Malcolm X
Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 as Malcolm Little. As a kid his family faced frequent harassment from the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Legion. They had to move frequently because of the harassment. In 1946 he was arrested on charges of Larceny and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. While in prison he converted to the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X worked with leader Elijah Muhammed to expand the movement's following among African-Americans nationwide. He became the leading voice of a radicalized wing of the civil rights movement. This presented an alternative to Martin Luther King Jr.'s peaceful ways. Martin Luther King Jr. was very critical of Malcolm X because of this. In 1964 Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam after learning Elijah Muhammed had violated his own teachings.