Celebrating 100 Years of Malcolm X

“You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”

MALCOLM X

Malcolm X: A Life and Legacy of Transformation

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, emerged as one of the most dynamic and controversial figures of the American Civil Rights Movement. His life was marked by a journey of profound personal transformation and unyielding advocacy for Black identity, justice, and empowerment.

Although Malcolm excelled in school early on, his academic goals were crushed when a teacher dismissed his dream of becoming a lawyer, suggesting carpentry instead. Disheartened, he left school and turned to a life of rebellion. In 1946, he was imprisoned for robbery, marking a turning point. In prison, influenced by his brother Reginald and the Nation of Islam, Malcolm transformed—embracing the group's teachings, and dedicating himself to self-education, even memorizing the dictionary. He honed his speaking skills in prison debates and embraced the Nation of Islam’s ideology of Black self-reliance and spiritual awakening. Symbolically rejecting the name "Little," which he associated with slavery, Malcolm adopted the surname “X” to signify his lost African heritage.

Upon his release in 1952, Malcolm X quickly rose to prominence within the Nation of Islam. His electrifying oratory, fierce intellect, and relentless energy made him a compelling figure. Preaching in Harlem’s streets and speaking at esteemed institutions like Harvard and Oxford, he became a powerful voice for African Americans disillusioned with the slow pace and conciliatory tone of the mainstream Civil Rights Movement. Malcolm rejected nonviolence and integration as ultimate goals. He championed Black pride, independence, and the right to self-defense—famously declaring that freedom must be achieved “by any means necessary.”

Malcolm’s influence extended beyond rhetoric. He challenged the language used to define Black Americans, helping to popularize terms like “Black” and “Afro-American” over “Negro” and “colored.” His bold stance laid the intellectual groundwork for the Black Power and Black consciousness movements that would rise in the late 1960s and 1970s.

By 1964, ideological differences with Elijah Muhammad led Malcolm to leave the Nation of Islam and form Muslim Mosque, Inc. That year, a pilgrimage to Mecca sparked a second spiritual transformation. Seeing Muslims of all races worship together, he embraced Sunni Islam, adopted the name el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, and expanded his focus to global human rights. He then founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity to connect the struggles of Black Americans with oppressed people worldwide.

Tragically, Malcolm X’s life was cut short on February 21, 1965, when he was assassinated while delivering a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. He was survived by his wife, Betty Shabazz, whom he had married in 1958, and their six daughters.

Though his life tragically ended too soon, Malcolm X’s legacy endures. His fearless advocacy for Black dignity, empowerment, and global solidarity transformed him into a martyr and icon. His speeches and writings continue to inspire movements for justice, and his life stands as a testament to the power of change, conviction, and courage in the face of oppression.

Discovering the Enduring Impact and Message of Malcolm X

The Message of Malcolm X

Who Taught You To Hate Yourself?

May 1962 | Los Angeles, California

Malcolm X challenges Black Americans to confront how racism has taught them to hate their own identity, appearance, and heritage. He condemns police brutality, especially the killing of Ronald Stokes, and criticizes the media and government for spreading lies and targeting the Nation of Islam. He urges unity among Black people across religious and political lines, calls for self-respect and self-defense, and emphasizes that real change requires action, not just patience. Globally, he highlights how oppressed people are rising together—and calls on Black Americans to do the same.

Message to the Grass Roots

November 1963 | Detroit, Michigan

This was one of the last speeches Malcolm gave before leaving the Nation of Islam. In this speech, considered by many Pan Africanists as one of the seminal statements on Black Power and the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm defines revolution, compares and contrasts a "Black Revolution" with a "Negro Revolution," and argues in favor of a worldwide union of nonwhites against the powerful, privileged position of those benefiting from white racism.

The Ballot or the Bullet

April 1964 | Cleveland, Ohio

Malcolm X urged Black Americans to harness the power of the vote to demand justice and hold politicians accountable. He warned, however, that if the government continued to deny basic rights and protections, Black communities might be forced to defend themselves “by any means necessary.” Delivered during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the speech was both a call for political engagement and a stark reminder of the consequences of continued oppression.

The Language of Violence

February 1965 | Detroit, Michigan

Malcolm X responds to the bombing of his home by reaffirming his commitment to justice and the right to self-defense. He rejects all forms of racism, clarifies his beliefs as a Muslim, and criticizes the media for falsely portraying him as violent. Sharing a personal story, he highlights the widespread misconceptions about him.

He condemns the double standard that demands nonviolence from Black people while tolerating white violence, especially from groups like the KKK. Malcolm argues that true change requires strong, sometimes forceful action, not passive love. He warns that unless the root causes of racism and oppression are addressed, more violence and unrest are inevitable.

