Malcolm X had a difficult childhood, moving frequently due to threats from the KKK against his Baptist minister father. His father was later killed and his mother was institutionalized, leaving him in foster care. As a teenager, Malcolm lost interest in school after being told by his teacher that becoming a lawyer was not realistic for him as an African American. He later turned to crime and was convicted of burglary, serving 10 years in prison. While incarcerated, Malcolm devoted himself to studying and corresponding with Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam. After his release, Malcolm became a minister for the Nation of Islam and dedicated his life to the organization. He became involved in civil rights by leading protests against police brutality

1. Malcolm X
Greg Warman

2. As a child, Malcolm
X grew up with many
siblings and was
constantly moving
due to threats from
the KKK because his
father was a Baptist
Minister. He ended
up being a foster
child once his father
was killed and his
mother went insane.

3. As Malcolm grew
older, he had dreams
of becoming a
lawyer, but when his
favorite teacher told
him it was, “No
realistic goal for a
nigger,” Malcolm lost
all interest in school
and turned to
drugs, alcohol, and
other narcotics.
Eventually, Malcolm
and his friend were
convicted of burglary
and he was sent to jail
for 10 years.

4. While in prison, Malcolm
began to follow Elijah
Muhammad, the leader of
the Nation of Islam.
Malcolm began writing to
Elijah but never had any
replies. Angry at
this, Malcolm decided to
enhance his literature to
make his letters look
better. He began copy
down pages of the
dictionary and began
reading. All of his time
spent on studying and
reading made his prison
time go by fast. Malcolm
was truly devoted to the
Nation of Islam and looked
up to Elijah Muhammad as
a second father.

5. When Malcolm was
released on parole
after spending seven
years in jail, he
pursued as a
minister for the
Nation of Islam. At
this time, his entire
life was devoted to
the Nation of Islam.

6. Malcolm got
involved in the Civil
Rights Movement
when policemen
beat up Johnson
Hinton for a trivial
reason in Harlem.
Malcolm led a group
of about 50 Islam
followers to the
police precinct. This
began his role in the
Civil Rights
Movement. He went
on to deliver many
speeches.

7. Like every other Civil
Rights
Activist, Malcolm X
fought for the rights
of African Americans
and wanted to bring
an end to racial
hatred and
discrimination in
America. Malcolm
wanted to use
violence to obtain
equality for all. He
used the famous
quote, “…By any
means necessary.”

8. Finally, in 1964, Lyndon
B. Johnson passed the
CRA, Civil Rights
Act, which granted the
equality of all people.
Then, on February
21, 1965 at Malcolm’s
speech at the
Manhattan Audubon
Ballroom, three
members of the Nation
of Islam rushed onto the
stage and shot Malcolm
X 15 times. He was
pronounced dead at the
hospital. Malcolm X
played a big role in the
Civil Rights Movement.