Life of Malcolm X.

Name: He explained the name he chose by saying, "To take one's 'X' is to take on a certain mystery, a certain possibility of power in the eyes of one's peers and one's enemies ... The 'X'; announced what you had been and what you had become: Ex-smoker, Ex-drinker, Ex-Christian, Ex-slave." The 'X' also stood for the unknown original surname of the slaves from whom Malcolm X descended, in preference to continuing to use a name …

…planning of the assassination while others claim Elijah Muhammad himself, fearing Malcolm's rising influence, ordered him killed. Farrakhan gave an interview to the CBS news program 60 Minutes in 1998 in which he denied the allegations. Despite his change of methods late in life, Malcolm X was most remembered for his remarkable oratorical delivery of his fiery anti-racist speeches, which were emulated by other black militant organizations and leaders such as the Black Panthers and Stokely Carmichael.