Malcolm X was one of the most important activists in the history of African-American rights. Malcolm X Day is celebrated on 19 May each year in many cities including Berkeley, California, where offices and schools are officially closed. He has been portrayed in numerous movies by actors such as Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington.
Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner Alex Haley wrote Roots: The Saga of an American Family. He was also senior editor of Reader’s Digest, a respected journalist and groundbreaking interviewer. He ghostwrote The Autobiography of Malcolm X from extensive interviews with his subject.
