Malcolm X assassinated - Feb 21, 1965 - HISTORY.com Malcolm X assassinated Publisher A+E Networks In New York City, Malcolm X, an African American nationalist and religious leader, is assassinated by rival Black Muslims while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1925, Malcolm was the son of James Earl Little, a Baptist preacher who advocated the black nationalist ideals of Marcus Garvey. Threats from the Ku Klux Klan forced the family to move to Lansing, Michigan, where his father continued to preach his controversial sermons despite continuing threats. In 1931, Malcolm’s father was brutally murdered by the white supremacist Black Legion, and Michigan authorities refused to prosecute those responsible. In 1937, Malcolm was taken from his family by welfare caseworkers. By the time he reached high school age, he had dropped out of school and moved to Boston, where he became increasingly involved in criminal activities. In 1946, at the age of 21, Malcolm was sent to prison on a burglary conviction.

It was there he encountered the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam, whose members are popularly known as Black Muslims. The Nation of Islam advocated black nationalism and racial separatism and condemned Americans of European descent as immoral “devils.” Muhammad’s teachings had a strong effect on Malcolm, who entered into an intense program of self-education and took the last name “X” to symbolize his stolen African identity. After six years, Malcolm was released from prison and became a loyal and effective minister of the Nation of Islam in Harlem, New York. In contrast with civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X advocated self-defense and the liberation of African Americans “by any means necessary.” A fiery orator, Malcolm was admired by the African American community in New York and around the country. In the early 1960s, he began to develop a more outspoken philosophy than that of Elijah Muhammad, whom he felt did not sufficiently support the civil rights movement. In late 1963, Malcolm’s suggestion that President John F.

Kennedy’s assassination was a matter of the “chickens coming home to roost” provided Elijah Muhammad, who believed that Malcolm had become too powerful, with a convenient opportunity to suspend him from the Nation of Islam. A few months later, Malcolm formally left the organization and made a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, where he was profoundly affected by the lack of racial discord among orthodox Muslims. He returned to America as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and in June 1964 founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which advocated black identity and held that racism, not the white race, was the greatest foe of the African American. Malcolm’s new movement steadily gained followers, and his more moderate philosophy became increasingly influential in the civil rights movement, especially among the leaders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. On February 21, 1965, one week after his home was firebombed, Malcolm X was shot to death by Nation of Islam members while speaking at a rally of his organization in New York City. Related Videos Malcolm X Remembered 50 Years After 1965 Assassination | Democracy Now!

Malcolm X Remembered 50 Years After 1965 Assassination StoryFebruary 20, 2015 Herb Boyd Harlem-based activist, teacher, author and journalist. He edits the online publication, The Black World Today, and writes for several publications, including Amsterdam News. Boyd and Malcolm X’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, co-edited The Diary of Malcolm X: El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, 1964. Links Malcolm X on Democracy Now!: See His Speeches, Interviews with Activists & Biographer Manning Marable This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, one of the most influential political figures of the 20th century. He was shot dead as he spoke before a packed audience at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City on February 21, 1965. Malcolm X had just taken the stage when shots rang out riddling his body with bullets. He was 39 years old. Details of his assassination remain disputed to this day.

We air highlights from his speeches, "By Any Means Necessary" and "The Ballot or the Bullet." We also speak with journalist Herb Boyd, who along with Malcolm X’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, co-edited "The Diary of Malcolm X: El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, 1964." TRANSCRIPT This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, one of the most influential political figures of the 20th century. He was shot dead as he spoke before a packed audience at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem on February 21st, 1965. Malcolm X had just taken the stage when shots rang out, riddling his body with bullets. He was 39 years old. This is Malcolm X speaking a week before he was assassinated. MALCOLM X: My house was bombed. It was bombed by the Black Muslim movement upon the orders of Elijah Muhammad.

Now, they had come around to—they had planned to do it from the front and the back so that I couldn’t get out. They covered the front completely, the front door. Then they had come to the back, but instead of getting directly in back of the house and throwing it this way, they stood at a 45-degree angle and tossed it at the window so it glanced and went onto the ground. And the fire hit the window, and it woke up my second-oldest baby. And then it—but the fire burned on the outside of the house. But had that fire—had that one gone through that window, it would have fallen on a six-year-old girl, a four-year-old girl and a two-year-old girl. And I’m going to tell you, if it had done it, I’d taken my rifle and gone after anybody in sight. I would not wait, ’cause in—and I said that because of this: The police know the criminal operation of the Black Muslim movement because they have thoroughly infiltrated it. AMY GOODMAN: That was Malcolm X in 1965, just a week before he was shot dead at the Audubon Ballroom. Details of his assassination remain disputed to this day.

Half a year earlier, he gave a speech at the Audubon Ballroom called "By Any Means Necessary." This is an excerpt. MALCOLM X: One of the first things that the independent African nations did was to form an organization called the Organization of African Unity. […] The purpose of our […] Organization of Afro-American Unity, which has the same aim and objective to fight whoever gets in our way, to bring about the complete independence of people of African descent here in the Western Hemisphere, and first here in the United States, and bring about the freedom of these people by any means necessary. That’s our motto. […] The purpose of our organization is to start right here in Harlem, which has the largest concentration of people of African descent that exists anywhere on this Earth. There are more Africans here in Harlem than exist in any city on the African continent, because that’s what you and I are: Africans.

[…] The Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights are the principles in which we believe, and that these documents, if put into practice, represent the essence of mankind’s hopes and good intentions; desirous that all Afro-American people and organizations should henceforth unite so that the welfare and well-being of our people will be assured; we are resolved to reinforce the common bond of purpose between our people by submerging all of our differences and establishing nonsectarian, constructive programs for human rights; we hereby present this charter: I. The Establishment. The Organization of Afro-American Unity shall include all people of African descent in the Western Hemisphere […] In essence what it is saying, instead of you and me running around here seeking allies in our struggle for freedom in the Irish neighborhood or the Jewish neighborhood or the Italian neighborhood, we need to seek some allies among people who look something like we do. And once we get their allies. It’s time now for you and me to stop running away from the wolf right into the arms of the fox, looking for some kind of help. That’s a drag. II. Self-Defense.

Since self-preservation is the first law of nature, we assert the Afro-American’s right to self-defense. The Constitution of the United States of America clearly affirms the right of every American citizen to bear arms. And as Americans, we will not give up a single right guaranteed under the Constitution. The history of unpunished violence against our people clearly indicates that we must be prepared to defend ourselves, or we will continue to be a defenseless people at the mercy of a ruthless and violent, racist mob. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: An excerpt from Malcolm X’s 1964 speech, "By Any Means Necessary." This May 19th would have marked his 90th birthday. He was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother, Louise Norton Little, raised the family’s eight children. His father, Earl Little, was an outspoken Baptist minister and avid supporter of black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Malcolm excelled in school but eventually dropped out and became a drug dealer, a pimp and a thief. While serving time in prison, he joined the Nation of Islam, a move that would transform his life.

