Malcolm He had a difficult childhood. He was targeted because of his light skin color by peers and family. He grew up poor and spent years of his life committing crimes and ended up in prison. Malcolm X found Islam in prison and developed several philosophies that came from his childhood experiences. Malcolm X eventually found peace and was unfortunately killed after he began to make a positive difference. “Malcolm Little was born May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska” (Perry Page 2). Everyone was excited to have a baby in the family, except Malcolm's father, Earl Little, because he was ashamed that Malcolm had pale skin, blue-green eyes and ash-blond hair. Malcolm's mother, Louisa, had the same complexion as Malcolm, which is where he got his appearance from. Louisa's father was Scottish, which made her skin so pale that she passed for white. Earl was very taken with his color. He firmly believed that he was proud to be black. “Earl was a disciple of Marcus Garvey and was elected president of the Omaha branch of Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association. Louisa also joined the UNIA, which emphasized that black people should be proud of their blackness and their African heritage. He urged them to free themselves from dependence on whites, economically and otherwise. Garvey taught that instead of integrating whites, blacks should establish their own sovereign nation” (Perry Page 3). Garvey's philosophy influenced Malcolm's beliefs. "Malcom's father reportedly decided to leave Omaha after Ku Klux Klan knights brandishing firearms and burning torches besieged the Little home, shattering the windowpanes with their pistol but... half of paper... has been removed" from their minds by the religion of Islam" (Kershaw). Malcolm X discovered that Islam is the religion of peace. After traveling to Africa and doing some soul-searching, Malcolm as such". regardless of their color” (Kershaw). Unfortunately Malcolm X was killed about a year after finding his organization. Work Cited Haley, Alex. “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” SparkNote. SparkNote, Web. April 23, 2014Kershaw, Tom. "The Religion and Political Views of Malcolm Malcolm X's Religion and Political Views. November 7, 2012. Web. April 23, 2014. Perry, Bruce. Malcolm: The Life of a Man Who Changed Black America. Barrytown, NY: Station Hill, 1991. Print.