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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