He would rise to become the organization’s national spokesperson and one of the most prominent black leaders in the country. He eventually split from the Nation and founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity. Malcolm chose the surname "X" to symbolize his lost African name. AMY GOODMAN: In 2005, Democracy Now! spoke to the renowned African-American historian Manning Marable about the life and legacy of Malcolm X. At the time, Professor Marable was working on a monumental biography of Malcolm X. He explained why he believes Malcolm X was one of the nation’s greatest political thinkers. MANNING MARABLE: I think that Malcolm X was the most remarkable historical figure produced by black America in the 20th century. That’s a heavy statement, but I think that in his 39 short years of life, Malcolm came to symbolize black urban America, its culture, its politics, its militancy, its outrage against structural racism and, at the end of his life, a broad internationalist vision of emancipatory power far better than any other single individual, that he shared with Du Bois and Paul Robeson a pan-Africanist internationalist perspective. He shared with Marcus Garvey a commitment to building strong black institutions.

He shared with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a commitment to peace and the freedom of racialized minorities. He was the first prominent American to attack and to criticize the U.S. role in Southeast Asia, and he came out four-square against the Vietnam War in 1964, long before the vast majority of Americans did. So that Malcolm X represents the cutting edge of a kind of critique of globalization in the 21st century. And in fact, Malcolm, if anything, was far ahead of the curve in so many ways. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: That was Columbia University professor Manning Marable speaking to Democracy Now! in 2005. His nearly 600-page biography on Malcolm X took approximately two decades to write. The book was published in 2011 and is called Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. Just days before its publication, Marable died of complications from pneumonia. He was posthumously awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for History for the book. AMY GOODMAN: Well, this weekend, commemorations for Malcolm X are scheduled across the country.

Here in New York Saturday, a memorial will be jointly sponsored by the Malcolm X Museum, the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The evening will focus on Malcolm X’s legacy and impact from an international perspective. For more, we’re joined by Herb Boyd, Harlem-based activist, teacher, author and journalist. He edits the online publication, The Black World Today, and writes for several publications, including the Amsterdam News. Boyd and Malcolm X’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, co-edited The Diary of Malcolm X: El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, 1964. Herb Boyd, welcome to Democracy Now!, again. HERB BOYD: Always a pleasure. Thank you, Amy, Juan. AMY GOODMAN: So, this diary, explain. People have heard of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. HERB BOYD: Yes. AMY GOODMAN: Explain The Diary of Malcolm X. HERB BOYD: Well, I think the diary fills in a lot of the questions that are raised with the autobiography.

I think it complements it very well, and at the same time expands and elaborates on where Malcolm’s head was at that time. People often ask, "Well, where would Malcolm be right now?" I think we get a good indication where he was then, that where he would be right now. And— AMY GOODMAN: Where did you find the diary? HERB BOYD: The diary is at the Schomburg. It’s been there since the materials, his memorabilia, arrived there after going up into auction in Butterfield and Butterfield, and the family sued, a court injunction, stopped the sale of that material online, particularly with eBay. So, they stopped it. The stuff reverted back to the family, came back to the Schomburg in two huge crates. I mean, Malcolm was a pack rat. He kept everything. AMY GOODMAN: This had all been at a storage facility? HERB BOYD: Oh, yeah. It was like—the family had lapsed on payments down in Florida. A man named James Calhoun—you know, when you go to auction, you buy stuff like a pig in a poke. You don’t know exactly what’s inside of it.

He got home and discovered he had a treasure trove. He then got in touch with Butterfield and Butterfield, and that’s when the whole process began in which the court had to intervene, stop the sale of that stuff. It came back to the family. The daughters were at the Schomburg, had a press conference there. The two huge crates had been returned there. A 75-year contract was signed with the Schomburg. It took them, Amy, five years before that stuff was catalogued, laminated, what have you, and prepared for scholars to do their research, as Manning Marable did. But at the time, I was the only reporter, along with a photographer, who was invited over when they opened the crates up. And that’s when I saw the diary for the first time. And in the back of my mind—you know, I did several stories at that time for the Amsterdam News, but always in the back of my mind, I said, "One of these days, I’m going to read that diary." And it finally came to pass, you know, and I had a chance to see it. And I thought this is something that the world needed to see.

And then I got on with Ilyasah, and she agreed that maybe let’s push forward on the project. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And the diary covers what period of his life? HERB BOYD: Malcolm, the last year and a half of his life was probably the most exciting period. Of course, he’s ever-evolving. But you find that 1964, he spent 24 weeks, you know, six months, traveling in Africa and the Middle East. That’s what that diary is all about, copious notes he kept day to day. To some degree, it represents a kind of an appointment book. But in a larger sense, you know, he’s writing for posterity. You know, Malcolm even told his agent at that time, Paul Reynolds, that "One of these days, I’d like to publish this." Much of that—some of that is lifted and put into the autobiography. But still, there’s so many revelations that comes from out of the diary that people who read this are just going to be absolutely astonished and astounded. You know, what’s going on in his mind at that time?

You remember, he’s literally flying by the seat of his pants. He’s not like Secretary Kerry or Secretary Clinton, you know, with a whole entourage, a retinue of people with him, feeding him all kind of, you know, background material, talking points. He’s doing this on his own. So, you know, just to travel to foreign countries, and the climate, the diet, the language, all of that stuff is just impacting him all at once. So, he was sick a lot in these travels, but nonetheless, you know, the kind of fortitude and determination that he represented in so many instances. Right after his house was firebombed, for example—people don’t know that it happened early in the morning. By 9:00, Malcolm is on a plane coming to Detroit, living up to his commitment to speak there at the Ford Auditorium later that day. So, I mean, that’s where I come into his life, you know, I mean, when I recognized the man who could do that, although I had met Malcolm when I was 20 years of age back in nineteen hundred da-da-da.

I met him then and was a part of that whole group of people around him in the Nation of Islam, and when he left the Nation, I left, too, although I was in the military at that point. But, you know, Malcolm has been in my life, you know, since 1958. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And what are some of the most—the nuggets that stood out to you when you were putting together the diary? HERB BOYD: The diary. One of the things that—one of the main revelations for me was that I think we nailed who the CIA agent was who was shadowing Malcolm at that time. Even in his autobiography, remember that he speculated and kind of suspected that he was being shadowed and under surveillance by the FBI. But, of course, you know, when he goes abroad, the CIA picks it up. But he was looking like maybe some white man was doing it, but it turns out it was a black man who was a CIA agent. And it’s all circumstantial at this point, because he’s popping up, this one man that we follow. AMY GOODMAN: What was his name?

