This video covers an era in the Muslim American leader's public life during which his evolving attitudes can slowly be detected making him one of the most prominent Muslim leaders of America.
The one time Malcolm Little dropped his surname in favor of the ambiguous "X" when he became involved with Elijah Muhammad's black Muslim movement. While Martin Luther King Jr. espoused harmony and integration, Malcolm X became the mouthpiece of the Nation of Islam, vehamently preaching the tenets of black nationalisn, separatism and militancy. But after traveling to 14 African Nations and visiting Mecca, Malcolm X became El-Hajj Malik El Shabazz, and gained international recognition as a leader and advocate for the oppressed. Disenchanted with Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, Malcolm's purpose and message changed, enhanced by a newfound acceptance of white allies. Sadly he was cut down by assassins in Harlem on February 21, 1965, before he was able to fully realize his new vision.
