Malcolm X Born

Malcolm X born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska to Earl and Louise Little (Louisa Norton). His father was an outspoken Baptist lay speaker; he supported Pan-African activist Marcus Garvey and was a local leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). By the time he was thirteen, his father had died and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. After living in a series of foster homes, Malcolm X became involved in hustling and other criminal activities in Boston and New York. In 1946, Malcolm X was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison. While in prison, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam. After his parole in 1952, he became one of the Nation's leaders and chief spokesmen. For nearly a dozen years, he was the public face of the Nation of Islam. Tension between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, head of the Nation of Islam, led to Malcolm X's departure from the organization in March 1964. After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X became a Sunni Muslim and made a pilgrimage to Mecca, after which he disavowed racism. He traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East. He founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the secular, black nationalist Organization of Afro-American Unity. Less than a year (February 21, 1965) after he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was assassinated while giving a speech in New York. Described as one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history, he was skilled speaker and organizer, and seen by many as a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans. In early 1963, Malcolm X started collaborating with Alex Haley on "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" which details his life's experience.