HERB BOYD: And we won’t divulge his name. We say, "Hey, get the diary, and you can follow that trail." But we followed his trail all the way to FRELIMO, the liberation movement, you know, in Mozambique. And he had been kicked out of that organization because they suspected he was a foreign agent. So that’s kind of like a red flag went up right then, you know? AMY GOODMAN: Did Malcolm know his name? HERB BOYD: Malcolm met with him on several occasions in four different countries. And you’d think that he would be like, "Mm, this guy keeps popping up." However, he kind of foisted himself off as being a journalist. So he had every reason maybe to say, "Oh, he’s following me around and"— AMY GOODMAN: Is he alive today? HERB BOYD: He’s alive. He’s still alive. I was in touch with him by email, but he has no idea about this particular project, I suspect, you know? AMY GOODMAN: Would you like to share his name here? HERB BOYD: I think you can read the diary there, Amy.

We’ve got to leave something there for the readers, you know, because it’s all circumstantial at this point. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And we were just mentioning the Manning Marable autobiography, and you’ve said to us that— HERB BOYD: His biography, mm-hmm. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: His biography, and that you said that your book, By Any Means Necessary, is in essence a counter-argument. Could you talk about that and your concerns about the Manning Marable book? HERB BOYD: Well, what happens with this here, and we—you notice the title, By Any Means Necessary: Malcolm X: Real, Not Reinvented, and we stress that word "reinvented" because that came out in Manning’s side. And we say that that word, the connotation was like, hmm, kind of manipulative, that was deliberately going through this process of reinventing himself. We feel that he was an ever-evolving, if anything, a transforming individual, and his development, you know, was just ceaseless, you know? And so, I contacted three of the other co-editors there—Dr.

Maulana Karenga, Dr. Ron Daniels and, of course, Dr. Haki Madhubuti—at Third World Press. And we decided, after going through like 75 to 100 reviews of Manning Marable’s book, and kind of looked at him in terms of the pros and cons, you know, the positive and the negatives, and decided like, "Why don’t we assemble these here particular impressions and put it in a particular book?" And that’s what we did with this particular effort, to show that, hey, here’s what some of the other thinkers, scholars and activists out there, who—some of them close associates and worked over the years with Malcolm—here’s what they have to say about Manning’s interpretation. And, of course, there’s a number of things beyond just the title that we took exception to, in terms of his analysis and, of course, the conclusions that he put forth in terms of Malcolm’s infidelity, so-called homosexuality, and of course the proposed three missing chapters. None of that really occurs. AMY GOODMAN: Well, Herb Boyd, we’re going to end with an excerpt of a speech by Malcolm X given in Detroit a year before he was gunned down.

The speech, very famous, known as "The Ballot or the Bullet." MALCOLM X: Just as it took nationalism to move—to remove colonialism from Asia and Africa, it’ll take black nationalism today to remove colonialism from the backs and the minds of 22 million Afro-Americans here in this country. Looks like it might be the year of the ballot or the bullet. Why does it look like it might be the year of the ballot or the bullet? Because Negroes have listened to the trickery and the lies and the false promises of the white man now for too long. And they’re fed up. They’ve become disenchanted. They’ve become disillusioned. They’ve become dissatisfied, and all of this has built up frustrations in the black community that makes the black community throughout America today more explosive than all of the atomic bombs the Russians can ever invent. Whenever you got a racial powder keg sitting in your lap, you’re in more trouble than if you had an atomic powder keg sitting in your lap. When a racial powder keg goes off, it doesn’t care who it knocks out the way.

Understand this, it’s dangerous, because what can the white man use now to fool us after he put down that March on Washington? And you see all through that now. He tricked you, had you marching down to Washington. Yes, had you marching back and forth between the feet of a dead man named Lincoln and another dead man named George Washington, singing "We Shall Overcome." He made a chump out of you. He made a fool out of you. He made you think you were going somewhere, and you end up going nowhere but between Lincoln and Washington. So today, our people are disillusioned. They’ve become disenchanted. They’ve become dissatisfied, and in their frustrations they want action. AMY GOODMAN: Malcolm X, speaking a year before he was gunned down. The speech is known as "The Ballot or the Bullet." This is Democracy Now! The anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, February 21st, is Saturday. February 21st, 1965, Malcolm X was gunned down at the Audubon Ballroom. Herb Boyd, Harlem-based activist, teacher, author and journalist, thanks so much for joining us. HERB BOYD: Thank you.

Thank you. AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! We’ll be back in a minute. The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License . Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us. Next story from this daily show Biography - Malcolm X Malcolm X Biography The Rise and Fall of Malcolm X Malcolm Little, or better known as Malcolm X, was a stepping-stone for the black, or African-American, community as a whole. Malcolm had worked with many influential people, and fought for his rights “by any means necessary” (“Malcolm X”). All of the things Malcolm X did were done with hard work, determination, and self-motivation. Malcolm X achieved great things despite his past. Although he had a rough start, he was able to become one of the most influential people to live in America. From his birth to his assassination, Malcolm X was known as a leader, and that is surely what he would become.

Growing up is always a hard thing to do, it has its ups and downs, but Malcolm’s upbringing was nothing close to being “normal”. Malcolm’s childhood would become the foundation of the man we hear about today.He grew up ina time where people like him, blacks to beexact, were ostracized, beaten, killed, falsely convicted, tortured, and many other horrific things. The Ku Klux Klan killed Malcolm’s father, Reverend Earl Little, and five of his father’s six brother were also killed by white violence. So, naturally Malcolm himself, thought he would eventually die the same way. “It has always been my belief that I, too, will die by violence. I have done all I can to be prepared,” (“X” 2). Yes, he would die due to violence, but it would not be by the “hand of a white man” (Malcolm X) like he had always suspected. Malcolm was born on May 19th, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska (Wainstock 5).

He was the seventh of ten children, and was treated poorly by his mother because of his light skin color, but also favored by his father for the same reason (“Wainstock” 6). Although he was known as put together and well mannered later in his life, he wasn’t always that way. Malcolm was intelligent and good at school; in fact, he was top in his class. Sadly, he decided to drop out because his favorite teacher told him being a lawyer was “no realistic goal for a n*****” (“Home”). After that it seemed that Malcolm had hit rock bottom. After dropping out of school he moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he worked as a shoe shiner (Malcolm). Being a shoe shiner was not good enough for Malcolm, so he gave it up shortly after. Malcolm’s life after Boston wasn’t a pretty sight. He moved straight from Boston to Harlem, New York. With Harlem came drug dealing, gambling, prostitution involvement (better known as pimping), racketeering, and robbery (Malcolm). Of course all those things were going to catch up to him and bite him in the butt. In 1946 Malcolm was sentenced to ten years in prison, for robbery (Malcolm).

