Who is malcolm x

The legacy of Malcolm X and his work have inspired and informed many others in their fight for social justice and equality. Open main menu Menu. Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Robert D. Bullard Dr. Jason G. Shaw Dr. Joi Lewis Dr. Malcolm X: Life and Death Browser Not Supported You are using a unsupported browser. As an adult, Malcolm became a minister and activist for the African American community, known for his strong beliefs in black self-determination and empowerment.

By the late s, he was among the most influential figures associated with the civil rights movement. While in prison in the late s for charges of larceny and breaking and entering, Malcolm converted to Islam and, when he was released in , joined the NOI. He also believed strongly in the idea of self-defense as an alternative to nonviolent resistance.

Ali says that Malcolm stood out from other black leaders at the time in large part because of his complicated background. Ali also says that Malcolm saw the plight of black people in a much larger frame. Several incidents had led him to question his relationship with the organization. Kennedy in November The fallout from his leaving the NOI was serious. Many members viewed him as a traitor of the organization, and he received multiple death threats from within the group.

As was the case for many civil rights organizations and activists, Malcolm was under near-constant surveillance by the federal and New York state governments.

No one was ever charged related to the incident. Though no one was injured, it became obvious to Malcolm and those around him that he was in serious danger. Prior to speaking at the Audubon Ballroom on Feb. These searches of attendees were a longstanding practice enacted by the NOI at their rallies and one that Malcolm had initially continued after he left the organization.

By January , however, he had put a stop to them, though he retained a personal security detail. This was unusual since police were typically highly visible at his rallies. When Malcolm took the stage to begin his address, an apparent dispute broke out among the audience. As Malcolm and his security team tried to calm the commotion, an individual ran onto the stage, approached Malcolm and shot him.

Two other people then ran up to the stage and fired as well. Malcolm was shot a total of 21 times. His father was a Baptist preacher and follower of Marcus Garvey.

The family moved to Lansing, Michigan after the Ku Klux Klan made threats against them, though the family continued to face threats in their new home. At age 6, the future Malcolm X entered a foster home and his mother suffered a nervous breakdown. Though highly intelligent and a good student, he dropped out of school following eighth grade. It was in jail that Malcolm X first encountered the teachings of Elijah Muhammad , head of the Lost-Found Nation of Islam, or Black Muslims, a Black nationalist group that identified white people as the devil.

Malcolm was released from prison after serving six years and went on to become the minister of Mosque No. His admirers included celebrities like Muhammad Ali , who became close friends with Malcolm X before the two had a falling out.

Disenchanted with corruption in the nation of Islam, which suspended him in December after he claimed that President John F. A few months later, he traveled to Mecca, where he underwent a spiritual transformation: "The true brotherhood I had seen had influenced me to recognize that anger can blind human vision," he wrote.

In June , he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which identified racism, and not the white race, as the enemy of justice. Malcolm X had predicted that he would be more important in death than in life, and had even foreshadowed his early demise in his book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Malcolm X began work on his autobiography in the early s with the help of Alex Haley , the acclaimed author of Roots.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X chronicled his life and views on race, religion and Black nationalism. It was published posthumously in and became a bestseller.