Malcolm X was the first major Black leader to take the case of Black Americans to the United Nations — framing racism in America as a human rights violation, not just a civil rights issue.
The Story of Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz)
Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925, he grew up experiencing the worst of American racism — including the likely murder of his father by white supremacists and the forced institutionalization of his mother. He was incarcerated in his early twenties and transformed himself through reading and conversion to Islam, emerging as Malcolm X — the most electrifying speaker of the civil rights era.
As a minister for the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X articulated what many Black Americans felt but few leaders would say plainly: that America's racial violence was not a misunderstanding but a system, and that Black people had the right to defend themselves by any means necessary. He challenged the nonviolent civil rights movement not from opposition but from a belief that Black people deserved more than what America was offering.
After making Hajj to Mecca in 1964 and experiencing the brotherhood of a racially diverse Muslim community, Malcolm evolved — becoming El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and founding the Organization of Afro-American Unity. He moved toward building international coalitions and took the case of Black Americans to the United Nations, arguing that racism in America was a violation of international human rights law — not just an internal civil rights matter.
He was assassinated on February 21, 1965 — before he could complete the international coalition he was building. He was 39 years old. His autobiography, written with Alex Haley, remains one of the most important books of the 20th century.
Color Malcolm's Portrait
The Alphabet Book of Generals — Who Resisted White Supremacy and Won features a full-page coloring portrait of Malcolm with a color guide and fun fact. Perfect for children ages 4–12 and Black history education.
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