Malcolm X was a prominent civil rights activist in the 1960s who advocated for black nationalism and racial separation. He rose to fame as a minister and spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, promoting their message and converting many to their beliefs. However, he later renounced the Nation of Islam and converted to Sunni Islam after going on pilgrimage to Mecca and seeing people of all races worshipping together. This change in beliefs led to death threats from the Nation of Islam, and he was ultimately assassinated in 1965 while giving a speech.

1. MALCOLM X
BY: Tony Babayeju Ms. Moore

2. The Legacy
• A large proponent in the civil
rights era of the 1960’s
• Offered an alternative to King’s
peace first approach of
attaining equality
• Used the white as a common
enemy for his supporters
• Considered by many, a racist
and extremist
• Helped spread the message of
Elijah Muhammad, converting
masses to the Nation of Islam
• One of the most influential men
in history

3. Early Life
• Born May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska as Malcolm,
to Earl & Louise Little, the 7th of 8 children
• Parents were members of Garvey’s Universal Negro
Improvement Assoc.
• As the lightest skinned out of all his siblings, his
mother (also light skinned) gave him the brunt of her
anger, due to a feeling of illegitimacy, although he felt
his father favored him
• Lead him to learn the value of verbal protest
• His father was supposedly killed on some railroad
tracks, and his mother was sent to a mental
institution soon after, by Malcolm’s early teens

4. Inadequacy
• Attended school with mostly white
kids growing up in several different
Midwest Cities
• He was called nigger so much he
became immune to it
• Moved to many foster homes with
white caretakers
• Although one of the best students in
his Junior High, he dropped out after
a teacher told him, his aspirations of
becoming a lawyer were impossible
due to his color
• Humiliated and defeated by the white
world he was born into he moved to
Boston with his older sister, where his
life began to drastically change

5. The Streets
• While in Boston Malcolm
drifted from job to job with
no focus
• He soon found himself in
Harlem, where he became
involved in the street life
• This lead him to return to
Boston, where he became
involved of a string of
organized burglaries
• This lifestyle eventually
caught up with him on
January 16th, 1946 when he
was charged with larceny,
break & entering, and
sentenced to 8 to 10 years
in prison
http://home.att.net/~dermatoglyphics/MalcolmX.jpg

6. Knowledge Is Key
• While in prison, Malcolm was influenced by a inmate named
“Bimbi”, who persuaded him to educate himself
• Little, became hungry for literature, going as far as memorizing
each word in the English Dictionary, creating a foundation for his
future career as an orator
• While in jail, Malcolm’s brother Philbert began telling him about the
word of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam
• The principles of the Nation, based on the malevolence of whites,
coincided with many of Malcolm’s beliefs gained through past
experiences
• Before long, Malcolm wrote a letter of his acceptance of the Nation
to Elijah Muhammad, and received words of encouragement
directly from him until his release from prison in August of 52’

7. A New Man
• Upon his release from prison, Malcolm met with
Elijah Muhammad and began learning more
about the Nation
• He changed his last name to X, and became a
assistant minister for an Islam Temple located in
Detroit
• With much success aiding the growth of these
chapters, he soon began his own in Boston, as
well as aiding the expansion of the Philadelphia,
and Harlem branches

8. The Grand Stage
• In July 1952 The Nation Islam was introduced to a
national audience in a segment entitled The Hate
That Hate Produced
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4D5CsavwQ
g
• This documentary gave The Nation of Islam
more publicity than it had ever received before
• Malcolm became known as the brains behind
the operation

9. Backlash & Notoriety
• After this documentary, Malcolm became a highly
sought after orator who was requested to speak at
many white colleges & in other countries
• It also created much fear amongst weary viewers
black and white, and placed him directly under the
watching eye of J.B Stoner, KKK leader
• Elijah Muhammad disapproved of the documentary
due to his negative portrayal, and Malcolm’s appraisal
of sorts
• Another boost in publicity was the recruitment of
Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay, in 62’
• They were hated and loved all at the same time

10. Conflicting Minds
• Malcolm X was denounced by
many Civil Rights organizations
for his extreme and hateful
views
• He was the voice of those
unwilling to wait for freedom, a
direct opposition to Martin
Luther King’s position
• Malcolm did not wish to live in
peace as King did with whites,
but instead hoped for complete
segregation claiming equality
an unreachable feat in America
• He openly disagreed with King,
calling him a chump, and
labeling his peaceful
demonstrations all but pointless

11. Led Astray
Malcolm soon became estranged
with Elijah due to his extra marital
affairs, and also claimed
Muhammad had long prevented
him from working with other
activist
He denounced himself from the
Nation of Islam March 8th, 1964,
still however claiming Muslim
He founded the Muslim Mosque
Inc., and an organization set on
teaching blacks to value political
knowledge
On April 13th, 1964, X took the
pilgrimage to Mecca, where he
completed his Hajj, and got the
chance to see a variety of races in
the Muslim religion unified and
worshiping together
http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/e77/f6f/e77f6f28-8064-4e40-8c58-85dedb

12. Marked for Death
• Upon returning to the US,
Malcolm was met with several
private and public death
threats on his life directly from
the Nation of Islam
• Through media, many
members insinuated that due
to X’s actions, his life was in
grave danger, and deservedly
so
• FBI agents confirmed these
threats on his life on several
occasions
• Malcolm and his family were
extremely paranoid, and
constantly watching there
backs

13. Marked for Death contd.
• His Harlem residence, was burnt to the ground
with his family still in it, yet they all survived
• On February 21st, 1965, Malcolm X was shot
with a sawed off shotgun at point blank range
and 16 other times by two other shooters while
giving a speech at his Organization of Afro-
American Unity
• He was pronounced dead shortly after, survived
by his wife Betty X, and their six daughters

14. In Conclusion
• Malcolm X, was a very passionate leader,
who had the ability to persuade masses with
his charisma, and rigid intellect. However,
sharing characteristics with many of the
other movements and leaders of the 1960’s,
his efforts were focused yet somewhat
misguided. At the end of his life, we were left
wondering what could have been, and what
never was.

15. Q&A
1. Malcolm X died believing that Caucasian people
were the root of all evil.
True/False
2. What documentary gave Malcolm X his most
publicity?
A. To Kill A Black Man
B. The Ballot of the Bullet
C. The Hate That Hate Produced
D. In the Name of Muhammad

16. Keywords
•Extremist
•Elijah Muhammad
•The Nation of Islam
•Martyr
•Hajj

17. Sources
• Malcolm: The Life of a Man Who Changed
Black America – Bruce Perry
• Seventh Child: A Family Memoir of Malcolm
X – Rodnell P. Collins
• Malcolm X: Inventing Radical Judgment –
Robert E. Terrill
• Malcolm X Speaks – George Breitman
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X – Alex Haley