Malcolm X, a minister within the controversial black separatist organization the Nation of Islam (NOI), rose to great prominence within the organization in the early 1960s. His charisma, intelligence, courage, powerful voice, and good looks gained admirers both within the organization and outside of it.

Malcolm X on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska with the name Malcolm Little. His mother, Louise Norton Little (née Langdon), was born in Grenada to a Nigerian woman who had been enslaved and then freed, but who was then raped by a white Scottish man. Louise was the result of that assault. Louise married Malcolm’s father, Reverend Earl Little, an older man who had children prior to his marriage to Louise. With Louise, Earl had eight children, including Malcolm. The family relocated to Lansing, Michigan, when Malcolm was very small.

Both of Malcolm’s parents were followers of Marcus Garvey, the Harlem-based Jamaican leader and activist who led the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), the first major black nationalist organization. The UNIA operated numerous businesses, all organized to fund black Americans’ repatriation to West Africa. Earl Little preached Garvey’s principles part time. He earned a living as a poultry salesman.