How did Malcolm X become a civil rights activist? Who was Johnson Hinton, and what did he have to do with it? In 1957, New York City police officers severely beat up a Black Muslim man named Johnson Hinton. That incident eventually pushed the Nation of Islam—and Malcolm X—into the spotlight of America’s civil rights movement. Read more to learn about the launch of Malcolm X’s activism.
How Police Brutality Spurred Malcolm X’s Activism Into Action










