Malcolm X was born in the state of Nebraska on May 19, 1925. Malcolm's father, Earl Little, was killed in 1931 by white racists because he was a member of associations to improve the lives of African Americans. His death was portrayed as an accident, even though his head was separated from his body. Earle argued that blacks would never be free in America and would have to return to their native Africa. Two years before the murder, racists set fire to his house, but no one was killed.
Malcolm's mother fell ill after her husband's death and could not do much for Malcolm's son and seven other children. Malcolm started the life of a petty criminal. At the age of 12, he became a ward of the Michigan State Orphanage.
When he turned 17, he was released from the home. He then got a job on a passenger train as a dishwasher. When Malcolm earned enough money, he moved to New York with relatives. He soon became one of the most dangerous thugs on the streets of Harlem. He was arrested in 1946 and sentenced to ten years in prison for burglary. He engaged in theft in order to obtain money for drugs.
He continued his interrupted education in prison and spent most of his time in the library. His statement that prisons are, after university, the best places for educating and re-educating people is well known.
In 1952, he was released from prison and joined the Nation of Islam movement.
Shortly after becoming a member of the Nation of Islam, he changed his surname to X. He renounced the surname Little which symbolized slavery, and took the surname X in homage to his unknown African ancestors, who were brought to America as slave labor.
With his charisma and eloquence, he quickly established himself as the first voice in the fight against racism and slavery, and the Nation of Islam increased the number of members from 500 to 30,000 in ten years.
However, by standing out in public, Malcolm drew the wrath of the then US administration and secret services.
After that, he traveled on Hajj, to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. He severed ties with the Nation of Islam, and upon his return to the United States he rejected the idea that all white people were devils and founded his own organization called the Muslim Mosque. Upon the founding of this organization Malcolm X changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabbazz.
He was increasingly receiving threats to be killed, and on February 15, 1965, his house where he lived with his wife Betty and four daughters was attacked.
Six days later, on February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated while giving a speech in New York in which he criticized Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm was killed by three men who turned out to be members of the Nation of Islam. All three were convicted and imprisoned. Some sources claim that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which closely monitored Malcolm, is also behind his murder. The funeral was held on February 27 of that year.
Malcolm X was remembered as a leader among Muslims in the United States at the time, a human rights activist and one of the most influential African Americans. He was the greatest critic of "white" America and its crimes against black Americans.
The character and work of Malcolm X represent a symbol of the fight against racism, racial discrimination, as well as a symbol of the promotion of tolerance of Islam and coexistence.
