X, Malcolm

X, Malcolm (b. Omaha, Nebr., 19 May 1925; d. New York, N.Y., 21 February 1965) Born Malcolm Little, he experienced a religious conversion while in prison, joined the Black Muslims, and changed his name to Malcolm X. Besides instilling pride in African heritage and setting high moral standards for blacks, he preached that all whites were irredeemably evil; he also taught that African-American society and culture could only be saved through black separatism. He was the first major black leader to reject integration after Marcus Garvey. He became an orthodox Muslim, broke with the Black Muslims in March 1964, and revised his beliefs to accept cooperation with liberal whites who supported civil rights. He was assassinated for his apostasy by three Black Muslims, who were convicted for his murder on 10 March 1966.