Celebrities
Malcom X
Malcolm X was a famous African American Muslim minister and human rights activist in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha Nebraska, while in prison in 1952 for breaking and entering, he converted to Nation of Islam, a form of Islam with a large agenda for black power, and changed his name to Malcolm X. In 1964 he left Nation of Islam and converted to Sunni Islam changing his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and disavowing racism. He was assassinated in February 1965.
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is a former boxer and philanthropist. Born Cassius Clay he converted to Nation of Islam in 1964 the same group that Malcolm X was part of. In 1967 three years after winning the Heavyweight Championship his refusal to be conscripted into the U.S. Military as a result of the ongoing Vietnam war, and continued vocal criticism of the war which would inspire Martin Luther King Jr. to do the same. He was stripped of his boxing title after being found guilty of draft evasion charges. He converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.
Dave Chapelle
Dave Chapelle is an American comedian and actor. After doing stand up in 2003 he became widely famous for his show, the Dave Chapelle show and is considered by many to be the greatest stand up comedian of all time. He converted to Islam in 1998, and told Time Magazine in an interview that "I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is beautiful if you learn it the right way."