Malcolm X
Muslim minister and civil rights activist
Malcolm X was an American Muslim minister and activist who was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement. His life story is told in The Autobiography of Malcolm X, written with Alex Haley.
1 summary 20 min of listening
American Born 1925 in Omaha, United States Died 1965
About Malcolm X
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 19, 1925. After his father died and his mother was hospitalised, he spent his adolescence in foster homes and with relatives. In 1946 he was sentenced to prison for larceny and burglary, and while there he joined the Nation of Islam. After his parole in 1952, he became one of the Nation of Islam's leading figures and served as its spokesperson for about twelve years. In 1964 he left the organization, made the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and became a Sunni Muslim, taking the name el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. He then founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. He was assassinated in New York City on February 21, 1965. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which he worked on with Alex Haley, was published after his death in 1965.