Malcolm He was something of an extremist. Although he only acted when he deemed it necessary, when he did, it often had drastic effects on the people and events happening around him. Unlike Martin Luther King or other civil rights activists, he did not believe in peaceful protests. He believed in “any means necessary” to achieve his goals. Through his unparalleled efforts and determination, Malcolm X, formerly known as Malcolm Little, changed the course of the civil rights movement. Without him, the events that led to the struggle's final conclusion would have been forever altered. Little's journey began when he became involved in crime and began to obsess about justice and equality. Malcolm became involved in drug dealing, burglary and pimping. In 1945, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his crimes. While serving his sentence, Little was convinced by his brothers to join the Nation of Islam (NOI). Once freed, he took on the persona of Malcolm X, as Little was a slave name. Malcolm . However, he had made enemies within NOI. He created the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU). The goal of the OAAU was to separate blacks from whites. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965 in Manhattan by members of the NOI. Despite the controversy he generated, Malcolm X and the bold radicalism he possessed brought about a major internationalization of the civil rights movement. In No...... middle of paper ...... him, it is possible that King was not taken seriously either. He condemned the March on Washington – calling it, in his own autobiography, a “farce on Washington.” Because of Malcolm, hundreds, if not thousands, of black people did not march that day. Although many today view this as a bad thing, he believed the march humiliated and disempowered people of African American descent. Malcolm X was proud to be black. He did not believe that whites should grant rights to blacks, but that they were independent peoples. Although before he could fulfill his wishes he was assassinated, his impact on the civil rights movement will never be forgotten. Historians will never forget the man who demanded freedom for his race. Sometimes extremity is not a bad thing, but in the case of Malcolm X, extremity is the very essence of pride, power and freedom..