Malcolm X
Malcolm X (Malcolm Little) was a leader of a multitude of many riots. Malcolm declared to a Harlem audience, "If you think we are here to tell you to love the white man, you have come to the wrong place". By the age of 20 Malcolm did jail time for burglary. During his experience at prison he began to study the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. As he became more involved with his teachings he began to preach that whites were the cause of the black condition and that blacks should separate from white society. Elijah Muhammad was not only an influential person in Malcolm's life he was a savior. He helped to keep Malcolm clean from his drug addiction. Malcolm preached to African Americans for armed self- defense which scared whites. Many people had accused Malcolm of being racist and violent while others believed that he was one of the most influential black leaders. Later, after praying with many whites, he realized that they are not all bad. He began a new slogan known as "Ballots or bullets". Malcolm was later killed in 1965, when he was shot during a speech he gave in Harlem. (Brittni M.)