Malcolm X

• Born Malcolm Little• Born in Omaha, Nebraska on may 19th, 1925• Mother: Louise Norton Little • Father: Earl Little• Earl was a Baptist minister, and avid supporter

of Marcus Garvey.

Early Life

Fathers Civil Rights Activism

• His Activism started death threats from the black legion.

• Forced the family to relocate twice• In 1929, in Lansing, Michigan the Little's house

was burned to the ground.

Nation Of Islam

Nation Of Islam

• A religious organization founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D, Fard Muhammad.

• Its goal is to bring back the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of the black men and women of America

• Main belief is there is no other god than Allah.

Nation of Islam

• 1946 Malcolm was convicted on burglary charges• Malcolm Dropped out of college• Malcolm started studying the teachings of Elijah Muhammad.• Elijah Muhammad taught the white society wanted to keep

African Americans from reaching their goals in issues such as:– Political– Economic– Social

Nation of Islam cont.

• Malcolm X changed his name• Malcolm X was made a minister and national

spokesman for the Nation of Islam.• Made a statement about Kennedy

Assassination, “silenced” for ninety days• Unhappy Malcolm left the nation of Islam.

Name Change

• Malcolm Changed his name from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X.

• He said that Little was a slave name.• He chose “X” to signify his lost tribal name.• In a interview he claimed his real last name

was destroyed

Pilgrimage

• After the Nation Of Islam, Malcolm went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia

• He claimed the trip was life-altering• He said he had met “Blond-haired, blue-eyed

men I could call my brothers”

After Pilgrimage

• When he came back he had a new outlook on integration, and a new hope for the future.

• When Malcolm spoke now, he not only preached for African Americans, he had a message for all races.

Assassination

Assassination

• After repeated attempts on his life, Feb. 21st, 1965 Malcolm X was gunned down in Manhattan.

• They shot him 15 times! At close range• At 39 years old Malcolm X was pronounced

dead

Funeral

• Fifteen hundred people attended Malcolm X’s Funeral.

• It was held in Harlem, New York Feb 27th, 1965.

Legacy of “X”

• His ideas about community control, African liberation, and self pride became widespread

• His practices and ideas were the foundation of the Black Panther Party.

• He Revolutionized the black mind, turning African Americans into proud blacks, and self confident African Americans

“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it.”

-Malcolm X