The events seemed to be a turning point in Malcolm’s life. While in prison he found religion, and this religion was called Islam. Malcolm became a member of the Nation of Islam, or the NOI while sitting in a jail cell (Malcolm). In 1952, due to his good behavior, Malcolm was released from prison four years early, and shortly after he changed his last name from Little to X (Malcolm). This was one of the first of many changes he would decide to make in his life. Malcolm was soon appointed as a minister and spokesman for the Nation of Islam (X), which wasn’t a surprise seeing as he had a way with words and an irresistible charm, and that charm seemed to work on one girl in particular. Three years after being released from prison Malcolm met Betty Sanders, she had been invited to listen to his lecture. He undoubtedly impressed her with his involvement in civil rights and impressive speeches and, they later met again at a dinner party ("Welcome to Malcolm-x.org."). Soon after that, Betty Sanders was attending all of Malcolm’s lectures, and in the middle of 1956 she had joined the Nation of Islam (Welcome).

Malcolm and Betty didn’t really have what they call a “normal relationship”. In the society of the Nation of Islam they were not allowed to go on one-on-one dates. They often went on dates with a large group of people (Welcome). This couple eventually married in the beginning of 1958, and would have six daughters, Atallah, born in 1958, Qubilah, born in 1960, Ilyasah, born in 1962, and his twins, Malikah and Malaak, born in 1965, after their father’s assassination (Welcome). Although it is sad they never got to meet their father, they did see his impact. They would hear his name, and see his face on the television set, and like most; he would still be able to inspire them. Malcolm would later, after marrying, get really involved in boosting the self-esteem of black Americans. The task wasn’t easy. Seeing as the FBI had been keeping an eye on Malcolm ever since 1950. That had come about from Malcolm writing a letter to the president, Truman, claiming to be a communist (Welcome).

Nevertheless Malcolm was giving countless speeches and was making frequent appearances. Some call him a black supremacist, some call him a racist, some call him a civil rights activist, and others call him a hero, but in all cases there is no denying that his ambition, his speeches, and his life were devoted to change the circumstances of young black people. AT this point in his life tension grew between Malcolm and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm had made several comments about the Kennedy assassination that caused a terrible upset, not only with the Nation of Islam, but also with the white community (Welcome). Malcolm was suspended from public speaking at that point. Later the tension would grow and Malcolm would be kicked out of the Nation of Islam in 1963 (Welcome). Soon after Malcolm decided he was dissatisfied with the beliefs of the NOI, he decided to further his faith. Malcolm had barely made a dent in his plan before he was, sadly, assassinated on February 21st, 1965 (Home). His funeral was held two days later on February 23rd, 1965 (Home). The attendance at his funeral was over fifteen hundred people (Home). The attendance alone shows how loved and respected Malcolm was.

He had made a change in his people, and they had learned to make a change for themselves. Malcolm’s impact in the black community was huge, from his life to his birth to his assassination, Malcolm X was a leader, and he made a difference despite his circumstances. Working with people from Muhammad Ali to Martin Luther King Jr., he was very well respected and prominent figure. Malcolm X was always fighting, not only for himself, but also for other people like him. He led the people with his intelligence, good intentions, and honesty. He learned from his past and shared it with everyone. Malcolm’s story is one that everyone should know. His time as an activist was short lived, but it was not in vain, in fact, the impact that Malcolm was able to make was quite impressive. There are movies, books, and songs about him and his works. Malcolm X was, and always will be an American legend. Remember, not just him, but also his intentions and what he tried to do to make the United States equal and righteous.

Malcolm X - The Assassination of Malcolm X in Photos: 50 Years Later - Pictures - CBS News The Assassination of Malcolm X in Photos: 50 Years Later Next Malcolm X Malcolm X, born May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska as Malcolm Little and also known as El_Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, at a Queens, New York court, 1964. The charismatic, but controversial black militant leader, converted to the black muslim religious movement, the Nation of Islam, which preached black self-reliance and a return of the African diaspora to Africa, while in prison. He repudiated the movement and embraced Sunni Islam in 1964. He continued to embrace Pan-Africanism, black self-defense and black self-determination, but disavowed racism. Almost a year later, he was assassinated at the age of 39 by three members of the Nation of Islam. These rare photos and government documents chronicle the assassination of Malcolm X on February 21,1965.

Credit: Herman Hiller/Library of Congress Front Page News New York Daily News front page headline February 22, 1965 reads: "MALCOLM X MURDERED Gunned Down at Rally. Malcolm X, 30, is carried from Audubon Ballroom, 166th St. and Broadway, after he was shot while addressing a rally of his followers yesterday afternoon. He was declared dead at the Vanderbilt Clinic of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center within 15 minutes of the attack. Two men were taken by force from a howling mob of Malcolm's followers who were pummeling them on the street after the assassination. The slim Negro leader had been charging the Black Muslims with plotting to kill him ever since he defected from the group a year ago. " Credit: NY Daily News Mortally Wounded Followers tend to Malcolm X as he lies mortally wounded on the stage of the Audubon Ballroom in New York City, February 21, 1965. Malcom X was shot 15 times at point blank range. Credit: WCBS-TV/AP Crime Scene Photo The Audubon Ballroom stage after the assassination.

Malcolm X was standing at the podium in the background addressing a rally when he was shot. All three gunmen were convicted in March 1966 and sentenced to life in prison. Credit: Stanley Wolfson/Library of Congress Crime Scene Photo Bullet holes in back of stage where Malcom X was shot. Credit: Stanley Wolfson /Library of Congress FBI Files Detail from the summary of the FBI investigation into Malcolm X's assassination, February 22, 1965. Credit: Public Domain FBI file, dated February 24, 1965, documenting an eyewitness account of Malcolm X assassination. Credit: Public Domain Detail from Medical Examiner's report from Presbyterian Hospital, February 21, 1965. Credit: Public Domain Arrow shows blood stain on stage of Audubon Ballroom where Malcolm X was shot. Credit: Stanley Wolfson /Library of Congress Thomas Hagan Police Sgt. Alvin Aronoff (L) grips hands of 22-Year-Old Thomas Hagan, also known as Talmadge Hayer, in the emergency room of Jewish Hospital in New York City, February 21, 1965.

