Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz) was an African-American Muslim minister, civil rights activist, and prominent Black nationalist leader who served as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam during the 1950s and 1960s. He was a vocal advocate for Black Empowerment, black self-defense, black economic autonomy, and encouraged racial pride. Malcolm X understood the importance of the African Continent. He made at least 4 trips in the span of 4 years to grow closer to what he calls his Fatherland and Motherland. He took time to learn different cultures and visited different countries and discovered the direct connection between the struggle of African Americans in the U.S. and the people of the African Continent.