The book that I read was called Contemporary Black Leaders, and was written by Elton C. This book featured many black leaders such as Malcolm X, Coretta Scott King, and Thurgood Marshall. The person who I learned most about in this book was Malcolm X.
It starts off describing Malcolm X as a tall, light-brown man with kinky red hair, who wore a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He was the seventh of his father's 13 children. He was born with the name Malcolm Little, in Nebraska, on May 19, 1925. Malcolm's mother, Louise, was from the West Indies. His father, Earl Little, was from Georgia.
When Malcolm was five, his house was burned down by two white men. He and his family found temporary shelter and clothing until they found another house. When he was six, his father was killed, leaving Malcolm's mother with the eight children. Malcolm's mother suffered a breakdown and was confined to a State Mental Hospital leaving her children as wards of the state. .
When Malcolm was fourteen, he moved to live with his sister Ella. Malcolm started getting involved with drugs. He was involved in a robbery, which caused him to be sentenced to prison for ten years, in which he only served seven. While in prison, Malcolm became involved in The Nation of Islam, which was headed by Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm had written Elijah Muhammad a letter, and Mr. Muhammad had written back welcoming him into "the true knowledge.".
Elijah Muhammad's version of Islam was different than those of other Muslims. Mr. Muhammad's description of the white man was as a devil. Malcolm started to recruit other black inmates for The Nation of Islam. When Malcolm was released from prison, he met Mr. Muhammad at a speaking, and they became close associates. Mr. Muhammad appointed Malcolm as Minister of Temple Number 7 in Harlem. Malcolm then dropped Little as his last name, because it was a "slave name", and he was now Minister Malcolm X. .
After the assassination of John F.
