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Malcolm X

マルコム・エックス

Marukomu Ekkusu

Aliases: Malcolm Little / el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz / Malik el-Shabazz / Malcolm Shabazz / Omowale
Pen Names: Malik el-Shabazz（Islamic name adopted after performing the Hajj; used in the later period of his activism.）, Malcolm Little（Birth name; family surname before Nation of Islam membership.）, Omowale（Honorary Yoruba name received during visits to Africa (meaning 'the son who has come back').）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1925-05-19 （Omaha, Nebraska, United States）
Died
1965-02-21 （Manhattan, New York City, United States (Audubon Ballroom)） age 39
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Islam (Sunni)
Residence History
Omaha, Nebraska (birth) → Milwaukee, Wisconsin (childhood) → Lansing, Michigan (youth) → Boston / Roxbury (young adulthood) → Harlem, New York City (base of operations) → Chicago (activity related to Nation of Islam / travel)

Career

Occupations
activist, minister, author, speaker, religious leader
Active Years
1946-1965
Affiliations
Nation of Islam, Muslim Mosque, Inc., Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU)
Memberships
Nation of Islam (former), Muslim Mosque, Inc. (founder), Organization of Afro-American Unity (founder)
Influenced By
Marcus Garvey, Elijah Muhammad, Reading and fellow prisoners during incarceration (educational influence)
Influenced
Leaders and activists of the Black Power movement, Notable figures such as Muhammad Ali, Hip-hop culture and successive generations of civil rights activists

Education

Mason High School (left before graduation)
Period: 1930s–1941（中退）
Country: United States
Left high school early; later self-educated and read extensively during imprisonment.

Awards

Malcolm X Day (commemorative)
1971
Organization: Various municipal and community commemorations
Result: 追悼・記念指定
United States Postal Service Malcolm X stamp
1999
Organization: United States Postal Service
Result: 記念発行
Induction into the Nebraska Hall of Fame
2024
Organization: Nebraska Hall of Fame
Result: 選出（追贈）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

1965 Autobiography / Memoir 466 pages

A life story and intellectual journey of Malcolm X, compiled with Alex Haley. It covers his childhood, criminal past, transformation in prison, rise within the Nation of Islam, pilgrimage to Mecca and subsequent ideological evolution, and his final period of activism.

racial justiceself-reinventionreligion and identityPan-Africanism
Adaptations
  • [Film] Malcolm X / Spike Lee (1992)
Translations
  • The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Japanese translation)

The Ballot or the Bullet

1964 Speech / Political statement

A famous speech discussing voting rights and Black political self-determination; it argued for political empowerment and, when necessary, self-defense.

political participationself-defensehuman and civil rights

Bibliography

  • The Autobiography of Malcolm X, 1965
  • Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements, 1965
  • Malcolm X Talks to Young People, 1965
  • The Diary of Malcolm X: 1964, 2013
  • Various collections of speeches and recordings (multiple edited volumes)

Adaptations

  • Film 'Malcolm X' (dir. Spike Lee, 1992)
  • Stage and opera works (e.g., Anthony Davis's opera 'X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X')

Translations of Works

  • The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Japanese and other translations)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
direct and forceful colloquial voiceoratorical and persuasive toneautobiographical and testimonial style
Recurring Motifs
rebirth and self-transformationcritique of racismreligious rediscovery of Islamdesire to reconnect with Africa

Legacy

Malcolm X is regarded as one of the most influential African Americans of the 20th century. He contributed to renewed Black pride, reconnection with African heritage, and the spread of Islam in the U.S. His autobiography, speeches, and adaptations continue to shape public memory; he is commemorated by events, memorials, schools and place names.

Museums

  • Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center Audubon Ballroom site, Manhattan, New York City Opened in 2005

Academic Societies

  • Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU, legacy organization)

Archives

  • Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (Malcolm X collections)
  • Robert W. Woodruff Library (Atlanta University Center)

In Popular Culture

  • Widely depicted in film (notably Spike Lee's 1992 'Malcolm X'), documentaries, theater, and music; cited as inspiration across popular culture.
  • Icon in hip-hop culture (e.g., influence on Public Enemy and others)

Quotes

  • By any means necessary.
    Source: Speech 'The Ballot or the Bullet' and other speeches (1964)
  • The issue is not merely civil rights; it must be elevated to human rights and internationalized.
    Source: Various speeches and interviews (1964)

Trivia

  • His Hajj pilgrimage profoundly changed his religious and racial views.
  • The autobiography was completed with Alex Haley and published posthumously in 1965.
  • He was under long-term surveillance by the FBI and other agencies during his life.