Malcolm X.

Malcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, one of seven children. His father, Earl Little, a Baptist preacher and supporter of Marcus Garvey’s Back to Africa movement, faced threats from white supremacists. When Malcolm was four, the family moved to Lansing, Michigan, where Earl was later found dead on trolley tracks—likely murdered by the Black Legion. After his mother, Louise, suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized, Malcolm entered a foster home.

He dropped out of school after eighth grade and moved to Boston, then New York, where he engaged in criminal activities like numbers running and drug dealing. His flashy style earned him the nickname Detroit Red. After moving back to Boston, he was arrested for robbery in 1946 and sentenced to 8–10 years in prison.

In 1952, after his parole, Malcolm X became a minister and spokesperson for the Nation of Islam. His speeches drew thousands of African Americans to the movement, and he quickly became one of its most visible leaders. He advocated for Black self-reliance and self-defense, stating that freedom should be sought by any means necessary.

In 1963, after controversial comments about President Kennedy’s assassination, Elijah Muhammad suspended him. Disillusioned by Muhammad’s moral lapses, Malcolm left the Nation in March 1964 and founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. His pilgrimage to Mecca that April transformed his views, leading him to embrace racial inclusivity.

He continued his activism despite death threats, and his house was firebombed in February 1965. A week later, on February 21, 1965, he was assassinated while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem.

Malcolm X married Betty Shabazz, a Muslim nurse, on January 14, 1958. The couple had six daughters: Attallah born 1958, Qubilah born 1960, Ilyasah born 1963, Gamilah born 1964, and twins Malaak and Malikah born 1965. His family endured death threats and a firebombing at their Queens home days before his assassination.

Malcolm X’s autobiography, published in 1965, became a foundational text for the Black Power movement. It won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and inspired generations of activists. His speeches and philosophy still influence civil rights discourse. In 2021, the Roxbury house where he first engaged with the Nation of Islam was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He has been portrayed by actors including Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X 1992. Malcolm X is remembered as a fearless advocate for Black dignity and human rights.