Malcolm X’s attempt to internationalize the civil rights movement during the period between March 1964 and February 1965

Abstract

In March 1964, Malcolm X split off from the Nation of Islam and continued his struggle as one of the foremost civil rights leaders until his assassination in February 1965. This thesis will examine Malcolm X and his attempt to internationalize the civil rights movement in the year before his death, and after his disengagement with the NOI, between March 1964 and February 1965. Malcolm X‟s engagement with the civil rights movements expanded its orientation beyond the borders of the United States and placed it in a global context, where he argued that the movement must be transferred to the global stage. This attempt at globalizing the movement gained momentum after his departure from the NOI, once he engaged directly in the larger civil rights movement ongoing at the time. The thesis will examine and analyze Malcolm X‟s attempt to internationally extend the civil rightsmovement in the last year of his life, transforming it into one that included citizens of the world, rather than one confined to the borders of the US.