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The life and assassination of Malcolm X, the controversial civil rights activist whose death remains a mystery

Malcolm X was one of the most important and controversial civil rights activists in the 20th century.

Malcolm X speaks at a rally in Harlem, New York in 1963.
  • Unlike other civil rights leaders who advocated for nonviolent civil disobedience, Malcolm X promoted self-defense and racial justice"by any means necessary," and called for racial separatism between black and white Americans.
  • In his lifetime, he helped grow the Nation of Islam, an African American religious and political movement, from a few hundred members to nearly 75,000 people, before differences with the organization's leader forced him out. About a year later, he was assassinated.
  • Malcolm X's murder is being re-investigated after a six-part documentary called "Who Killed Malcolm X?" was released on Netflix in February, 55 years after his assassination.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, experienced racism first-hand as a child when his house was burned down and his father, an outspoken black Baptist minister, was said to have been violently murdered by white supremacists. Not long after, his mother was institutionalized for mental illness.

While serving an eight to 10-year sentence in prison for grand larceny, Malcolm X joined the Nation of Islam, an African American religious and political group that has become "one of the wealthiest and best-known organizations in black America," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center .

Over the course of 12 years, Malcolm X helped grow the group from a few hundred members to up to 75,000 people. He was a talented orator with a deep and gravelly voice and became a vocal civil rights activist, but unlike leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., did not agree with nonviolent civil disobedience. Instead, he spoke out in favor of self-defenseand racial separatism between blacks and whites.

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Malcolm X would go on to change many of his views on race in America and leave the Nation of Islam. A year later, in 1965, he would be assassinated.

Since then his death, Malcolm X's reputation has been far from static, and now due, in part, to a six-part Netflix documentary called "Who Killed Malcolm X?" the controversial black nationalist who died by assassination 55 years ago is being reintroduced to America.

Here is the life and death of Malcolm X.

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Victor Boynton / AP

When asked about Louise, he told his biographer, "She was always standing over the stove, trying to stretch whatever we had to eat."

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AP

Two years later, when Mal com was six, Earl was later found dead on railway tracks. Police called it an accident, but his mother thought white supremacists were responsible.

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Edward Kitch / AP

Source: PBS

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Bob Schutz / AP

Later biographies have asserted he exaggerated his criminal youth to create a stronger personal story.

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National Archives

Source: PBS

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AP

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Paul Cannon / AP

In response, Muhammad sent back a single five-dollar note.

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Associated Press

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Frank Scherschel/The LIFE Picture Collection / Getty

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AP

His victory against the police was covered nationally by the media.

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By 1961, the group had up to 75,000 members.

John Lindsay / AP

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AP

Speaking to a crowd of about 1,000 people he said, "We call on our Godhe gets rid of a hundred and twenty of them."

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Frank Scherschel/The LIFE Picture Collection / Getty

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AP

He also started the Muslim Mosque Inc.

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AP Photo

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Richard Saunders/Hulton Archive/Getty

"Envy blinds men and makes it impossible for them to think clearly. This is what happened," he said.

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Death threats were made against Malcolm X.

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Source: CNN

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Harry Harris / AP

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Robert L. Haggins/The LIFE Images Collection / Getty

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Al Burleigh / AP

This was despite his rallies usually warranting up to 24 officers. He also told his staff to not check people for guns as they entered, which had been protocol at his earlier meetings.

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AP

In his autobiography, he wrote , "If I can die having brought any light, having exposed any meaningful truth that will help destroy the racist cancer that is malignant in the body of America then, all of the credit is due to Allah. Only the mistakes have been mine."

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At the public viewing of his body, between 14,000 and 30,000 attended.

NY Daily News Archive / Getty

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While Ossie Davis said of Malcolm X, in his eulogy, "A Prince. Our own black, shining prince, who didn't hesitate to die because, he loved us all."

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AP

Source: Al Jazeera

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See Also:

SEE ALSO: The incredible life of Elijah Cummings: How a sharecropper's son rose to become one of the fiercest Democrats who took on Trump

DON'T MISS: https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-missing-chapters-of-malcolm-xs-autobiography-found-2018-7

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