He was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1925 to Louise
and Earl Little. Louise was a homemaker, busy caring for the
family’s eight children, and Earl was an outspoken Baptist minister
and avid supporter of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey Earl’s
activism prompted death threats from the white supremacist
organization Black Legion, and the family’s home in Michigan was
burned to the ground in 1929. Two years later Earl’s mutilated body
was found, though the police ruled both tragedies as accidents.
Several years later Louise had an emotional breakdown that sent her
to a mental hospital and the children to various foster homes and
orphanages. Although Malcolm was a good student, he dropped out and
spent time in Boston working odd jobs before moving to Harlem, New
York, and becoming involved in criminal activities. Malcolm and a
friend were eventually arrested in Boston on burglary charges in
1946. He used his seven-year prison sentence to continue his
education, studying the teachings of Nation of Islam founder Elijah
Muhammad. By the time of his parole in 1952, Malcolm was a devoted
follower with the new surname “X” to replace his slave name,
Intelligent and charismatic, Malcolm X was soon appointed minister
and national spokesman for the Nation of Islam. After several
years, he discovered that Elijah Muhammad did not follow his own
teachings, and Malcolm felt betrayed. After terminating his
relationship with the Nation of Islam, Malcolm went on to found
Muslim Mosque. Inc., which had a new message for all races about
integration in the United States. In 1965, three Nation of Islam
members assassinated Malcolm X at Manhattan’s Audubon
Ballroom.
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