Malcolm X blei fødd i Omaha i Nebraska, men han voks opp i Lansing, delstatshovudstaden i Michigan. Han var den fjerde i ein søskenflokk på åtte, men faren hadde også tre barn frå eit tidlegare ekteskap. Mor hans, Louise, var fødd på øya Grenada i Britisk Vestindia som dotter av ei svart kvinne som var blitt valdteken av ein kvit mann. Faren, Earl Little, stamma frå staten Georgia. Han var baptistprest men var også politisk aktiv. Han agiterte utrøtteleg for den mest oppsiktsvekkjande svarte rørsla i 1920-åra, UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association).
Da Malcolm slutta seg til dei svarte muslimane i Detroit, fekk han samtidig skifta ut etternamnet sitt, Little, med X. X symboliserte det sanne afrikanske familienamnet, som slavane hadde fått skifta ut av dei kvite slaveeigarane. På denne måten blei dette X eit symbol som knytte dei svarte muslimane saman. Etter kvart som rørsla voks, og det ved ein moské var fleire med same fornamnet, sette dei eit tal attåt X-en, såleis at f. eks. den tredje James kom til at heite James 3X. Elijah Muhammad bad Malcolm bere dette namnet til den dagen da Gud sjølv vende tilbake og gav han eit heilagt namn frå sin eigen munn.
Når han var på reise, kalla han seg Malik Shabazz. Han oppdaga at når han bruka dette namnet, trudde folk at han var afrikanar, og straks blei dei meir imøtekommande.
Malcolm X blei skoten og drepen i Harlem i New York den 21. februar 1965.
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