Malcolm X, an African American revolutionary civil rights leader, was assassinated on Feb. 21, 1965, during a rally speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. 

Sixty years later, his legacy continues to inspire justice-seekers across the globe. 

Who was Malcolm X?

Born Malcolm Little, he was born on May 19,1925, in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the fourth of eight children born to Louise and Earl Little, who was a preacher and active member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association. 

Due to his father’s civil rights activism and avid support of Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey, the Little family experienced frequent harassment from white supremacist groups.

Following his father’s death and his mother’s subsequent mental deterioration, Malcolm and his siblings were separated from each other and assigned to foster homes. 

As a young adult, Malcolm X fell into a life of crime while living under dire conditions and striking poverty. He was imprisoned in 1946 for acts of robbery, drug dealing, and gambling. While in prison, he spent his time reading and practicing his speaking prowess, which he would come to be widely recognized for. 

Malcolm X’s time in prison played a critical role in the most significant change in his life: his conversion to the Nation of Islam, a Black nationalist movement that sought an independent African American nation-state. 

Following his release in 1952, he became closely involved with Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad to expand the movement among Black Americans across the country. 

Malcolm X taught that the oppressed were “entitled to resist by any means necessary.” He heavily criticized the American system that glorified oppression as order, while vilifying resistance as violence. 

Malcolm X’s Journey to Islam

Malcolm X’s journey toward Islam is widely known as one of the most inspirational stories. In his own words, “I had sunk to the very bottom of the American white man’s society when– soon now, in prison– I found Allah and the religion of Islam and it completely transformed my life.”

While he initially joined the Nation of Islam, he would eventually break ties with the organization. His journey to Mecca to perform Hajj played a critical role in this decision.

In April 1964, Malcolm X embarked on the journey of Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims partake in. This is where he began to fully embrace the religion of Islam after witnessing the hospitality, the spirit of brotherhood, and the collective worship of God as millions of people from all around the world united in performing the pilgrimage.

It was at Hajj that Malcolm X had a change of heart when it came to racial separatism and hostility toward white people. He came to embrace Islam as it truly is – a religion that stood for the equality of all humans regardless of race, ethnicity, wealth, or social status. 

After his pilgrimage to Mecca, Malcolm X officially adopted the name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, marking his conversion to Islam.

“Zionist Logic” and Israel’s Colonial Project

In 1964, Malcolm X traveled to Gaza, where he visited the Khan Younis refugee camp. The trip resulted in his most famous written work, “Zionist Logic.” This critical aspect of Malcolm X’s global stance for justice is frequently dismissed in mainstream accounts. Published in The Egyptian Gazette, his article linked Zionism to the wider European colonialist project, adding that “this new kind of Zionist colonialism differs only in form and method, but never in motive or objective.”  

“The Israeli Zionists are convinced they have successfully camouflaged their new kind of colonialism,” he wrote. He also warned that Zionism was a threat not only to Palestine, but to the world.

Malcolm X’s support for Palestine was a testament to his international message. He saw the Palestinian struggle as a fight for human dignity, similar to the struggle for Black liberation. 

“I, for one, would like to impress, especially upon those who call themselves leaders, the importance in realizing the direct connection between the struggle of the Afro-American in this country and the struggle of our people all over the world,” he said.

During one of his iconic speeches, Malcolm X addressed the issue of Palestine as not that of religion, but of colonialism. “It is a question of a people who are being deprived of their homeland,” he stated.

Malcolm X and Resistance

Malcolm X quickly became known for his fiery speeches, which attracted large crowds, often in the hundreds. He preached that nonviolent resistance was ineffective in the face of oppression. “It is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks,” he said.

His bold statements also attracted attention from the media, which portrayed him as a preacher of hate and violence. Despite the allegations, Malcolm X rejected being labeled as a violent person, and argued that Black Americans had a right to defend themselves against violence.

Malcolm X struggled to establish the foundations for socio-economic independence of Black communities in a quest to promote self-sufficiency and reduce the effects of the racial supremacist system in the U.S. 

The revolutionary leader advocated for the oppressed, stressing on the importance of solidarity and brotherhood in combating systems of oppression to achieve true freedom. In Malcom X’s own words, “the ultimate price of freedom is death.” 

And in fact, he did live up to his word.