9781422277799

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF X When he became a full member of theNation of Islam, Malcolmdropped his “slave name” of Little and adopted the last name of “X.” It was an important break with the life he had once led. To Malcolm and other members of the Nationof Islam, “X” represented thename andheritage that slaves lostwhen they were shipped fromAfrica to the United States. As slaves, blacks answered towhatever names theirmasterswanted to call them; they rarely hada last name. Common first names includedSambo, Prince, andBen. After the Civil War ended in 1865, freed slaves had to decide what to call themselves. Many took the last name of their former master. There were two reasons for this. First, most former slaves had no idea what their original nameswere. More important, because slaveswere considered property—and were bought and sold at their masters’ discretion—families were inevitably torn apart. Husbands were frequently separated from their wives, and children from their parents and siblings. In an effort to reunite with family members after the Civil War, many former slaves placed ads in newspapers. Using the last name of a former master afforded a better chance of success. During the twentieth century, it began to become more common for black Americans who wanted to reconnect to their cultural roots in Africa to take a name that evoked an African identity, and organizations like the Nationof Islamstrongly encouragedconverts toabandon their “slavenames.”

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C I V I L R I GH T S L E A D E R S : MA LCO L M X