Malcolm X had a significant lasting impact achieved by his lifetime achievements. Firstly, he was largely credited in increasing the population of the Nation of Islam. In fact, he helped raise the population nearly 6,000% over 11 years from 500 to 30,000. The Muslim population is still growing today and without Malcolm X and his radical speeches to achieve freedom for black Muslims, the population wouldn't be growing as rapidly. Next, he was a large contributor in gaining freedom for African-Americans. He worked with other black right activists to gain rights for blacks and Muslims. Though he and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had extremely different thoughts and philosophies, Dr. King was a supporter of Malcolm and Malcolm that of King. Though they only met once, Malcolm X did have an impact on Dr. King; during the last 3 years of King's life, he became more and more radical. Dr. King started speaking about "self-pride" of blacks and was photographed many times with a button that said 'Black is Beautiful.' Ms. Coretta Scott King, who was Martin Luther King's wife, said that she knew "Martin had the greatest respect for Malcolm," and "if Malcolm had lived, at some point the two would have come closer together and would have been a very strong force." Though Malcolm X's speeches were highly radical and some words spoken by Malcolm were thought poorly of, he was a huge help in gaining equal rights for blacks. Malcolm X led one of the biggest civil rights events in 1963 which was called the Unity Rally in Harlem, New York. This rally, being one of the largest ever, helped change many peoples' minds about blacks. In conclusion, Malcolm X's radical speeches and ability to convert many people to the Nation of Islam are strong reasons why Malcolm X should win the Achievements in Rights award.
Malcolm X speaks at the Unity Rally of 1963 in Harlem, New York. Photo courtesy of: malcolmxfiles.blogspot.com