Malcolm X Malcolm X (1925-1965), black American leader, born in Omaha, Nebraska, as Malcolm Little. Malcolm's father, a Baptist minister, was an outspoken follower of Marcus Garvey, the black nationalist leader of the 1920s. The family moved to Lansing, Michigan, and when Malcolm was six years old, his father was murdered after receiving threats from the Ku Klux Klan. Malcolm's mother suffered a nervous breakdown and the eight children were taken by the welfare department. Malcolm was sent first to a foster home and then to a reform school. After the eighth grade, Malcolm moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he worked at various jobs and eventually