- Anytime you have a
to itself as the free world
and a democracy, and at the same time
has 22 million of its citizens who aren't
permitted citizenship,
why that in itself reflects lunacy.
NARRATOR: Malcolm X was a civil rights
crusader, black nationalist,
and Muslim minister.
He was born Malcolm Little
on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Malcolm's father was a Baptist preacher
and outspoken supporter
of black activist Marcus Garvey.
As a result, the Littles
were frequently terrorized
by white supremacist groups.
Despite his family's attempts
to evade harassment, young Malcolm
felt the trauma of racist violence
firsthand when his father
was killed under mysterious
circumstances.
A brilliant student, Malcolm
was discouraged and demeaned
by white teachers, who ultimately
pushed him to drop out
of school at age 15.
Bouncing between Boston, Flint,
and Harlem during his teenage years,
Malcolm turned to crime to get by.
In 1946, at age 21, he
was arrested for burglary
and sentenced with eight to 10
years in prison.
While incarcerated, Malcolm developed
a new and radical worldview
based in liberation and
self-determination.
Through the influence of fellow prisoner
John Bembry, Malcolm became an insatiable
reader.
He soon found himself drawn
to the teachings of the Nation of Islam,
a pro-black religious group led
by Elijah Muhammad.
Accepting his new faith,
Malcolm severed ties to the past,
changing his last name to X
as a representation of his lost
African surname.
After his release on parole in 1952,
he worked to develop the nation's
ministry and expand its membership.
In 1958, Malcolm married fellow NOI
devotee Betty Shabazz,
with whom he would have six children.
Malcolm's rapid rise in the organization
mirrored the electrifying appeal
of his teachings among African
Americans.
The wider public caught a glimpse
of his movement's power one night
in 1957, when Malcolm organized hundreds
of black Muslims in Harlem to ensure
the safety of Hinton Johnson,
a hospitalized victim of police violence.
Malcolm's vision of black nationalism,
which did not rule out violence
as a means of overcoming
white oppression, was met with fear
and skepticism from mainstream white
audiences and quickly attracted
the attention of the FBI.
Still, Malcolm's role as a powerful voice
in the Civil Rights struggle
continued to build momentum.
By the early '60s, however, Malcolm
had grown disillusioned
with the Nation of Islam
after learning of Elijah
Muhammad's extramarital
affairs.
In 1963, Malcolm publicly
cut ties with the organization.
Shortly thereafter, he traveled to Mecca
in Cairo on a cultural journey
that reaffirmed his faith
and cultivated his hope
for a peaceful resolution
to the struggle for racial equality.
Still, Malcolm X's return home
was not easy.
Death threats, many from followers
of Elijah Muhammad, plagued
him and his family.
Eager to make a lasting statement,
Malcolm X collaborated
with writer Alex Haley
on an autobiography.
Sadly, he would never see
the book's success.
On February 21, 1965, before a speech
in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom,
Malcolm X was shot to death
by three members of the Nation of Islam.
While Malcolm's journey
was cut tragically short,
his words and spirit continue
to shed light on the nature of inequality
and the path to peace.
He remains one of the most
influential figures in American history.