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In prison, he embraced the Nation of Islam, a Black nationalist group, and would later change his surname to X — because “Little”, he said, had been imposed by white slavers.Relations with the Nation of Islam had soured, though, and Malcolm X publicly accused the group’s leader, Elijah Muhammad, of being morally suspect due to his serial adultery. Malcolm X now feared for his life.Malcolm X was shot dead in New York City on February 21, 1965. Two of three convicted men, linked to the Nation of Islam, would later be exonerated. Reports today suggest there were as many as five shooters, with the FBI accused of a conspiracy of silence.Early on, Malcolm X’s approach was polarising, but his death brought appeals for unity. Today, 60 years after his assassination, that unity is needed more than ever.
