Malcolm X
in
Slam!, by Walter Dean Myers
(Edited)

militant civil rights leader (1925-1965)

Malcolm X was one of the most influential African American leaders during the Civil Rights Movement. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, he experienced racism and violence from an early age—his father was killed when Malcolm was six, likely by white supremacists. After a difficult youth that included time in prison, he joined the Nation of Islam and became one of its most powerful speakers.

As a minister for the Nation of Islam in the 1950s and early 1960s, Malcolm X took a different approach than leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. While King emphasized nonviolence and integration, Malcolm X advocated for Black self-defense, self-determination, and separation from white society. His speeches were fiery and uncompromising, challenging Black Americans to stand up for themselves and stop patiently enduring injustice.

In 1964, Malcolm X broke with the Nation of Islam, and his views began to evolve. After traveling to Mecca and Africa, he softened some of his earlier positions and started to see possibilities for cooperation across racial lines, though he remained focused on Black empowerment. He was assassinated in February 1965 at age 39 by members of the Nation of Islam, which saw him as a traitor after he left and criticized the organization.

Malcolm X's legacy includes inspiring Black pride, self-reliance, and a more assertive approach to fighting injustice. His autobiography remains widely read, and his ideas continue to influence discussions about race and justice in America.