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It's 95 years since Malcolm X was born on 19 May 1925.

He was a political activist and is most well known for his work as a leader during the civil rights movement in America.

But who was he? And why was he such an important figure to so many people?

Read on to find out more.

Who was Malcolm X?

Born on 19 May 1925 in Nebraska, America, as Malcolm Stuart Little, he was the fourth of eight children.

When he was younger Malcolm and his family suffered racist abuse from a group called the Ku Klux Klan - they had to move around a lot to avoid this racist, violent group to avoid getting hurt.

When he was six years old his father was killed in what many believe was a deliberate racist attack.

These childhood experiences inspired him to join the civil rights movement.

Why did the civil rights movement start?

The rights of a person in a society are called their civil rights.

Civil rights include things like the right to freedom, the right to education, the right for adults to vote, and the right to a fair trial.

For a long time in the US, African Americans were denied their civil rights.

They were forced into being slaves and were bought and sold for money, in the same way animals and property were bought and sold. Life as a slave was extremely hard and very difficult to imagine now. Most slaves were treated appallingly by their white owners and had no rights at all. Many had to change their name - sometimes to that of their owner.

Though slavery was abolished (or ended) in England in 1833, and in America in 1865, black people still weren't treated fairly because of laws - or rules - of segregation keeping black and white people separate.

This mistreatment of black people, or anyone considered non-white, led to the civil rights movement in the 1960s - when African Americans began to resist this inequality. They wanted to be treated the same way as white people.

Huge protests of tens and often hundreds of thousands of people, put pressure on the government to change unfair, racist laws.

Famous civil rights leaders at that time included Martin Luther King Jr.

How was Malcolm X involved?

Malcolm wanted to fight for the rights of black people because of the racist abuse he and his family had suffered.

He spoke passionately at rallies - big gatherings - and events and lots of people listened to his messages.

But his message was different to that of Martin Luther King Jr. - another key figure fighting for equality for black people in America.

Unlike Martin Luther, who encouraged non-violent protests, Malcolm X said that black people should protect themselves "by any means necessary".

And he also disagreed with Martin Luther King Jr's ambition of an America where black and white people lived together - Malcolm didn't believe in that vision and wanted a separate nation just for black people.

How did Malcolm X get his name?

Malcolm X had a difficult childhood and felt like he had no real opportunities.

His father was killed when he was young and Malcolm's family didn't have a lot of money and he turned to crime.

He was sent to prison for being caught with stolen goods.

When he was in prison, his brother sent him a letter about a political and religious group he'd joined called the Nation of Islam.

Malcolm decided to join too, and changed his name to Malcolm X to mark this change.

What did people think of that?

The Nation of Islam was led by a man named Elijah Muhammad. Members of the Nation of Islam believed that black people were superior to white people.

They also thought that Islam was the true religion of black people.

A lot of people found this controversial - some people said it was going against the idea of equality - which they said meant it was going against the civil rights movement too.

What happened to Malcolm X?

Eventually, Malcolm left the Nation of Islam after falling out with some of the members there, but he remained a Muslim.

He made a pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam's holiest city, and when he came back he began to work with other civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. on ways to peacefully achieve equal rights.

Malcolm had made enemies within the Nation of Islam, and on February 14, 1965 his house was attacked and burned down.

A few days later, as he began a speech in New York City, he was shot and killed.

Legacy

Racial segregation came to an end across the US between the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1964, the Civil Rights Act finally made it illegal to separate people in public places or discriminate against anyone on based on their race, colour, religion, gender or national origin.

This important law change is considered one of the biggest achievements of the civil rights movement - of which Malcolm X was a key player.

Many books and films have been written about him since, including an Oscar-nominated 1992 film by director Spike Lee in which Malcolm X is played by Hollywood actor, Denzel Washington.