1. Malcolm X (1925-1965)

Father of Black Power

Malcolm X was powerful and influential speaker, he was a leading figure in 20th-century movement for black liberation in the United States, and perhaps, its most enduring symbol.
Malcolm X has been called many things: Pan-Africanist (see Pan-Africanism), father of black power, religious fanatic, closet conservative, incipient socialist (see socialism), and a menace to society.
Gunned down three months before his 40th birthday, Malcolm’s life was cut short just when his thinking had reached a critical moment.