Malcolm X (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist, who was a popular figure during the Civil Rights Movement. Best known for his controversial advocacy for the rights of blacks, some consider him a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans, while others accuse him of preaching racism and violence. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African-Americans in history.
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Malcolm X (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist, who was a popular figure during the Civil Rights Movement. Best known for his controversial advocacy for the rights of blacks, some consider him a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans, while others accuse him of preaching racism and violence. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African-Americans in history. Born as Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent his teenage years living in a series of foster homes following his father's death and his mother's hospitalization. He engaged in several illicit activities, and was eventually sentenced to ten years in prison in 1946 for larceny and breaking and entering. In prison, he joined the Nation of Islam (NOI) and changed his name to Malcolm X. After being paroled in 1952, he quickly became one of the organization's most influential leaders, serving as its controversial public face for a dozen years. In the 1950s, he advocated black nationalism, racial separatism for black and white Americans, and rejected the notion of the civil rights movement for its emphasis on racial integration. During this time, Malcolm X was a target of surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the Nation's supposed links to communism. In the 1960s, Malcolm X began to grow disillusioned with the Nation of Islam, and in particular, with its leader Elijah Muhammad. Expressing many regrets about his time with the organization, which he had come to regard as largely wasted, he embraced Sunni Islam. Malcolm X then began to advocate for racial equality and disavowed racial prejudice after completing Hajj, whereby he also became known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. After a brief period of travel across Africa, he publicly repudiated the NOI, and founded Muslim Mosque, Inc. (MMI) and the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) to emphasize Pan-Africanism. Throughout 1964, his conflict with the NOI intensified, and on February 21, 1965, he was assassinated by three of its members. Malcolm X Day is celebrated in various cities and countries worldwide, and hundreds of city streets in the U.S. are named in his honor.
