Who is Malcolm X?
Malcolm X was born as Malcolm Little in 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His father was a preacher and spoke highly of Civil Rights, which got him in trouble with white supremacists. They moved often because of white supremacists and when Malcolm was six years old, his father was murdered by an unknown felon. His family thought it was a white supremacist group called The Black Legion. His mother was sent to an asylum when Malcolm was twelve because of a nervous breakdown.
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After he dropped out of middle school, he became a criminal and was arrested because of larceny charges in 1945. Whilst in prison he met an inmate who talked about the Nation of Islam, a group that followed Islam and advocated for equal rights. Once Malcolm got out of prison in 1952, he became in one of the Nation's most valued speakers and was friends with the leader of the Nation, Elijah Muhammad.
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Malcolm originally was very devout to the Nation, but when he got in trouble for not sending condolences to the Kennedy family after JFK's death, and by getting silenced by the leader of the Nation if Islam, Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm left the Nation in 1964 and converted to Sunni Islam.
Why Is Malcolm X An Important Civil Rights Figure?
Malcolm X is an important civil right leader because he is one of the few black leaders that spoke against Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolent civil rights. Instead, Malcolm X favored a more violent approach to silence the white population of America. He realized after his pilgrimage to Mecca, that we should not always act with with violence. His autobiography, The Biography of Malcolm X, is noted as one of the most influential non-fiction books of all time.
Death
On February 21, 1965 Malcolm X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in New York. A man named Thomas Hagan was arrested for killing Malcolm X. Hagan told authorities that one of hiss accomplices distracted Malcolm X's bodyguards while another one shot Malcolm with a shot gun. Then Hagan open fired with a handgun. On February 27 at the Faith Temple Malcolm X's funeral took place. The Temple was packed to its 1,000 people capacity. Loud speakers had to be set up out side for the people listening.
Did You Know?
More on Malcolm X
Malcolm X's real last name was Little, but he changed it because he said Little was his slave name.
Malcolm X declared himself a Communist. The FBI watched his every move until his death.
Malcolm X's father may have been killed by a white supremacist.
Malcolm X was charged to 10 years in jail on account of larceny.
On May 19th in 17 states Malcolm X day is celebrated.
