Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 - February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. A spokesman for the Nation of Islam until 1964, he was a vocal advocate for Black empowerment and the promotion of Islam within the Black community. On February 21, 1965, he was assassinated in New York City. Three Nation members were charged with the murder and given indeterminate life sentences; in 2021, two of the convictions were vacated. Speculation about the assassination and whether it was conceived or aided by leading or additional members of the Nation, or with law enforcement agencies, has persisted for decades.