As a spokesman for the Nation of Islam in the 50s and 60s, civil rights activist Malcolm X grew in popularity. He was a highly sought-after speaker. Here, he is seen on the PBS program "Open Mind" in 1963.
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Malcolm X was never afraid to speak out against injustices he said black Americans were facing. In this photo, taken outside a New York courthouse, he offers his support during a police brutality case.
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Fidel Castro and Malcolm X meet in Harlem in 1960. The Cuban leader was visiting New York to address the United Nations.
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Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, seated in the hat, listens as Malcolm X speaks at a Nation of Islam convention in Chicago in February 1961. It was Malcolm X who bestowed the title "Honorable" to Muhammad.
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Malcolm X would frequently speak on street corners in Harlem and preach to crowds.
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Malcolm X with his daughters Qubilah, left, and Attilah in 1963.
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Malcolm X preaches in Harlem in August 1963. He rose quickly within the Nation of Islam. Those who followed him said he was one of the most dynamic speakers they had ever heard.
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Malcolm X was also Muhammad Ali's mentor and spiritual guide.
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Malcolm X holds cash during a speech in Washington in 1963.
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Malcolm X talks to a woman inside a Halal restaurant patronized by black Muslims in Harlem.
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In 1964, Malcolm X made a trip to Mecca after he split with the Nation of Islam. He is seen here with Saudi Prince Faisal, who would later become king.
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Malcolm X meets with Martin Luther King Jr. in March 1964.
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In December 1964, Malcolm X meets with students before the Oxford Union Debates in Oxford, England. He would be assassinated less than two months later.
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On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was shot before he was about to deliver a speech about his new organization called the Organization of Afro-American Unity.
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Reporters inspect the scene of the assassination, inside the Audobon Ballroom in New York.
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Malcolm X's widow, Betty Shabazz, stands by her husband's casket at his funeral.