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What does the letter "X" in Malcolm X's name mean?

The "X" in the name of African American civil rights leader Malcolm X stands for the unknown African tribe from which he descended. Born Malcolm Little (1925–1965), he grew up amidst racism and poverty. As a teenager Malcolm fell into a life of crime and served a ten-year prison sentence for robbery. While in prison he learned from other inmates about the ideas of Elijah Muhammad and the Black Muslims (also called the Nation of Islam), who were followers of Islam (a religion founded by the prophet Muhammad; c. 570–632). He joined this group and resumed his education (he had dropped out of school after eighth grade). When he was released from prison in 1952, he changed his name to Malcolm X and within a short time became the minister at a Muslim temple in New York City. During the 1950s Malcolm X was a leading spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Although he...

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