nation of Islam. This tension framed a critical debate within Black America about tactics, goals, and identity.

The documentary forced the mainstream movement, often focused on the Jim Crow South, to contend with the different forms of oppression and alienation faced by Blacks in northern cities like New York, Detroit, and Chicago. Figures like Malcolm X used their newfound platform to critique the movement's leaders as "Uncle Toms" and to argue that rights could not be achieved through passive appeal to a morally bankrupt system. This dynamic created a productive tension, arguably pushing the movement to become more assertive and broadening the national conversation on race.

Historical Significance and Legacy