X Marks the Spot: Mapping Malcolm X’s Encounters with Sudan

Though Malik El-Shabazz’s travels in the Middle East and Africa put him in touch with the most progressive revolutionary movements of his time, it was his ongoing contacts with students, scholars, and religious leaders from Sudan that had a truly transformative effect on his beliefs about religion and race. This article explores how Malcolm X was influenced by friends and contacts who lived in Sudan and the Sudanese diaspora. It pays special attention to the role of Sheikh Ahmed Hassoun, a religious scholar who became spiritual adviser to Shabazz and the Muslim Mosque, Inc., in 1964.