It was during this time that his brother Reginald .
came to visit and told Malcolm about his recent conversion to the Muslim religion. Intrigued, Malcolm began to .
study the teachings of the Nation of Islam (NOI) leader Elijah Muhammad. By the time Malcolm was paroled .
he was a devoted follower of the NOI, changing his name to Malcolm X. He decided that Little was a slave .
name and denoted "X" to signify his lost tribal name.
The NOI taught Muslim beliefs along with the idea that white society actively worked to keep African-.
Americans from empowering themselves and achieving political, economic and social success. Among their many .
goals they wanted to achieve a state of their own, separate from one inhabited by white people. Articulate and .
Intelligent, Malcolm was appointed minister and national spokesman for the Nation of Islam along with the task of .
establishing new mosques in cities such as Detroit, MI and Harlem, NY.
Malcolm's great side showed through when he utilized newspapers, radio, and television in order to bring .
attention to the NOI and deliver the message to the public. Malcolm's charisma and conviction were all he .
needed to largely increase the size of the NOI. Between the years 1952 and 1963 membership rose from 500 to .
30,000. Crowds and controversy made Malcolm a media magnet. In 1959 Malcolm was featured in a week .
long televised series entitled "The Hate That Hate Produced." The series explored the fundamentals of the Nation .
of Islam and Malcolm's rise and emergence as one of its great leaders. After the series, Malcolm soon realized .
that his fame had eclipsed that of his mentor Elijah Muhammad.
Racial tension quickly rose in the 1960s. The rise of the NOI caused infiltration from the FBI which .
included secretly placed bugs, wiretaps, cameras and other surveillance equipment to monitor the group's .
activities.
At the peak of the civil rights movement Malcolm's faith in the NOI was crushed when he discovered .