Malcolm X

Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, and later known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was a figure who indelibly marked the history of the United States as an African-American revolutionary, Muslim minister, and human rights activist. He emerged as a prominent figure during the civil rights movement until his assassination in 1965, largely shaping modern African-American and Muslim communities. Controversially accused of preaching violence, Malcolm X's pursuit of racial justice made him a widely celebrated figure within these communities. As a teenager, Malcolm X turned to crime and ended up in prison, where he joined the Nation of Islam. Adopting the name Malcolm X symbolized his unknown African ancestral surname and abandonment of his 'Little' surname - a moniker bestowed by white slave masters. Following his parole in 1952, he quickly rose to become one of the most influential leaders of the Nation of Islam. Disillusioned with the Nation of Islam and its leader, Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X embraced Sunni Islam and the civil rights movement following a pilgrimage to Mecca. He publicly renounced the Nation of Islam in 1964, founding the Islamic Muslim Mosque, Inc. (MMI) and the Pan-African Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU). His life was abruptly cut short when he was assassinated in New York City in 1965.