Malcolm X was a prominent civil rights activist in the 1960s who advocated for black nationalism and initially supported the Nation of Islam's teachings. He disagreed with Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy of nonviolence and believed that whites were the enemy. While in prison, Malcolm became interested in the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Malcolm X. He rose to prominence as a minister and spokesman for the group. However, he later split from the Nation of Islam and advocated for pan-Africanism. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca and revised his views on white people before being assassinated in 1965 by Nation of Islam members.