Who was Malcolm X and what was his significance to the civil rights movement?

Malcolm X was the revolutionary leader of the struggle for black dignity during the 1950s and 1960s. He played a pivotal role in advocating for Black self-determination and dignity at a time when these concepts were revolutionary in American society. Often positioned as the counterpart to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement, Malcolm represented an alternative approach to achieving racial justice. While history sometimes presents them as opposing forces, both leaders contributed significantly to advancing the movement's goals through their distinctive leadership styles and philosophies of liberation.