Malcolm X Character Analysis

Although Malcolm X does not play an active role in the narrative, he is undoubtedly the most important historical figure in the book. Coates discovers Malcolm X’s work as a teenager, and it is the experience of reading about Malcolm’s life and beliefs that awakens Coates to the reality of racial injustice in America. Born Malcolm Little in 1925, Malcolm became a member of the Nation of Islam during a period of incarceration. Malcolm went on to become a key figure in the black power movement, refusing to acquiesce to the strategy of nonviolent resistance advocated by some members of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1964 Malcolm broke ties with the Nation of Islam, and the following year he was assassinated by three of its members at the age of 39.