Biography
Malcolm Little, also known as Malcolm X, was the fourth of eight children born to Louis and Earl Little. Having ties to the Universal Negro Improvement Association and a strong supporter of the civil rights leader, Marcus Gravy, the Little family were consistently harassed by memebers of the KKK and Black Legion. The consistenent harassment drove the family to Michigan, where Malcolm soon turned to selling and using drugs. In 1946, he was arrested on charges of larceny and sentenced to 10 years in prison. During this time, he occupied himself with books. Once out of prison, he moved to Detroit to work with the Nation of Islam helping expand the movement. He led the movement with violence and determination. He married Betty Sanders, a member of the Nation of Islam, in1958. They later had 4 children.On the night of February 21, 1965, Malcolm was shot by three gunman 15 times and pronounced dead.
IMPORTANCE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Malcolm worked on discouraging his followers from peaceful protesting and encouraged using forceful methods to get their point across. He later turned to peaceful methods. His speeches helped in motivating members of the SNCC to protest for black rights. He was a large part of the civil rights movement and had many followers.