Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, was a highly influential figure in the African American community. Despite growing up in poverty, he rose to become a global icon whose ideas continue to impact generations. However, on February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was assass*nated at the age of 39. This article chronicles the events leading up to his untimely death.
Malcolm’s parents were Reverend Earl Little and Louise Little. His father was a Baptist minister and a staunch supporter of Marcus Aurelius Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Earl advocated for Black Americans to return to Africa, believing that they could never achieve equality with White Americans. This belief made the Little family a target of hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Legion, who were White supremacist organizations.
Malcolm’s birth occurred before the Ku Klux Klan had warned his father on the “back to Africa” philosophy that he disseminated among African Americans. The family was forced to relocate from Omaha, Nebraska to East Lansing. The Black Legion, a different hate group, threatened the Littles because of Earl Little’s beliefs and his desire to establish a store in East Lansing. His home was ultimately demolished by this hate organization, forcing the family to relocate to East Lansing’s outskirts. Malcolm was his father’s eighth kid. He had nine siblings, three of them were half-siblings because his father had been married before.
Malcolm’s lineage was steeped in the legacy of black liberation movements. His father, a staunch adherent to Marcus Garvey’s teachings, was deeply committed to the ideals of the UNIA, particularly because he had lost four of his own brothers – Malcolm’s uncles – to the v*olence of white oppression, with one of them having been lynched.
When Malcolm was just six years old, his father was tragically m*rdered under mysterious circumstances. While some speculated that it was an accident, many in the black community suspected that the Black Legion, a white supremacist group, was responsible for his death. Malcolm’s mother, Louise, who was better educated than his father, was left to care for the family on her own. Overwhelmed by the burden, she eventually fell into a deep depression and was institutionalized for 26 years.
The family’s situation was further compounded by the Great Depression of the 1930s. They had to rely on public welfare to survive, and Malcolm, driven by hunger and desperation, turned to a life of crime to make ends meet.
At the age of thirteen, Malcolm was sent to a foster home and later to a detention home in the small town of Mason, Michigan. Despite attending a mostly white school, Mason Junior High, Malcolm excelled in his studies, particularly in history, and was one of the top three students in his class. He was even elected as the Class Representative. At the time, he expressed his desire to become a lawyer, but his teacher advised him to pursue a more “realistic” career in carpentry. This lack of encouragement caused Malcolm to lose interest in formal education and focus on other endeavors.
In the summer of that same year, Malcolm went to stay with his half-sister in Boston, and he never returned to Mason or formal education again. He took on various menial jobs, such as a shoeshine boy, busboy, and waiter, and eventually turned to dr*g dealing and armed robb*ry. His reputation as a hustler and dr*g dealer earned him the nickname “Detroit Red” due to his reddish complexion and Michigan roots.
After five years of addiction and crime, Malcolm was arrested for possession of stolen property and sentenced to 10 years in prison. This event proved to be a turning point in his life.
Malcolm, who was just 20 years old at the time, received a 10-year prison sentence in February 1946, along with his friend Shorty. They were sent to Charlestown State Prison, where Malcolm’s “anti-religious attitude” earned him the nickname “Satan”. He spent only a year there before being transferred to Concord, Massachusetts, where he had a life-changing experience.
Malcolm’s brother Philbert had written to him about the Nation of Islam, an organization that he believed was the “natural religion for the black man”. Malcolm initially rejected the idea, but after speaking with his brother Reginald and learning that his other siblings had also converted to Islam, he began to reconsider.
Malcolm wrote to Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam, and received a reply urging him to denounce his past actions and embrace Islam. Elijah Muhammad also sent him a cash gift, and from that point on, Malcolm wrote to him every day.
In prison, Malcolm immersed himself in the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, which taught that the White man was the “devil” and that followers should avoid pork and cigarettes. He underwent a profound transformation, which set him on a new path in life.
Malcolm was transferred to Norfolk Prison Colony, where he discovered the library and became a passionate reader. His extensive reading list included books on history, philosophy, and literature, including works by Will Durant, H.G. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, and John Milton. This voracious appetite for reading caused him to develop astigmatism and eventually led to his need for glasses. In prison, he felt more free than he ever had before and gained a sense of self-respect through the knowledge he acquired.
After serving six and a half years, Malcolm was released from prison and moved in with his brother Wilfred in Detroit. There, he embraced the Muslim faith and began attending rallies led by Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam. Malcolm became a devoted follower of Elijah Muhammad, going door-to-door to “fish” for new converts and increasing attendance at rallies. At a rally in Chicago, Malcolm was given the name “X,” which symbolized his rejection of the white slave master name imposed on his ancestors.
In the early months of 1953, Malcolm X was extended an invitation to speak at the Detroit temple. His address focused on Christianity and the wrongdoings of white men, while advocating for the teachings of the Honourable Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X was deeply invested in this cause, even declaring that he was willing to give his life for it. By the summer of 1953, he had been appointed as the Assistant Minister of Detroit Temple Number One.
