Cinema Sundays! Stand Up Guys Series

Malcolm X

1992 biograpical epic of Malcolm X, the legendary African American leader. Born Malcolm Little, his father (a Garveyite Baptist minister) was killed by the Ku Klux Klan. Malcolm became a gangster, and while in jail discovered the Nation of Islam writings of Elijah Muhammad. He preaches the teachings when let out of jail, but later on goes on a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, there he converts to the original Islamic religion and becomes a Sunni Muslim and changes his name to El-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz. He is assassinated on February 21, 1965 and dies a Muslim martyr.

The movie, directed by Spike Lee and based on the book by Alex Haley and Malcolm X (The Autobiography of Malcolm X), Malcolm X stars Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo.  Malcolm X was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Actor and Best Costume.