How did Malcolm X's views on Black liberation evolve over time?

• A. He remained a strict integrationist advocate throughout his career.
• B. He advocated violent revolution.
• C. He promoted Black nationalism and self-reliance early, later supporting coalition-building across movements.
• D. He supported civil rights through federal programs only.

Answer: (D)

Malcolm X’s approach to Black liberation moves from a focus on Black nationalism and self-reliance to a broader, internationalist outlook that seeks solidarity across movements. In his early years with the Nation of Islam, he emphasized racial pride, economic independence, and building power within Black communities, often critiquing integration as the sole path to freedom and emphasizing self-defense and self-determination.

After leaving the Nation in 1964, he broadened his strategy. He founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity and began framing liberation as a human rights issue that connected Black struggles in the United States to global anti‑colonial movements. He started pursuing coalitions with other oppressed groups and civil rights organizations, aiming to build alliances across movements and to engage international partners. This shift shows a move from a primarily separatist, self-reliant position to an inclusive, coalition-building approach that spans national and global solidarity.

So the description that best captures his evolution is that he promoted Black nationalism and self-reliance early, later supporting coalition-building across movements. It’s not accurate to claim he stayed strictly integrationist or that he limited his tactics to federal programs.