Throughout history there are many great people who dedicated their life to the advancement of the African American race. Few of these people created as much controversy during the 1960’s then the man who would be known as Malcolm X. Unlike many of the civil rights leaders of the time who promoted non violence, Malcolm X believed in the use of aggressive tactics in his battle for equality. Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska to Earl and Louise Little. His father, a minister and devout Christian, was known for being an outspoken follower of the black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Garvey’s message promoted the “back-to-Africa” movement that encouraged African Americans of the time to sever ties with …show more content…

Malcolm was appointed assistant minister of the Detroit Mosque and shortly was sent to organize mosques in Philadelphia and later Harlem. After the success of organizing several mosques throughout the nation Malcolm X became a national spokesman for the Nation of Islam. He became the voice of the organization and a public figure who the media frequently quoted. His skill at debating allowed him to help spread the Nation of Islam’s message and gain followers of his movement. Malcolm and the Nation of Islam called for his followers to live a life of racial separation. His beliefs showed that he felt that non violent civil rights leaders had achieved nothing and publicly criticized the same leaders and there viewpoints. He was not a supporter of equality gained peacefully, instead he encouraged his followers to fight back against white violence. He attributed the crime rate and economic condition of African Americans to their following the lifestyle of white, western society, and advised Blacks to convert to Islam. It was during the early years of his notoriety that he met a student nurse by the name of Betty Sanders (her name would later change to Shabazz upon converting to Islam). The two were married in 1958 and they eventually had six daughters. By the late 1950’s the Nation of Islam had moved into the national spotlight amassing a membership of more than one hundred thousand. White Americans began to worry about Malcolm