Malcolm X (1925–1965)

Malcolm X was perhaps the most important figure in the black liberation movement from the mid-1950s until his premature death in 1965. He was fearless and unapologetic in articulating the pain of oppressed people and in demanding justice for them. Taking full advantage of the budding visual media of television and working tirelessly among the people, Malcolm was known to households across the nation and around the world. In a great sense, he was a spokesperson for those far beyond the confines of the various organizations with which he was affiliated and was a major inspiration for other social movements in the United States, such the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Black Panther Party, as well as those in other countries. In addition, he commanded the respect of leaders of the more moderate civil rights movement, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and enjoyed the company of writers such as James Baldwin, scholars such as Kenneth B. Clark, and artists such as Ossie Davis, who would later eulogize the slain giant as a “prince.”