Final answer:
The rationale behind Malcolm X and others changing their names was rooted in a desire to reclaim their African heritage and assert their identity. Examples of individuals who have changed their names include Muhammad Ali and Angela Davis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rationale behind Malcolm X and others changing their names was rooted in a desire to reclaim their African heritage and reject the names that were imposed on them during slavery. By changing their names, they sought to assert their identity and challenge the notion of African Americans as inferior. Malcolm X, for example, replaced his last name with "X" to represent his lost African surname and to symbolize the unknown identity of his ancestors.
Other individuals who have changed their names include Muhammad Ali (formerly Cassius Clay), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Lew Alcindor), and Angela Davis (formerly Angela Yvonne Davis). These individuals made name changes as a form of political and personal empowerment, embracing their cultural roots and shedding the names associated with their colonized or enslaved ancestors.