Malcolm Little changed his name because he joined the religion of Islam and rejected his 'slave' name.
Malcolm Little was an activist and outspoken public voice of the Black Muslim Faith. He urged his followers to defend themselves against 'white oppression' by 'any means necessary'.
It was a common practice for members of the Nation of Islam to replace their last name with an X when they joined. The reason for this practice was the acknowledgment the the last names of most Black people in America were not their original name, but rather the names of the families that owned their ancestors.
The X represented their real names that were lost to history.