Hagan, one of the gunmen, was wounded at the Audubon Ballroom where Malcolm X was assassinated earlier in the day. Hagan was beaten by the crowd before police arrived. Police, who took Hagan into custody, said he had a pistol with four unused bullets. Witnesses at the scene identified Nation members Norman 3x Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, but Hagan refused to confirm the identities of the other gunmen. All three men were convicted in March 1966 and sentenced to life in prison. Johnson and Butler maintained their innocence. Credit: AP The Audubon Ballroom The Audubon Ballroom in upper Harlem in New York City after it was roped off by police following the assassination of Malcolm X, February 21, 1965. Credit: AP The Audubon Ballroom The Audubon Ballroom in upper Harlem in New York City, after it was roped off by police following the assassination of Malcolm X. Credit: Al Burleigh / AP Crowds outside of Unity Funeral Home, where the body of Malcolm X lies in repose. The public viewing was attended by 14,000-30,000 mourners.

Credit: O. Fernandez/Library of Congress ​Unity Funeral Home Policeman maintains watch from roof of Unity Funeral Home. Credit: O. Fernandez /Library of Congress Malcolm X's Funeral Malcolm X's widow, Betty Shabazz, takes a last look at the body of her husband before the casket is closed after funeral services at the Faith Temple of God in Christ in New York's Harlem, February 27, 1965. Loudspeakers carried the service to the overflow crowd outside the 1,000-seat church. Credit: AP Martin Luther King and Malcolm X waiting for press conference, 1964. Credit: Marion S. Trikosko/Library of Congress Malcolm X Radical black activist Malcolm X. Malcolm X experienced racism early on in life with his family's encounters with the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists. His father, Earl Little, was most likely murdered by white supremacists after frequent death threats, but the police ruled his death a suicide. Credit: Truman Moore/LIFE Images Collection/Getty Malcolm X Malcolm X, the black Muslim leader; photographed in New York, March 5, 1964.

Credit: Eddie Adams /AP Malcolm X being interviewed by reporters, 1964. Credit: Herman Hiller/Library of Congress Mug Shot Police mug shot of future black activist Malcolm X, known as Malcolm Little from 72 Dale St., Roxbury, MA. While in prison for larceny and breaking and entering, he became a member of the Nation of Islam. After his parole in 1952 he rose to become one of the Nation of Islam's most influential leaders. Credit: The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images With Fidel Castro A 1960 photograph of a meeting in Harlem with Fidel Castro and Malcolm X. Credit: Getty Images A Day in History… February 21 — Malcolm X is Assassinated in New York - Prof. Boerner's Explorations Prof. Boerner's Explorations Commentary: To many in the white middle class, the racial unrest experienced by this country during the 1960s was a holistic movement. But this perception was wrong! Just like there were gradations in the extremist white groups, there were gradations among the black groups. To look at all black activists from a single viewpoint would have been an injustice.

These divergent viewpoints became very clear during the 1965 Watts Riots in south-central LA. My father worked with a number of men who lived in the Watts area; they told my father that they would return home after work and would lock their families in their houses for safety. The more radical groups had taken over the streets. Likewise, the civil rights marches during Martin Luther King, Jr.’s campaigns reflect the same type of amalgam. There were radical white groups that reacted to these marches in the same way that there were radical black groups like the Nation of Islam that wanted to force extreme confrontations rather than employ MLK’s passive resistance. These extremes on both sides sought power, not necessarily progress. When Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam for the more conventional Sunni Muslim beliefs and behaviors, he became a target of the group he had formerly led. Assassinations occur from the elevated feelings of threat and/or betrayal within or between groups. We can see this in the deaths of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Robert Kennedy during the decade of the 1960s. We need to learn from these ventures into extremism to create a more civil society.

Rodney King’s appeal “can’t we all just get along?” becomes a good guiding principle. So let’s get started on today’s exploration into Malcolm X’s assassination… GLB These Introductory Comments are copyrighted: Copyright©2011 — Gerald Boerner — All Rights Reserved [ 4148 Words ] Quotations Related to MALCOLM X: “History is a people’s memory, and without a memory, man is demoted to the lower animals.” — Malcom X “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” — Malcom X “I believe in the brotherhood of all men, but I don’t believe in wasting brotherhood on anyone who doesn’t want to practice it with me. Brotherhood is a two-way street.” — Malcom X “Actually, in its purest form, Islam is incredibly tolerant. That makes what’s going on in the world really bizarre.” — Steve Earle “As a result of that, America desires a moderate Islam; an Islam that America can control; an Islam that America can give direction to and give orders to its leaders.” — Louis Farrakhan “America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition.

Instead, they overlap, and share common principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.” — Barack Obama “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” — Malcom X “But the West is trying to weaken Islam from outside and inside. They attack our people and invade our countries from outside, and they weaken us from within with ideas like secularism, liberalism and democracy. This is all designed to contaminate our pure Islam.” — Abu Bakar Bashir Malcom X, in 1965, is Assassinated in New York Malcolm X (1925 – 1965), born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights activist. To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans. His detractors accused him of preaching racism, black supremacy, antisemitism, and violence.

He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history, and in 1998, Time named The Autobiography of Malcolm X one of the ten most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century. Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska. The events of his childhood, including his father’s lessons concerning black pride and self-reliance, and his own experiences concerning race played a significant role in Malcolm X’s adult life. By the time he was thirteen, his father had died and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. After living in a series of foster homes, Malcolm X became involved in a number of criminal activities in Boston and New York. In 1946, Malcolm X was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison. While in prison, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam, and after his parole in 1952 he became one of the Nation’s leaders and chief spokesmen. For nearly a dozen years he was the public face of the controversial group. Tension between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, head of the Nation of Islam, led to Malcolm X’s quitting the organization in March 1964.

He then became a Sunni Muslim and made a pilgrimage to Mecca, after which he disavowed racism. He subsequently traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East and founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the secular Pan-Africanist Organization of Afro-American Unity. Less than a year after he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was assassinated by three members of the group while giving a speech in New York. Nation of Islam In 1952, after his release from prison, Little visited Elijah Muhammad in Chicago, Illinois. Then, like many members of the Nation of Islam, he changed his surname to "X". In his autobiography, Malcolm X explained the "X": "The Muslim’s ‘X’ symbolized the true African family name that he never could know. For me, my ‘X’ replaced the white slavemaster name of ‘Little’ which some blue-eyed devil named Little had imposed upon my paternal forebears." The FBI opened a file on Malcolm X in March 1953 after hearing from an informant that Malcolm X described himself as a Communist. Soon the FBI turned its attention from concerns about possible Communist Party association to Malcolm X’s rapid ascent in the Nation of Islam.

