Don Wildman

It was 1950, and this man, known to friends and family as Malcolm, had entered a new phase of life, deeply reconsidering his purpose and place in the world, his very identity.

Like so many black men in America, his last name, Little, was not really his.

That arbitrary surname had traveled down through generations, through at least a century of American history, until it rested on him, Malcolm Little.

But now, under the spiritual guidance of the Nation of Islam, he had decided to part ways with that identity, to shed that name, and claim a new one that represented freedom, strength, autonomy.

Finishing the letter, he signed off to his brother and for the first time added the new signature that would, in coming years, become famous the world over.

Malcolm X.

Hello, American History Hit listeners.

I'm Don Wildman, your host.

Thanks for punching us up.

Here in the U.S., as I speak, we're in the second half of Black History Month 2026.

And fittingly, we explore today the life and ideas of one of America's most compelling critics, thinkers, and orators.

A man unflinching in his willingness to confront the racial inequities of this nation forthrightly and on his own terms at a time when racist laws and policies were woven into the fabric of American life.

Malcolm X spoke truth to power, plainly and without apology, in the heady days of the civil rights movement, delivering a message that made many people of this country very uncomfortable.

But he did it with such perceptive intelligence and charisma that even now, more than 60 years after his passing,

his undeniable presence endures.

We discuss this consequential figure with Professor Clarence Lang, the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State University, and a professor of African American Studies, historian of Black urban history and social movements, and author of several acclaimed books examining race, power, and protest in 20th century America.

Professor Lang, Clarence, glad to welcome you.

Before we turn to the formative events of his early life, let's define the movement in which Malcolm X will come to play such a major role.

I think it will help the audience to sort of back up for a moment and understand this.

Black nationalism was an international movement of the early 20th century that continues on today, really, but arose in response to, of course, centuries of degradation felt by Black populations around the world, the result of colonialism, slavery, Black exploitation.