By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
More than six decades after his 1965 assassination, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz—better known by the name Malcolm X– reremains one of the most influential and debated figures in Black political history. Still, scholars say the final years of his life are often misunderstood and simplified into a narrative that overlooks how his travels abroad deepened his commitment to Black liberation, internationalism and decolonization.
“He was a revolutionary part of a pan-African, anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, internationalist movement that sought to free Black people here in the U.S. by any means necessary as part of an international, anti-colonial liberation struggle,” said Jared Ball, professor of Africana and media studies at Morgan State University.
Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925, Malcolm X emerged as a central figure in the Civil Rights Movement, Black nationalism and the rise of Black power. The son of Earl and Louise Little, Malcolm Little was introduced to Black nationalist thought at an early age through his father, a Baptist minister and supporter of Marcus Garvey.
After experiencing racial violence, poverty and the disputed, mysterious death of his father in childhood, Malcolm X’s journey as a young man spiraled into a life of street crime, drugs and ultimately, a felony robbery conviction. Malcolm Little reported for his eight-to ten year sentence in 1946 at age twenty. During his incarceration, he underwent a religious and intellectual transformation that led him to join the Nation of Islam (NOI), a movement that blended elements of Islam with Black nationalism.
Following his release from prison in 1952, Malcolm X quickly rose to prominence as a minister and national spokesperson for the NOI, becoming widely known for his sharp criticism of racism, white supremacy and systemic oppression in the U.S., as well as his support for self-defense “by any means necessary.” In line with NOI tradition, he replaced his last name with “X,” symbolizing the African family name lost through slavery.
In 1964, a year before his assassination, Malcolm X left the NOI due to ideological differences with then-leader Elijah Muhammad. His travels across Africa and the Middle East exposed him to anti-colonial movements and newly independent African nations, helping him develop a broader political framework grounded in internationalism, human rights and global Black liberation.
Ball said Malcolm X’s later years are often inaccurately portrayed as rejection of Black nationalism or revolutionary politics. Instead, he argued that Malcolm X’s worldview became more radicalized and internationally-focused.
“He understood that capitalism was a major problem standing next to white supremacy and colonization,” said Ball. “He recognized also, as he wrote in print, that Zionism was racism, that Zionism was not to be part of a progressive movement going forward and was not commensurate with Black liberation.”
Shortly after breaking from the NOI, Malcolm X formed the Muslim Mosque Inc. in March 1964 to promote traditional Sunni Islam. A month later, Malcolm X completed his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. While abroad, Shirley Graham Du Bois served as a key mentor and connector to Malcolm X, aiding him in meeting Kwame Nkrumah, former president of Ghana and founder of the Organisation of African Unity.
Malcolm X was so inspired by Nkrumah’s vision of a united Africa that he created the Organization of Afro-American Unity as a tribute, working to advance Black political liberation and international solidarity among the African diaspora.
Malcolm X emerged from his pilgrimage to Mecca with a new name, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. His travels abroad have frequently been framed as a moment that softened his views, Ball said he remained committed to Black liberation and revolutionary politics.
“All it did was further radicalize and internationalize his scope and help him understand that what was happening to Black people here in the U.S. could not properly be understood or addressed without understanding the role the United States and the West were playing in global empires and European imperialism,” said Ball. “That part is often left out so that people can sort of redefine him as someone who just wanted to hold hands with Whites.”
Ball encouraged people to engage with Malcolm X’s speeches, interviews and writings directly, noting that many are widely available online. He said a closer look makes clear that Malcolm X’s analysis of race and inequality still resonates today.
“There’s not one idea with which Malcolm worked that is irrelevant today. Every single thing that he grappled with—capitalist exploitation, imperialism, inequality and the abuse of Black people—is still rampant,” said Ball. “What among his ideas of radical nationalism, armed struggle, self-defense, pan-Africanism and socialism should any of us put down? I would argue none of them.”