Malcolm X Digital Commemoration

In our digital commemoration Think like Malcolm, we’ve composed a list of multi-media resources to discover more about the mind and life of this revolutionary leader.

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

Read the eBook

Malcolm X (1992)

Biographical drama film, directed by Spike Lee

Watch on YouTube for $1.99

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The Liturgists Network podcast, Black History is American History, Ep.17 - Malcolm X

Play Podcast

1965 interview with Malcolm X on Front Page Challenge on CBC Television

(Canadian Broadcast Corporation)

Malcolm X on Front Page Challenge (January 5, 1965, CBC) White Interviewer #1: Sometimes, whether you may have or not, and I think probably you have, have sometimes, seems to me, been preaching hate to meet hate. Malcolm X: I don't advocate any kind of hate, but I think that- White Interviewer #1: But there's a lot of talk that sounds very much like it. Malcolm X: No, I think that the guilt complex of the American white man is so profound, until when you begin to analyze the real condition of the Black man in America, instead of the American white man eliminating the causes that create that condition, he tries to cover it up by accusing his accusers of teaching hate, but actually they're just exposing him for being responsible for what exists. White Interviewer #1: Well, that's something of an argument, but I've heard speeches made by some of the people of your group. I think I've heard you make speeches. It seems to me that you are advocating violence to meet the serious injuries that have been done to your people with which I totally agree. Malcolm X: I don't call that violence. I don't in any way encourage Black people to go out and initiate acts of aggression indiscriminately against whites. But I do believe that the Black man in the United states, and any human being anywhere, is well within his right to do whatever is necessary, by any means necessary, to protect his life and property, especially in a country where the federal government itself has proven that it is either unable or unwilling to protect the lives and property of those human beings. White Interviewer #2: Are you still a Muslim? Malcolm X: Oh, yes. I'm a Muslim. I believe in the religion of Islam which believes in brotherhood; complete brotherhood of all people. But at the same time that I believe in this brotherhood, I don't believe enforcing my desire for brotherhood upon those who aren't willing to accept it. White Interviewer #2: The Christians would say that they also believe in brotherhood. What would you say to that? Malcolm X: I'd say they believe in it but don't practice it. White Interviewer #3: Mr. X, since your split with the Black Muslim movement, have you formed your own group? Malcolm X: Yes. White Interviewer #3: And also, you say that you don't believe that Martin Luther King has solutions. What are your solutions? Malcolm X: Well, first we formed two groups. The split resulted in the formation of two groups. Those who left the Black Muslim movement regrouped into what has now become known as the Muslim Mosque Incorporated, which is strictly religious; based upon the religion as it is taught in Mecca and Cairo, and other centers of Islamic religious learning. Then, realizing that our problem in America, that we are Black Americans; we have a problem that goes beyond religion. We formed the group known as the Organization of Afro-American Unity, and the objective of this organization-It's nonreligious, number one. Any negro can belong to it. And the objective of that organization is to bring about a condition that will guarantee respect and recognition of the 22 million Black Americans as human beings. And- White Interviewer #3: Now, this is very radical, but how? Malcolm X: By any means necessary. We feel that the problem, number one, of the Black man in America, is beyond America's ability to solve. It's a human problem, not an American problem or a Negro problem. And as a human problem, or a world problem, we feel that it should be taken out of the jurisdiction of the United States government and the United States courts, and taken into the United Nations in the same manner that the problems of the Black man in South Africa, Angola, and other parts of the world, and even the way they're trying to bring the problems of the Jews in Russia into the United Nations because of violation of human rights. We believe that our problem is one not of violation of civil rights, but a violation of human rights. Not only are we denied the right to be a citizen in the United States, we're denied the right to be a human being. Interviewers: .......

A POEM ABOUT MALCOLM X

For Malcolm X

by Margaret Walker

All you violated ones with gentle hearts;

You violent dreamers whose cries shout heartbreak;

Whose voices echo clamors of our cool capers,

And whose black faces have hollowed pits for eyes.

All you gambling sons and hooked children and bowery bums

Hating white devils and black bourgeoisie,

Thumbing your noses at your burning red suns,

Gather round this coffin and mourn your dying swan.

Snow-white moslem head-dress around a dead black face!

Beautiful were your sand-papering words against our skins!

Our blood and water pour from your flowing wounds.

You have cut open our breasts and dug scalpels in our brains.

When and Where will another come to take your holy place?

Old man mumbling in his dotage, crying child, unborn?

Malcolm X Day 2022 Celebration

Featuring a conversation with Abdur-Rahman Muhammad of the Netflix documentary, Who Killed Malcolm X?

View NAAM’s 2022 Virtual Malcolm X Day Program HERE

Malcolm X Day 2021 Celebration

Featuring musical tributes, remarks and reflections, a conversation with Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, performances by Kutt’NUp Dance Crew and Naa Akua, and more!