he was six years old. The KKK had threatened Earl Little on several occasions. Malcolm continued to attend and do well in school throughout his adolescence. Malcolm graduated the eighth grade, but at the age of fifteen he dropped out of school and began to run the streets. Malcolm began to make acquaintances with dope dealers, thieves, hoodlums, and pimps. At the age of twenty Malcolm, was convicted of burglary, he served seven years in prison. Malcolm spent his time in jail educating himself. In prison Malcolm learned about the Nation of Islam and the black Muslims, who advocated racial separation and preached an anti-white doctrine. In prison Malcolm changed his last name to X because he felt that African American's had lost their true identity under slavery. Malcolm did not want to continue living under his false identity, with his "Little" badge of slavery. The European Americans had made the black community commit crime, by keeping them socially, economically, politically, and educationally disadvantaged. This was the reason, Malcolm believed, that blacks were overpopulating America's prisons. In prison Malcolm read ferociously, allowing him to gain a wide scope of knowledge that would help him become the superior orator that he was. In 1952, Malcolm was released from prison a changed man.
             For most of Malcolm X's life he was a racist: Malcolm was just reacting to the bigotry of white peoples. Malcolm was only racist towards white people. Malcolm justified his racism, by saying it was the "hate" that "hate" produced. White people hated black people therefore, it was legitimate to hate white people. Malcolm said the "Negro problem" should be renamed the "white man's problem" because it was not the Negro who believed in the superiority of its race; it was not the Negro who enslaved millions of white peoples.[] The "white man's proble...