In June 1953, Malcolm X was named assistant minister of the Nation of Islam’s Temple Number One in Detroit. By late 1953, he established Boston’s Temple Number Eleven. In March 1954, Malcolm X expanded Temple Number Twelve in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Two months later he was selected to lead the Nation of Islam’s Temple Number Seven in Harlem. He rapidly expanded its membership. After a 1959 television broadcast in New York City about the Nation of Islam, The Hate That Hate Produced, Malcolm X became known to a much wider audience. Representatives of the print media, radio, and television frequently asked him for comments on issues. He was also sought as a spokesman by reporters from other countries. Beside his skill as a speaker, Malcolm X had an impressive physical presence. He stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighed about 180 pounds (82 kg). According to one writer, Malcolm X was "powerfully built", and another described him as a "mesmerizingly handsome … and always spotlessly well-groomed".

From his adoption of the Nation of Islam in 1952 until he left the organization in 1964, Malcolm X promoted the Nation’s teachings. He taught that black people were the original people of the world, and that white people were a race of devils. In his speeches, Malcolm X said that black people were superior to white people, and that the demise of the white race was imminent. While the civil rights movement fought against racial segregation, Malcolm X advocated the complete separation of African Americans from white people. He proposed the establishment of a separate country for black people as an interim measure until African Americans could return to Africa. Malcolm X also rejected the civil rights movement’s strategy of nonviolence and instead advocated that black people use any necessary means of self-defense to protect themselves. Malcolm X’s speeches had a powerful effect on his audiences, generally African Americans who lived in the Northern and Western cities who were tired of being told to wait for freedom, justice, equality, and respect. Many blacks felt that he articulated their complaints better than the civil rights movement did. Many white people, and some blacks, were alarmed by Malcolm X and the things he said.

He and the Nation of Islam were described as hatemongers, black segregationists, violence-seekers, and a threat to improved race relations. Civil rights organizations denounced Malcolm X and the Nation as irresponsible extremists whose views were not representative of African Americans. Malcolm X was equally critical of the civil rights movement. He described its leaders as "stooges" for the white establishment and said that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a "chump". He criticized the 1963 March on Washington, which he called "the farce on Washington". He said he did not know why black people were excited over a demonstration "run by whites in front of a statue of a president who has been dead for a hundred years and who didn’t like us when he was alive". Malcolm X has been widely considered the second most influential leader of the Nation of Islam after Elijah Muhammad. He was largely credited with increasing membership in the Nation of Islam from 500 in 1952 to 25,000 in 1963. He inspired the boxer Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) to join the Nation of Islam.

Ali later left the Nation of Islam and became a Sunni Muslim, as did Malcolm X. In early 1963, Malcolm X started collaborating with Alex Haley on The Autobiography of Malcolm X. In 1964, he told Haley, "If I’m alive when this book comes out, it will be a miracle." The book was not finished when Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965. Haley completed it and published it later that year. In 1998, Time named The Autobiography of Malcolm X one of the ten most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century. Leaving the Nation On December 1, 1963, when he was asked for a comment about the assassination of President 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." The New York Times wrote, "in further criticism of Mr.

Kennedy, the Muslim leader cited the murders of Patrice Lumumba, Congo leader, of Medgar Evers, civil rights leader, and of the Negro girls bombed earlier this year in a Birmingham church. These, he said, were instances of other ‘chickens coming home to roost’." The remarks prompted a widespread public outcry. The Nation of Islam, which had issued a message of condolence to the Kennedy family and ordered its ministers not to comment on the assassination, publicly censured their former shining star. Although Malcolm X retained his post and rank as minister, he was prohibited from public speaking for 90 days. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, March 26, 1964 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 X said he was going to organize a black nationalist organization 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 prevented him from doing so in the past. One reason for the separation was growing tension between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad because of Malcolm X’s dismay about rumors of Muhammad’s extramarital affairs with young secretaries. Such actions were against the teachings of the Nation. Although at first Malcolm X ignored the rumors, he spoke with Muhammad’s son Wallace and the women making the accusations. He came to believe that they were true, and Muhammad confirmed the rumors in 1963. Muhammad tried to justify his actions by referring to precedents by Biblical prophets. Another reason was resentment by people within the Nation. As Malcolm X had become a favorite of the media, many in the Nation’s Chicago headquarters felt that he was over-shadowing Muhammad. Louis Lomax’s 1963 book about the Nation of Islam, When the Word Is Given, featured a picture of Malcolm X on its cover and included five of his speeches, but only one of Muhammad’s, which greatly upset Muhammad. Muhammad was also envious that a publisher was interested in Malcolm X’s autobiography.

After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the Organization of Afro-American Unity, a secular group that advocated Pan-Africanism. On March 26, 1964, he met Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C., after a press conference which followed 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. In April, Malcolm X made a speech titled "The Ballot or the Bullet" in which he advised African Americans to exercise their right to vote wisely. Several Sunni Muslims encouraged Malcolm X to learn about Islam. Soon he converted to Sunni Islam, and decided to make his pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). In the United States After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X spoke before a wide variety of audiences in the United States. He spoke at regular meetings of Muslim Mosque, Inc., and the Organization of Afro-American Unity.

He was one of the most sought-after speakers on college campuses, and one of his top aides later wrote that he "welcomed every opportunity to speak to college students." Malcolm X also spoke before political groups such as the Militant Labor Forum. Malcolm X in March 1964 Tensions increased between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. As early as February 1964, a member of Temple Number Seven was given orders by the Nation of Islam to wire explosives to Malcolm X’s car. In September 1964, Ebony published a photograph of Malcolm X holding an M1 Carbine and peering out a window. The photo was intended to illustrate his determination to defend himself and his family against the death threats he was receiving. The Nation of Islam and its leaders began making threats against Malcolm X both in private and in public. On March 23, 1964, Elijah Muhammad told Boston minister Louis X (later known as Louis Farrakhan) that hypocrites like Malcolm should have "their heads cut off." The April 10 edition of Muhammad Speaks featured a cartoon in which his severed head was shown bouncing.

On July 9, John Ali, a top aide to Muhammad, answered a question about Malcolm X by saying that "anyone who opposes the Honorable Elijah Muhammad puts their life in jeopardy." The December 4 issue of Muhammad Speaks included an article by Louis X that railed against Malcolm X and said that "such a man as Malcolm is worthy of death." Some threats were made anonymously. During the month of June 1964, FBI surveillance recorded two such threats. On June 8, a man called Malcolm X’s home and told Betty Shabazz to "tell him he’s as good as dead." On June 12, an FBI informant reported getting an anonymous telephone call from somebody who said "Malcolm X is going to be bumped off." Assassination On February 21, 1965, in Manhattan’s Audubon Ballroom, Malcolm X began to speak to a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity when a disturbance broke out in the crowd of 400. A man yelled, "Nigger! Get your hand outta my pocket!" As Malcolm X and his bodyguards moved to quiet the disturbance, a man rushed forward and shot him in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun.

