Malcolm X

Malcolm X was a spark who sought to ignite equality by any means necessary, proving provocative and controversial to many in the mainstream at the time, but being a widely celebrated figure within African American and Muslim American communities for his pursuit of racial justice. His theories became the blueprint for the black power movements of the ’60s and ’70s and was in many ways the embodiment of the American Dream whether America wanted him to be or not. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, he suffered great tragedy with the murder of his father by white supremacists and the subsequent institutionalization of his mother. He spent his remaining childhood years in foster homes, dropping out of middle school before moving to Boston working on the streets as a shoe-shiner, drug dealer, gambler, and burglar. After becoming passionately committed to furthering his education while serving time in prison, he become one of the country’s foremost civil rights leaders and a vocal advocate for Black empowerment. He is credited with raising the self-esteem of Black America and reconnecting it with African heritage.

In 1957, he founded the newspaper Muhammad Speaks which is one of his lasting legacies as it was the medium for him to spread his message. His philosophies on Black pride, Black beauty and Black power spread widely across the country and was the most widely read Black Newspaper in the United States, boasting a circulation in the 100,000s. By 1963, Malcolm X had become the second-most sought-after speaker in the United States, with his Unity Rally being one of the biggest civil rights gatherings at the time. With close friend Muhammad Ali, they combined to set the world on fire with their beliefs and willingness to speak out. Following his more controversial time as part of the Nation of Islam, he broke with them and took a far more diplomatic stance on race relations, advocating peaceful resistance, and the positive benefits of integration and unity.

Assassinated at just 39 years old, his legacy is synonymous with his most famous quote, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything”, which still to this day. He has also been the inspiration for several fictional characters including Marvel’s X-Men character Magneto, and Erik Killmonger from the movie Black Panther.

“As the nation’s most visible proponent of Black Nationalism, Malcolm X’s challenge to the multiracial, nonviolent approach of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and helped set the tone for the ideological and tactical conflicts that took place within the black freedom struggle of the 1960s.” — King Institute, Stanford University