February is Black History Month

On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was murdered at age 39, as he began to speak to a group at the Audobon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York. He was a civil rights activist who believed in his cause "by any means necessary."

Malcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska. His father was a baptist minister. The Black Legion, a white supremacist group threatened his life. The family moved to Michigan. His father died, most probably at the hands of the Black Legion.

By 1942, he was involved with criminal activities such as narcotics, prostitution, and gambling rings. In 1946, he was convicted of burglary in Massachusetts and sentenced to 10 years. He focused on education while in prison and was released in 6 years. His brother had become a muslim. He became known as Malcolm X because he regarded Little as a slave name.

In 1992, Denzel Washington starred in Spike Lee's movie, Malcolm X. It was nominated for two academy awards.

Nebraska Nellie