Malcolm Little uzwi ku izina rya Malcolm X ndetse akagira n’izina yahawe n’idini ya Islam ari ryo el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz yabonye izuba ku itariki ya 19 Gicurasi umwaka mu 1925 avukira ahitwa Nebraska.
Ku myaka itandatu gusa ni bwo Malcolm yabuze se umubyara witabye Imana azize impanuka y’imodoka.
Nyuma y’urupfu rwa se umuryango wabo wahuye n’ubukene bukabije bituma nyina Louise Little afata icyemezo cyo kujya ateka ibiryo ku muhanda akabicuruza kugira ngo abana be babone imibereho.
Nyuma ni bwo nyina yaje guhagarikirwa ibikorwa kubera ibyo yakekwagaho, hari mu mwaka w’i 1939, ibi byatumye Malcolm ndetse n’abavandimwe be bajyanwa kuba mu miryango y’iwabo.
Malcolm yari umuhanga cyane mu ishuri ariko hakaba umwe mu barimu be wamugiriye inama yo kuba umubaji kuruta uko yaba umunyamategeko.
Malcolm X utaravugaga rumwe n’ubutegetsi bwariho icyo gihe, yaje kuva mu mujyi wa Michigan ajya ahitwa Boston kubana na mushiki we witwa Ella, umwana se yari yarabyaranye n’umugore bashyingiranwe bwa mbere.
Aha niho yatangiye kujya akora ibyaha bya hato na hato mu myaka ye y’ubugimbi, aho yaje kujya acuruza ibiyobyabwenge.
Ni nawe wari ukuriye agatsiko k’abajura ahitwa Roxbury na Harlem mu mujyi wa New York.
Kubera ubujura yaje gufungwa kuva mu mwaka w’i 1946 kugeza mu w’i 1952.
Ibi byaje gutuma ajya mu muryango wa Islam (wahurizaga hamwe ibikorwa bya Islam ndetse n’ibikorwa by’abirabura ugaharanira n’inyungu zabo).
Mu rwego rwo kwihugura Malcolm X yamaraga amasaha menshi asoma ibitabo byari mu isomero rya gereza yari afungiwemo ndetse akihatira no kumenya ibyari mu nkoranyamagambo (dictionary) byose, yaniyunguye kandi ubumenyi ku bijyanye no gushaka gihamya (facts) aho yagiraga uruhare mu biganiro mpaka.
Kubera amahame umuryango wa Islam yabagamo wagenderagaho byatumye izina rye “Little “, arisimbuza “X” kuko ibi byari nk’umugenzo uhoraho wakorwaga na buri wese wabaga mu muryango wa Islam.
Impamvu yabyo yari uko uyu muryango wa Islam wafataga ko izina ry’umuryango umwana yabaga yarahawe ryabaga rifite inkomoko mu bazungu.