Amilah

Amilah, also referred to as Gamilah in Alex Haley's epilogue, was the fourth daughter of Malcolm X and Sister Betty, born in 1964.

West Indian Archie

West Indian Archie was described by Malcolm as "one of Harlem's really bad Negroes." Despite this, Malcolm frequently placed numbers bets with Archie in the mid-1940s when he was involved in the numbers business. A misunderstanding about money led Archie to threaten Malcolm's life, prompting Shorty and Sammy to arrange for Malcolm to leave town.

Attallah

Attallah, the first daughter of Malcolm X and Sister Betty, was born in 1958. She was named after Attila the Hun, known for sacking Rome.

Bimbi

Malcolm encountered Bimbi in jail. Bimbi, an experienced burglar, encouraged Malcolm to read and study. He was the first person Malcolm had met who commanded respect purely through his words.

Sister Clara

Sister Clara was married to Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X described her as a "dark, good wife."

Ella Mae Collins

Ella was one of the three children from Malcolm's father's previous marriage. Malcolm first met her in seventh grade and regarded her as the proudest black woman he had ever encountered. She owned property in Boston and was successful in business, helping many relatives move from Georgia to Boston. The summer Malcolm spent with her in Boston was life-changing, especially when he observed the stark contrast between his small town and the big city. The following year, he moved to Boston to live with her.

Over time, Malcolm began to see Ella as a snob and dismissed her attempts to help him. While she wanted Malcolm to improve himself, he was more interested in having fun during his teenage and young adult years. After converting to Islam, Malcolm encouraged Ella to convert as well. Eventually, she did convert and even established a language school for young Muslim girls. She also lent Malcolm the money for his pilgrimage to Mecca.

Earl

Earl was another of the three children from Malcolm's father's previous marriage. He resided in Boston and became a successful singer, performing under the name Jimmy Carleton.

El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz

See Malcolm X.

Ilyasah

Ilyasah, named after the Arabic word for Elijah (Ilyas), was the third daughter of Malcolm X and Sister Betty, born in 1962.

Elijah Karriem

See Elijah Muhammad.

Laura

Malcolm met Laura while working at an ice cream parlor in Ella's upscale black neighborhood. Despite coming from a "good" family and being studious, Laura stood out to Malcolm because of her friendliness. Ella grew very fond of Laura and encouraged Malcolm to spend time with her. He enjoyed taking Laura to dances, although she had to lie to her family about her whereabouts. Malcolm later blamed himself for leading Laura down a path that involved drugs, alcohol, and prostitution.

Reverend Earl (Early) Little

Earl Little, Malcolm's father, was a Baptist preacher who also promoted Marcus Garvey's "back-to-Africa" ideology. Malcolm explained that Earl chose this path because he had witnessed the murders of three of his brothers by white men. Standing well over six feet tall and not easily intimidated, Earl frequently had to relocate his large family due to the hostility his preaching provoked among local whites. In 1931, when Malcolm was about six years old, Earl was killed by a white racist group in Lansing, Michigan.

Earl showed Malcolm a bit more favor than his other children, leading Malcolm to speculate if this was because his skin was lighter than theirs. Earl fathered eleven children—three from a previous marriage and eight with Malcolm's mother, Louise. Earl and Louise often argued, typically over her dietary restrictions.

Hilda Little

Hilda, Malcolm's quiet older sister, served as his "second mother." After their father's death, Hilda helped maintain the household by looking after the younger children while Louise went to work.

Louise Little

Louise Little, Malcolm's mother, was born in Grenada to a black woman who had been raped by a white man, according to Malcolm. With very light skin, she was frequently mistaken for a white woman. This often helped her secure jobs as a maid after her husband's death, but she would be fired as soon as her employers discovered she was black, often when one of her children visited her workplace.

Louise had strict ideas about what her family should eat, forbidding her children from consuming rabbit or pork. These dietary restrictions were often the cause of disputes between her and Earl. She occasionally experienced visions, and on the day Earl was murdered, she had a premonition of his death.

Following Earl's death, state welfare officials attempted to take Louise's children away. Overwhelmed by the pressure of raising eight children alone, Louise eventually suffered a breakdown. The house fell into disrepair, and the state placed her children in different homes and committed her to a mental asylum for twenty-six years. In 1963, her son Philbert took her out of the asylum and brought her to live with him.

Malcolm Little

See Malcolm X.

Philbert Little

Philbert, one of Malcolm's older brothers, enjoyed their father's preaching, unlike Malcolm, who found it perplexing. When not fighting each other, Philbert and Malcolm would team up against other children. Philbert converted to the Nation of Islam before Malcolm and became a temple minister in Lansing, Michigan.

