Why did Malcolm X choose the surname X?

• A. It stood for his first initial only.
• B. It was his mother's name.
• C. It was given to his ancestors by slave masters.
• D. It signified his lost tribal name.

Answer: (D)

Choosing X is a deliberate act of reclaiming identity after slavery. The X stands for the lost tribal or ancestral name of Malcolm’s people—the name that was taken away by slaveholders and that many African Americans had to leave behind. By adopting X, he signaled a break from the “slave name” and asserted a connection to Africa and his lineage, even though the exact original name had been erased. This makes the surname a symbol of self-definition and cultural heritage, rather than simply a first initial, a mother's name, or something given by slave masters to his ancestors.