different jobs. Soon, Malcolm became associated in a gang and sold and used drugs, and was involved in many other .
criminal activities. His gang "career" ended when he got into some trouble due to a bet with the gang leader. Since .
the gang wanted Malcolm killed, Malcolm hid for a while. Soon, Malcolm decid! .
ed to rob a house which he heard had a lot of valuables in it. Soon one night, he robbed the house, but was caught .
later. Malcolm was charged with burglary and sent to prison for a maximum of eight years of which he served six. .
This was a turning point in Malcolm's life. While in prison, Malcolm educated himself and became interested in the .
teachings of Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm spent his time in jail educating himself and learning more about the .
Nation of Islam (later known as the Black Muslims). Their belief, which was contrary to Martin Luther King Jr.'s, .
mainly to was to segregated whites and blacks. The Nation of Islam wanted to establish a separate Afro-American .
homeland in the U.S. and believed that the white person is "the Devil" who wanted to enslave all non-whites. The .
Nation of Islam also strictly followed the Islamic belief. .
When Malcolm was released from prison after in 1952, he joined a temple in Detroit, and took the name Malcolm X. .
He took the name X because his present last name was the last name of the slave master who freed their slave and .
since the slave didn't know who their ancestors were, and therefore didn't know their real last name, they often took .
up the last name of their master. Many Muslims kept the name "X" because in math, "X" is represented as an .
unknown variable like their real last name. A person was to keep the name "X" until God himself gave them a "holy .
name"(Encarta 2). .
Soon after his release from jail, Malcolm worked for his oldest brother who managed a furniture store. While .
working, he also gave many speeches, and went "fishing"(fishing is when someone stands out on a sidewalk and .
