Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little), the founder of the Muslim Mosque Inc. and Organization for Afro-American Unity, was born May 19, 1925, in North Omaha, Neb. During his lifetime X went from being a “drug peddling womanizing burglar,” as he described himself in his self-titled autobiography, to one of America’s most prominent civil rights activists.
Mostly portrayed as a militant pro-black leader, X was a driving force in the northern neighborhoods preaching self-improvement and self-reliance. X was bred for activism; his father, Earl Little, was an outspoken Baptist preacher, member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and loyal supporter of Marcus Garvey. While X was still a boy, Little “allegedly” committed suicide according to police by throwing himself under a moving train. This tragic event drove Malcolm’s mother insane and landed X and his siblings in foster homes. X was brought up by the streets, and this inevitably landed him in prison.
While in prison X was enlightened by the teachings of the Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Black Muslim movement. Upon his release from prison,
X became deeply involved in the growing turmoil of the civil rights movement. As a radical black leader, Malcolm X advocated black pride and financial self-reliance. He ultimately rose to become a world-renowned African American and human rights activist.
On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was brutally slain in Manhattan’s Audubon Ballroom. Fifteen hundred people attended Malcolm’s funeral in Harlem; Ossie Davis, together with Ahmed Osman, delivered a eulogy, describing Malcolm as “our shining black prince.” Malcolm X is a role model to hundreds of African Americans and will remain in the hearts of all Americans past and present.