Malcolm The three men convicted of the assassination of Malcolm X were all members of the Nation of Islam. Immediately after Malcolm X's death, authorities ignored his recent spiritual and political transformation and criticized him as a violent agitator. However, Malcolm X's legacy as a civil rights hero was set in stone by the 1965 publication of The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley. The book immediately called Malcolm X "one of the great political and spiritual leaders of modern times." The Autobiography of Malcolm X dedicated Malcolm X as a hero to consecutive generations of radicals and activists. “The power to defend freedom is greater than the power to defend tyranny and oppression,” he said. “Because power, real power, comes from our conviction which produces action, action without compromise.” Prospects for freedom,