John Lennon

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John Lennon
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October 9th, 1940

• According to legend, John Lennon was born during
  a German air raid to Alfred and Julia Lennon.
• John was sent to be raised by his aunt after his
  father left and his mothers morals were
  questioned by child services.
• Julia was killed when John was 17.
• Parallels John Lennons parents were musically
  inclined, just as Malcolm Xs parents were
  activists. And, Lennon was taken away from his
  single mother much like Malcolm Little was.

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Musical Ambition

• John learned to play the banjo from his mother
  when he was 16 and they reconnected.
• Johns friendship with Paul McCartney was
  cemented through the death of his mother Paul
  had lost his own mother at the age of 14.
• Johns first real band was Johnny and the
  Moondogs which include Paul and George Harrison.

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A Little Help From My Friends

• After a series of changes in the band line-up and
  band names they became the Beatles.
• The Fab 4 consisted of John, Paul, George, and
  Ringo Starr.
• New stress was about to emerge from their
  existence in the public eye.
• Parallels Similar to this new support system
  that helped to focus Lennon, Malcolm X had
  Shorty, who helped to focus his identity as a
  black man in a big city.

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Beatlemania

• As The Beatles fame increased John became
  increasingly frustrated with the fan base.
• The pressures of fame led to further tension
  within the band as well.

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End of an Era

• Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink.
  ... I don't know what will go first, rock 'n'
  roll or Christianity. We're more popular than
  Jesus now. Jesus was all right, but his disciples
  were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it
  that ruins it for me."
• Then finally, came the end of the Beatles.

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Yoko

• Prior to the disbanding of the Beatles, John met
  Yoko Ono.
• John and Yoko versus JohnAndYoko.
• The Lost Weekend with May Pang.

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Give Peace A Chance

• Vietnam Protests.
• Bed-In, bagism, bed peace, and hair peace.
• Conflict with the Nixon Administration.
• Deportation hearings.
• Parallels Similar to Lennons public struggle
  against the Nixon administration to stay in the
  United States is Malcolms internal struggle
  against Elijah Muhammads regime.

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The Plastic Ono Band

• Once the new administration was in place the
  charges against John Lennon were dropped.
• The Plastic Ono Band was formed with Lennon and
  his wife Yoko Ono as a notable departure from The
  Beatles.

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Power of Protest

• With his freedom relinquished, Lennon returned to
  his campaign for peace in Vietnam.
• Parallels Lennons return to his protests
  parallels Malcolms newfound strength when he
  visits the holyland.

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Imagine

• Lennons happy family life is an elixir for his
  broken childhood.
• Parallels Lennons life at this time parallels
  Malcolms in that he has reached his goal to some
  degree right before he is assassinated.

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Myths/Realities

• The United States is fundamentally a classless
  society.
• Attempted to combat the reality of the US as a
  multi-class society.

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The End