Two other men charged the stage and fired handguns, hitting him 16 times. Furious onlookers caught and beat one of the assassins as the others fled the ballroom. Malcolm X was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m., shortly after he arrived at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Bullet holes in back of the stage where Malcolm X was shot (circled) Talmadge Hayer, a Nation of Islam member also known as Thomas Hagan, was arrested on the scene. Eyewitnesses identified two more suspects, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, also members of the Nation. All three were charged in the case. At first Hayer denied involvement, but during the trial he confessed to having fired shots at Malcolm X. He testified that Butler and Johnson were not present and were not involved in the assassination, but he declined to name the men who had joined him in the shooting. All three men were convicted. Funeral The number of mourners who came to the public viewing in Harlem’s Unity Funeral Home from February 23 through February 26 was estimated to be between 14,000 and 30,000.

The funeral of Malcolm X was held on February 27 at the Faith Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem. The Church was filled to capacity with more than 1,000 people. Loudspeakers were set up outside the Temple so the overflowing crowd could listen and a local television station broadcast the funeral live. Among the civil rights leaders in attendance were John Lewis, Bayard Rustin, James Forman, James Farmer, Jesse Gray, and Andrew Young. Actor and activist Ossie Davis delivered the eulogy, describing Malcolm X as "our shining black prince". There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain—and we will smile. Many will say turn away—away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man—and we will smile.

They will say that he is of hate—a fanatic, a racist—who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle! And we will answer and say to them: Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him, or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him. And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him. Malcolm X was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. At the gravesite after the ceremony, friends took the shovels away from the waiting gravediggers and completed the burial themselves. Actor and activist Ruby Dee (wife of Ossie Davis) and Juanita Poitier (wife of Sidney Poitier) established the Committee of Concerned Mothers to raise funds to buy a house and pay educational expenses for Malcolm X’s family. Responses to Assassination Reactions to Malcolm X’s assassination were varied. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

sent a telegram to Betty Shabazz, expressing his sadness over "the shocking and tragic assassination of your husband." While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had a great ability to put his finger on the existence and root of the problem. He was an eloquent spokesman for his point of view and no one can honestly doubt that Malcolm had a great concern for the problems that we face as a race. Elijah Muhammad told the annual Savior’s Day convention on February 26, "Malcolm X got just what he preached." "We didn’t want to kill Malcolm and didn’t try to kill him," Muhammad said. "We know such ignorant, foolish teachings would bring him to his own end." The New York Times wrote that Malcolm X was "an extraordinary and twisted man" who "turn[ed] many true gifts to evil purpose" and that his life was "strangely and pitifully wasted".

The New York Post wrote that "even his sharpest critics recognized his brilliance—often wild, unpredictable and eccentric, but nevertheless possessing promise that must now remain unrealized." Allegations of Conspiracy Within days of the assassination, questions were raised about who bore ultimate responsibility. On February 23, James Farmer, the leader of the Congress of Racial Equality, announced at a news conference that local drug dealers, and not the Nation of Islam, were to blame. Others accused the New York Police Department, the FBI, or the CIA, citing the lack of police protection, the ease with which the assassins entered the Audubon Ballroom, and the failure of the police to preserve the crime scene. In the 1970s, the public learned about COINTELPRO and other secret FBI programs directed towards infiltrating and disrupting civil rights organizations during the 1950s and 1960s. John Ali, national secretary of the Nation of Islam, was identified as an FBI undercover agent. Malcolm X had confided in a reporter that Ali exacerbated tensions between him and Elijah Muhammad. He considered Ali his "archenemy" within the Nation of Islam leadership.

On February 20, 1965, the night before the assassination, Ali met with Talmadge Hayer, one of the men convicted of killing Malcolm X. In 1977 and 1978, Talmadge Hayer submitted two sworn affidavits re-asserting his claim that Butler and Johnson were not involved in the assassination. In his affidavits Hayer named four men, all members of the Nation of Islam’s Newark Temple Number 25, as having participated with him in the crime. Hayer asserted that a man, later identified as Wilbur McKinley, shouted and threw a smoke bomb to create a diversion. Hayer said that another man, later identified as William Bradley, had a shotgun and was the first to fire on Malcolm X after the diversion. Hayer asserted that he and a man later identified as Leon David, both armed with pistols, fired on Malcolm X immediately after the shotgun blast. Hayer also said that a fifth man, later identified as Benjamin Thomas, was involved in the conspiracy. Hayer’s statements failed to convince authorities to reopen their investigation of the murder.

Some, including the Shabazz family, have accused Louis Farrakhan of being involved in the plot to assassinate Malcolm X. In a 1993 speech, Farrakhan seemed to boast of the assassination: Was Malcolm your traitor or ours? And if we dealt with him like a nation deals with a traitor, what the hell business is it of yours? A nation has to be able to deal with traitors and cutthroats and turncoats. In a 60 Minutes interview that aired during May 2000, Farrakhan stated that some of the things he said may have led to the assassination of Malcolm X. "I may have been complicit in words that I spoke", he said. "I acknowledge that and regret that any word that I have said caused the loss of life of a human being." A few days later Farrakhan denied that he "ordered the assassination" of Malcolm X, although he again acknowledged that he "created the atmosphere that ultimately led to Malcolm X’s assassination." No consensus on who was responsible has been reached.

Please take time to further explore more about MALCOLM X, NATION OF ISLAM, ELIJAH MOHAMMAD, LOUIS FARRAKHAN, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X by accessing the Wikipedia articles referenced below… Other Events on this Day: In 1848… While serving in the House of Representatives, former President John Quincy Adams suffers a stroke moments after casting a vote of "No!" on a motion to honor certain Army officers. He dies two days later in the Capitol at age 80. In 1878… The first telephone directory is issued in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1885… The Washington Monument is dedicated. In 1965… Former Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X is shot and killed by three men of the Nation of Islam at an Organization of Afro-American Unity rally at the Audubon Ballroom in New York. He was 39.

In 1972… February 21, 1965 : Malcolm X assassinated Introduction In New York City, Malcolm X, an African American nationalist and religious leader, is assassinated by rival Black Muslims while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1925, Malcolm was the son of James Earl Little, a Baptist preacher who advocated the black nationalist ideals of Marcus Garvey. Threats from the Ku Klux Klan forced the family to move to Lansing, Michigan, where his father continued to preach his controversial sermons despite continuing threats. In 1931, Malcolm’s father was brutally murdered by the white supremacist Black Legion, and Michigan authorities refused to prosecute those responsible. In 1937, Malcolm was taken from his family by welfare caseworkers. By the time he reached high school age, he had dropped out of school and moved to Boston, where he became increasingly involved in criminal activities. In 1946, at the age of 21, Malcolm was sent to prison on a burglary conviction.

