Topic > Malcolm Civil rights are a class of rights that protect the freedom of individuals and guarantee their ability to participate in civil and political life. Civil rights include the guarantee of life and safety, the protection of the individual. The United States tries to gain them the right to vote. The phase of the movement began in 1954 and ended in 1968, focusing specifically in the South. This movement was characterized by major civil resistance campaigns. Acts of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience have produced disastrous situations between activists and government authorities. The era of the civil rights movement was the time in America when African Americans and other minorities began to gain more equal rights. For this movement to succeed, several courageous leaders were needed. Civil rights leaders are influential figures in promoting freedom. They work to protect individuals from discrimination. A courageous but different civil rights leader was Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a very controversial figure in his time. If there was one man who demonstrated the anger, struggle, and beliefs of African Americans in the 1960s, that man was Malcolm X. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was an African-American Muslim minister and rights activist humans. Malcolm X's (also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His real name was El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz but people called him little Malcolm and later started calling him Malcolm X. Malcolm X was sent to an orphanage because his father was killed and his mother was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. ...... middle of the paper ...... until his journey to Mecca. There he converted to the original Islamic religion and became a Sunni Muslim. It was then that he realized that blacks and whites could live together in harmony. He brought his new message to America, but unfortunately was assassinated before his message could be fully heard. In February 1965 he was assassinated by three members of the Nation of Islam. The civil rights movement was certainly significant to our growth as a nation. America has come a long way in terms of assimilation in recent years. Today all minorities have the same rights. Equality is very important because every individual should be treated equally; no one should be treated differently. Equality means having a just society, where everyone has the opportunity to be who they want to be. Works Cited http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/moltrem_x.htm