What does 'X' mean in Malcolm X?

Slaves carried the last name of their slave-master. Their own identity was destroyed. X replaced the last name given by the slave-master. Also, not sure if related but, It is known that a majority of the slaves were illiterate, never learning to do more then marking X for their signature. read more

Malcolm X. Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans. read more