Leaving the N.O.I

On December 1, 1963, when he was asked for a comment about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X said that it was a case of "chickens coming home to roost". He added that "chickens coming home to roost never did make me sad they've always made me glad." He described the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, and the bombing of the16th street baptist church in Alabama, as some of the chickens that had come home to roost.

The Nation of Islam, issued a message of condolence to the Kennedy family and ordered its ministers not to comment on the assassination, publicly stopped their former shining star. Malcolm was prohibited from public speaking for 90 days.

On March 8, 1964, Malcolm X publicly announced his break from the Nation of Islam. He said that he was still a Muslim, but he felt the Nation of Islam had "gone as far as it can" because of its rigid religious teachings. Malcolm said he was going to orginize a black Nationolist Orginization that would try to "heighten the political consciousness" of African Americans.He also expressed his desire to work with other civil rights leaders and said that Elijah Muhammad had stopped him from doing so in the past.

After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X founded Muslim Mosque Inc.,a religious organization, and the Organization of Afro-American Unity, a  group that represented black nationalism. On March 26, 1964, he met Martin Luther King JR. in Washington D.C after a press conference which had both men attending the Senate to hear the debate on the Civil Rights bill. This was the only time the two men ever met, their meeting lasted only one minute, just long enough for photographers to take a picture.