Malcolm X was a minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. Initially the lead spokesman for the Nation of Islam, he advocated for Black empowerment and the separation of Black and white Americans, criticizing the mainstream civil rights movement for its emphasis on nonviolence. However, after a life-changing pilgrimage to Mecca, he embraced Sunni Islam and a more internationalist, inclusive approach to human rights. He founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity and famously spoke of achieving justice 'by any means necessary.' His autobiography, co-written with Alex Haley, remains one of the most influential works of non-fiction in American history. Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965, but his legacy continues to inspire movements for racial pride and social justice, offering a more radical alternative to the nonviolent philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.