It was there he encountered the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam, whose members are popularly known as Black Muslims. The Nation of Islam advocated black nationalism and racial separatism and condemned Americans of European descent as immoral “devils.” Muhammad’s teachings had a strong effect on Malcolm, who entered into an intense program of self-education and took the last name “X” to symbolize his stolen African identity. After six years, Malcolm was released from prison and became a loyal and effective minister of the Nation of Islam in Harlem, New York. In contrast with civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X advocated self-defense and the liberation of African Americans “by any means necessary.” A fiery orator, Malcolm was admired by the African American community in New York and around the country. In the early 1960s, he began to develop a more outspoken philosophy than that of Elijah Muhammad, whom he felt did not sufficiently support the civil rights movement. In late 1963, Malcolm’s suggestion that President John F.

Kennedy’s assassination was a matter of the “chickens coming home to roost” provided Elijah Muhammad, who believed that Malcolm had become too powerful, with a convenient opportunity to suspend him from the Nation of Islam. A few months later, Malcolm formally left the organization and made a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, where he was profoundly affected by the lack of racial discord among orthodox Muslims. He returned to America as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and in June 1964 founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which advocated black identity and held that racism, not the white race, was the greatest foe of the African American. Malcolm’s new movement steadily gained followers, and his more moderate philosophy became increasingly influential in the civil rights movement, especially among the leaders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. On February 21, 1965, one week after his home was firebombed, Malcolm X was shot to death by Nation of Islam members while speaking at a rally of his organization in New York City.

Article Details: February 21, 1965 : Malcolm X assassinated Author February 21, 1965 : Malcolm X assassinated URL Malcolm X Timeline - GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics) - Marked by Teachers.com Extracts from this document... Introduction Malcolm X Malcolm X Timeline May 19, 1925 - Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska 1940 - Drops out of school at age 15 1946 - Convicted of burglary and sent to prison 1949 - 1951 - Studies the Nation of Islam 1952 - Leaves prison, dedicates himself to Nation of Islam, changes name to Malcolm X Jan. 14, 1958 - Marries Betty X Dec. 4, 1963 - Suspended from the Nation of Islam March 1964 - Leaves Nation of Islam starts the Muslim Mosque, Inc. Apr. 22, 1964 - Makes his Hajj and becomes El-Hajj Malik al-Shabazz Jun. 28, 1964 - Forms the Organization of Afro-American Unity Jul.

17, 1964 - Speaks at the Organization of African Unity in Cairo Aug. 13, 1964 - U.S. State and Justice Departments take notice of his influence on African leaders at the U.N. Feb 21, 1965 - Al Hajj Malik assassinated in New York El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, or Malcolm X as he is better known among countless non-Muslim Americans, was a man of great intelligence and charisma. His life story goes back to his days as a young man. Early Life On May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm Little was born to Reverend Earl and Louise Little. Rev. Little, who believed in self-determination and worked for the unity of black people, Malcolm was raised in a background of ethnic awareness and dignity, but violence was sparked by white racists trying to stop black people such as Rev. Little from preaching the black cause. The history of Malcolm's dedication to black people, like that of his father, may have been motivated by a long history of oppression of his family.

As a young child, Malcolm, his parents, brothers, and sisters were shot at, burned out of their home, harassed, and threatened. This culminated in the murder of his father by white racists when Malcolm was six. ...read more. Middle Malcolm's New Vision of America Malcolm continues: Each hour here in the Holy Land enables me to have greater spiritual insights into what is happening in America between black and white. The American Negro never can be blamed for his racial animosities -- he is only reacting to four hundred years of the conscious racism of the American whites. But as racism leads America up the suicide path I do believe, from the experiences that I have had with them, that the whites of the younger generation, in the colleges and universities, will see the handwriting on the wall and many of them will turn to the spiritual path of truth -- the only way left to America to ward off the disaster that racism inevitably must lead to. . . . I believe that God now is giving the world's so-called 'Christian' white society its last opportunity to repent and atone for the crimes of exploiting and enslaving the world's non-white peoples. It is exactly as when God gave Pharaoh a chance to repent.

But Pharaoh persisted in his refusal to give justice to those who he oppressed. And, we know, God finally destroyed Pharaoh. I will never forget the dinner at the Azzam home with Dr. Azzam. The more we talked, the more his vast reservoir of knowledge and its variety seemed unlimited. He spoke of the racial lineage of the descendants of Muhammad (PBUH) the Prophet, and he showed how they were both black and white. He also pointed out how color, and the problems of color which exist in the Muslim world, exist only where, and to the extent that, that area of the Muslim world has been influenced by the West. He said that if on encountered any differences based on attitude toward color, this directly reflected the degree of Western influence. The Oneness of Man under One God It was during his pilgrimage that he began to write some letters to his loyal assistants at the newly formed Muslim Mosque in Harlem. ...read more. Conclusion And if I can die having brought any light, having exposed any meaningful truth that will help to destroy the racist cancer that is malignant in the body of America -- then, all of the credit is due to Allah. Only the mistakes have been mine.

The Legacy of Malcolm X Although El-Hajj Malik knew that he was a target for assassination, he accepted this fact without requesting police protection. On February 21, 1965, while preparing to give a speech at a New York hotel, he was shot by three black men. He was three months short of forty, the age of maturity according to the Qur'an. While it is clear that the Nation of Islam had something to do with the assassination, many people believe there was more than one organization involved. The FBI, known for its anti-black movement tendency, has been suggested as an accomplice. We may never know for sure who was behind El-Hajj Malik's murder, or, for that matter, the murder of other national leaders in the early 1960s. Malcolm X's life has affected Americans in many important ways. His conversion must have had an influence on Elijah Muhammad's son, Wallace Muhammad, who, after his father's death, led the Nation of Islam's followers into orthodox Islam. African-Americans' interest in their Islamic roots has flourished since El-Hajj Malik's death.

Alex Haley, who wrote Malcolm's autobiography, later wrote the epic Roots about an African Muslim family's experience with slavery. More and more African-Americans are becoming Muslim, adopting Muslim names, or exploring African culture. Interest in Malcolm X has seen a surge recently due to Spike Lee's movie; X. El-Hajj Malik is a source of pride for African-Americans, Muslims, and Americans in general. His message is simple and clear: I am not a racist in any form whatever. I don't believe in any form of racism. I don't believe in any form of discrimination or segregation. I believe in Islam. ?? ?? ?? ?? Hamsa Abukor ...read more. The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Hajj section. Found what you're looking for? Start learning 29% faster today 150,000+ documents available

Question: Assassinated in 1965, who was Malcolm Little better known as?
Answer: Malcolm X