Malcolm+X



Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19,1925. When he was a teenager, he was very involved in school and was a very promising student. Unfortunately, when he was a junior in high school, he told his teacher that he wanted to be a lawyer and in response, he was told "no realistic goal for a nigger,"(africawithin.com). This comment caused him to drop out of high school and sent him on the path of crime. In 1942, he was coordinating crime rings, including prostitution, narcotics, and gambling, as well as petty crimes. After he was released from prison, Malcolm joined the Nation of Islam after hearing and reading about Elijah Muhammad. He also changed his name to Malcolm X because he felt that Little was his slave name and the X represented the fact that he knew nothing of where his African family name came from or what it was. However, when it came out that Muhammad fathered children from women in the Nation of Islam, he seriously questioned his belief and loyalty to the Nation. In 1964 he took went on a pilgrimage to Mecca and the trip restored his faith. When he returned home, he changed his name from Malcolm X to el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. On February 21,1965 he was assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam while giving a speech. They killed him because he exposed Elijah Muhammad's secret. He was survived by his wife Betty Shabazz and his six daughters.

__Bria Raynor__ __Ms.Roper__ __Honors American History__ __31 May 2011__

For the picture, I went to www.thyblackman.com. The information I used came from www.malcolmx.com, www.africawithin.com, and www.biography.com.