Malcolm X was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist. Controversial throughout his career, his detractors said he preached racism, anti-Semitism, black supremacy, and violence. Those who supported him considered him a strong advocate of African-Americans’ rights and one who spoke bluntly about what he considered white America’s crimes against black Americans. His belief’s changed over a period of time. When he was a National of Islam spokesman, he advocated the separate of black and white Americans and advocated black supremacy. In 1964, he broke with the Nation of Islam and became a Sunni Muslim. He disavowed racism and offered to work with civil rights leaders. He continued, however, to emphasize self-determination.