At only six years old, Malcolm Little
lost his father when the Ku Klux Klan murdered him.
A problematic childhood resulted in him being sent to
prison, where he became interested in the Nation of
Islam. When released he joined the organisation and
changed his name to Malcolm X. In the early 1960’s
he spoke out to those who were impatient with the non-violent
strategies of Martin Luther King. In 1964 he visited
Mecca, changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz
and left the Nation of Islam. He became increasingly
unpopular with the leaders of the Nation of Islam as
he returned to his previous belief that all white people
were evil. He was assassinated on February 21st 1965.
It is still thought that members of the Nation of Islam
carried out his assassination, and to this day he is
still recognised as significant figure in the African-American
community.