Once in his new position, Malcolm X tirelessly worked to convert countless people to the Islamic faith. His commitment to the cause was so all-consuming that he had no time for women and never paid them any attention. His travels were frequent as he carried the message of the Nation and its flag to Black people across America, staying focused on temple business. In 1957, while in New York, he met Betty Jean Sanders, a young student nurse. With the blessings of Elijah Muhammad, they wed in the winter of 1958 and went on to have six daughters.
As an innovative and dedicated leader, Malcolm X spent very little time at home. He was often on the move, to the extent that his wife even kept a spare suitcase packed and ready for him at all times. His travels were in service of his cause, and he even established the Nation’s newspaper, MUHAMMAD SPEAKS, which was devoted to “justice for the Black Man.”
Malcolm X played a significant role in expanding the reach of the Nation of Islam through his leadership and influence. He spearheaded the growth of the organization’s newspaper, MUHAMMAD SPEAKS, which at its peak had a following of around 30,000. He also established mosques in different cities across the country, and was appointed as the Minister of Temple Number 7 in Harlem, the largest and most prestigious temple in the Nation after the Chicago headquarters. Elijah Muhammad treated him like a son, and made him the National Representative of the Nation of Islam, which made him second in command to Muhammad himself. Through his efforts, the Nation grew to have about 500,000 members.
As a strong advocate for the rights of Black people, Malcolm X preached self-defense in response to white violence and urged them to reject Christianity and not participate in elections, which he believed supported the immoral political system of the United States. In contrast, Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, advocated for non-violence and took a different approach to civil rights activism than Malcolm X did.
As Elijah Muhammad’s health deteriorated, Malcolm X took on a greater leadership role within the Nation of Islam, with numerous speaking engagements and constant travel. Despite his dedication to the cause, rumors began to circulate that he was trying to take over the Nation or build an empire for himself. Elijah Muhammad disapproved of Malcolm’s numerous speaking engagements, and Malcolm’s remarks on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led to his suspension as a speaker for the Nation for ninety days. Malcolm’s statement that the assassination was a case of “the chickens coming home to roost” caused controversy and led to his suspension.
In addition to these issues, Malcolm X was devastated to learn of Elijah Muhammad’s alleged s*xual relationships with young Muslim secretaries. Malcolm had held Elijah Muhammad in high regard as a symbol of moral, mental, and spiritual reform, but this news shattered his perception of the leader.
After a series of events, Malcolm X underwent a significant psychological and spiritual crisis, feeling like “something in nature had failed.” On March 8, 1964, he publicly announced his disassociation from the Nation of Islam, which he had wanted to expand globally to help reform Black people spiritually, politically, and economically. He founded the Muslim Mosque Incorporated (MMI) on March 12, 1964, and later established the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) in 1965 to achieve his dream.
During his extensive travels, Malcolm X went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he discovered that Elijah Muhammad had corrupted the teachings of Orthodox Islam. He also experienced a total reformation of his mind and views on whites. He changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz after the pilgrimage. Through OAAU, Malcolm X collaborated with various organizations, both black and progressive white groups in the United States, to educate people about their civil and political rights.
Following his disassociation from the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X and his group experienced hostilities from the Nation, culminating in a firebombing at his home a week before his death. On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X arrived at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem for an OAAU rally, mostly attended by Black people. He instructed that no search be conducted at the entry of the ballroom.
At approximately 2:30 pm, while Malcolm X was speaking, a scuffle broke out, distracting his guards’ attention. Then, a smoke bomb exploded at the back of the room, and Malcolm was sh*t in the chest. As he lay dying on the stage, two g*nmen ran to the front and fired several more shots into his body. Despite receiving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Malcolm was pronounced dead at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital at exactly 3:30 pm on February 21, 1965. He was 39 years old.
After Malcolm’s death, three members of the Nation of Islam were arrested, including Talmadge Hayer, who confessed to the k*lling. However, despite his testimony that the other two men were innocent, all three were convicted of m*rder and imprisoned. The circumstances surrounding Malcolm X’s death have been controversial, and the case has been revisited several times.
In 2021, Khalil Islam and Muhammad Aziz, two of the men convicted of Malcolm’s murder, were exonerated and had their convictions dismissed due to a deeply flawed prosecution and an unfair trial. Malcolm X left behind his wife, Betty Shabazz, and six daughters.
Malcolm X was a revolutionary leader and one of the most prophetic voices of the 20th century, calling for freedom, equality, justice, and respect. His autobiography, compiled from interviews with Alex Haley and published in 1965, is considered a classic in African American literature. In 1992, the movie “Malcolm X,” starring Denzel Washington, was released.
Several institutions, including the Malcolm X Community College in Chicago, Malcolm X Liberation University in Durham, North California, and the Malcolm X Society, are named in his honor.