Malcolm X was one of the most influential black-American leaders of the 1950s and 1960s. He went from a petty criminal into an important defender of the rights of blacks. Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska where his mother was a homemaker and his father was an outspoken Baptist minister and an avid supporter of Marcus Garvey. Many things from Malcolm X's childhood led to him becoming a civil rights leader. Malcolm X became …showed first 75 words of 674 total…

…showed last 75 words of 674 total…began his life as the son of a Marcus Garvey follower and then he became a criminal. After being put in jail for his criminal activities he began to follow Elijah Mohammed's teachings and when he got out of jail he joined the Nation of Islam. While with the Nation of Islam he was radical in his thinking but after leaving the Nation of Islam he became much more open minded and saw all sides.