Reginald Little

Reginald, one of Malcolm's younger brothers, frequently suffered from poor health due to a hernia. Malcolm aimed to earn Reginald's admiration, much like how he looked up to their older brother, Wilfred. In his teenage years, Reginald joined the merchant marine but later left and moved to Harlem to live with Malcolm in the mid-1940s. Malcolm found Reginald a relatively safe "hustle," selling inexpensive clothes at inflated prices, and admired his brother's composure and streetwise nature. Reginald converted to the Nation of Islam but was expelled for immoral conduct before Malcolm's release from prison. He ultimately ended up in a mental institution.

Robert Little

Robert, another of Malcolm's younger brothers, pursued post-graduate studies in psychology at Michigan State University.

Wesley Little

Wesley was also one of Malcolm's younger brothers.

Wilfred Little

Wilfred was the first child born to Earl and Louise. Malcolm felt a strong bond with Wilfred during his childhood and looked up to him, especially after their father's murder. Following their father's death, Wilfred quit school to work and support the family. He later converted to the Nation of Islam and became a temple minister in Detroit.

Yvonne Little

Yvonne, Malcolm's younger sister, was born in 1929.

Mother Marie

Mother Marie was the mother of Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X enjoyed listening to her stories about Elijah's childhood and humble beginnings.

Mary

Mary was one of Earl Little's three children from a previous marriage and resided in Boston.

The Messenger

See Elijah Muhammad.

Mr. Ostrowski

Mr. Ostrowski was Malcolm's English teacher at Mason Junior High School. Like many other teachers, he made racist jokes during class. When Malcolm was in the eighth grade, Mr. Ostrowski asked him about his future aspirations. Upon learning that Malcolm wanted to become a lawyer, Mr. Ostrowski told him that black people could not be lawyers. This incident intensified Malcolm's dissatisfaction with living in a small town, especially after experiencing a summer in Boston with Ella.

Elijah Poole

See Elijah Muhammad.

Qubilah

Qubilah was the second daughter of Malcolm X and Sister Betty, born in 1960.

Rudy

Rudy, one of Shorty's friends in Boston, was of mixed Italian and African American heritage. He worked for an employment agency that hired him out as a waiter to wealthy white families for their parties. His familiarity with affluent households made him invaluable when Malcolm decided to form a burglary gang. Ultimately, Rudy and the rest of the gang were imprisoned for their crimes.

Sammy the Pimp

Sammy the Pimp was one of Malcolm's closest friends during his time in Harlem in the 1940s. Originally from Kentucky, Sammy was known for having the most attractive prostitutes in Harlem. Sammy assisted Malcolm in various ways, such as introducing him to the marijuana trade. They also collaborated on several robberies. However, their friendship cooled when Malcolm struck Sammy's girlfriend, prompting Sammy to threaten him with a gun. Despite this, Sammy later helped save Malcolm's life after Malcolm angered dangerous individuals in Harlem. Sammy contacted Shorty, who then came to Harlem and took Malcolm back to Boston.

Shorty

Malcolm met Shorty at a pool hall in Boston shortly after moving there to live with Ella. Shorty was from Lansing, Michigan, where Malcolm had spent part of his childhood. Shorty found Malcolm a job as a shoeshine boy at the renowned Roseland State Ballroom and introduced him to Boston's nightlife, including drinking, gambling, fine clothing, and women. Shorty played a crucial role in saving Malcolm's life by responding to Sammy's call and bringing Malcolm back to Boston when he was in danger in Harlem.

Sophia

Sophia was a well-to-do and attractive white woman who became infatuated with Malcolm after seeing him dance with Laura in Boston. They started a relationship, which devastated Laura. Sophia provided Malcolm with financial support, allowing him to move out of Ella's house and live with Shorty. Malcolm X noted in his autobiography that having a beautiful white girlfriend was a significant status symbol for a black man in Boston during that era. Even after Malcolm moved to Harlem, Sophia continued to visit him, despite being married to a wealthy Boston man. She was eventually arrested alongside Shorty and Malcolm for armed robbery.

Sister Betty X

Sister Betty X served as an instructor to the women of the Nation of Islam, teaching them housekeeping and hygiene. She was a nursing student when Malcolm X first noticed her and began considering her as a potential wife. He did not spend much time courting her, dismissing the notion of romance, and proposed to her during a 1958 telephone conversation after they had only spent a limited amount of time together. Malcolm X regarded her as an exemplary Muslim wife who stood by him through both good and challenging times.