His mother was Grenadian and fluent in 9 languages. Malcolm was in part a first generation American.
After his release from prison he continued to visit prisoners and inmates. He had to sue the penal system in collaboration with the NAACP in order to do so.
Malcolm was a feminist and often objected to orthodox rules for women in mosques. He left the Nation of Islam due in part to testimonies of sexual harassment against the leader Elijah Muhammad.
Malcolm visited Europe in addition to Africa and the Middle East. He visited Africa and the Middle East BEFORE his Hajj.
Malcolm spent time speaking at elite universities to educate and learn with those of privilege and to ensure everyone was on the same page with regard to social justice and human rights.
And in my opinion, the young generation of whites, blacks, browns, whatever else there is, you’re living at a time of extremism, a time of revolution, a time when there’s got to be a change, people in power have misused it, and now there has to be a change. And a better world has to be built and the only way it’s going to be built is with extreme methods. And I, for one, will join in with anyone – don’t care what color you are – as long as you want to change this miserable condition that exists on this earth. — Malcolm X
- Justin Pye and Bryan Epps, Director, The Shabazz Center in Harlem contributed to this report
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