Malcolm X
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska.
In 1929, the Little’s home was burned to the ground. Two years later, Malcolm’s father, Earl was found dead across the town trolly tracts. His mother, Louise, suffered an emotional breakdown years later. Her breakdown led to her being admitted into a mental institution. Her children were split up amongst various foster homes and orphanages. He graduated from junior high at the top of his class. However told Malcolm his dream of becoming a lawyer was “no realistic goal for a nigger,” Malcolm lost interest in school and eventually dropped out. After dropping out he spent some time in Boston working various odd jobs, and then traveled to Harlem where he committed petty crimes. By 1942 Malcolm was coordinating various narcotics, prostitution and gambling rings. Eventually Malcolm and his buddy, Malcolm “Shorty” Jarvis, moved back to Boston. In 1946 they were arrested and convicted on burglary charges, and Malcolm was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He used this time to further his education. During his sentence, Malcolm’s brother; Reginald would visit and discuss his recent conversion to the Muslim religion. Reginald belonged to the religious organization the Nation Of Islam (NOI). Intrigued, Malcolm began to study the teaching of NOI leader Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad taught that white society actively worked to keep African-Americans from empowering themselves and achieving political, economic and social success. By the time he was paroled in 1952, Malcolm was a devoted follower with the new surname “X.”(He considered “Little” a slave name and chooses the “X” to signify his lost tribal name). Malcolm was appointed as a minister and national spokesman for the NOI. Elijah Muhammad also charged him with establishing new mosques in cities such as Detroit and Harlem. Malcolm was largely credited with increasing membership from 500 to 30 000. He was featured in week-long television special