Malcolm X born Malcolm Little , later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz ; May 19, — February 21, was an African American revolutionary, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement until his assassination in A controversial figure accused of preaching violence, Malcolm X is also a widely celebrated figure within African American and Muslim communities for his pursuit of racial justice.
Malcolm spent his adolescence living in a series of foster homes or with relatives after his father's death and his mother's hospitalization. He committed various crimes, being sentenced to 8 to 10 years in prison in for larceny and burglary. In prison, he joined the Nation of Islam, adopting the name Malcolm X to symbolize his unknown African ancestral surname while discarding "the white slavemaster name of 'Little ' ", and after his parole in , he quickly became one of the organization's most influential leaders.
He was the public face of the organization for 12 years, advocating Black empowerment and separation of Black and White Americans , and criticizing Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X also expressed pride in some of the Nation's social welfare achievements, such as its free drug rehabilitation program.
In the s, Malcolm X began to grow disillusioned with the Nation of Islam, as well as with its leader, Elijah Muhammad. He subsequently embraced Sunni Islam and the civil rights movement after completing the Hajj to Mecca and became known as " el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz", which roughly translates to "The Pilgrim Malcolm the Patriarch".
Throughout , his conflict with the Nation of Islam intensified, and he was repeatedly sent death threats. On February 21, , he was assassinated in New York City. Three Nation members were charged with the murder and given indeterminate life sentences. In , two of the convictions were vacated. Speculation about the assassination and whether it were conceived or aided by leading or additional members of the Nation, or with law enforcement agencies, has persisted for decades.
