The day civil rights icon Malcolm X was gunned down among a group of fellow Muslims and his own family is marked as a significant moment for the civil rights movement and America as a whole.
The shooting happened Feb. 21, 1965, when the charismatic former Nation of Islam minister had been embroiled in a battle with his father figure and spiritual adviser Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm had spoken out on issues of police brutality, and some took certain disparaging comments about the death of former President John F. Kennedy as the nail in the coffin for his reign as esteemed ambassador for the legions of Nation of Islam followers.
Anger, sadness and, still to this day, confusion surrounds the reasons why the minister and activist was killed. One question is extensively addressed by a new Netflix documentary that leaves no room for perception in its title − “Who Killed Malcolm X?”
On the anniversary of his assassination, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution takes a look at some of the recent developments, including a reexamination of his murder case, and what we’ve known about the killing of the 39-year-old husband, father and influential figure.
He was known as a driving force in the burgeoning Nation of Islam religious movement before his death.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, the scrappy, handsome Malcolm Little relocated to New York City in 1943. He shifted between several foster homes, and, by his teenage years, he'd adopted a lifestyle of crime, including larceny, drug dealing, prostitution rackets and gambling, according to History.com. After being convicted of larceny, he faced a 10-year sentence in prison.
While in prison, Little discovered the Nation of Islam, developing a relationship with its leader, Muhammad, through writing letters. He changed his name to Malcolm X, and upon his release in 1952, embarked on a ministry with the religious organization.
Malcolm X spent 12 years ministering across the country and bringing awareness to the Nation of Islam. His speeches, which unapologetically scolded racism in America and abroad, galvanized black people, whether they were Muslims or not. As a result of his conviction and knack for oratory, membership in the Nation of Islam grew from only a few hundred at the time of his conversion to an estimated 75,000 in the early 1960s.
He was killed less than a year after departing from the Nation of Islam.
On March 8, 1964, the former face of the Nation of Islam announced a split from the religion that had brought him prominence. He was still a Muslim, he told the press, but felt that the Nation had “gone as far as it can” because of its rigid teachings. He said he was planning to organize a black nationalist organization to “heighten the political consciousness” of African Americans. The split came after several public disagreements between Malcolm X and Muhammad, including Muhammad’s disapproval of Malcolm X’s comments regarding Kennedy’s death.
In an interview, Malcolm X referred to the then-president’s assassination as the “chickens coming home to roost.”
There were several theories on what led to Malcolm X’s killing.
In the “Who Killed Malcolm X?” documentary, the primary theories on what led to the Muslim leader’s death are discussed. The three common circumstances that have been surmised as the reason for his demise are:
- The FBI was behind the infamous assassination of the controversial black Muslim leader and political activist.
- The white power structure in America conspired to gun him down.
- It was an inside job carried out by his former brothers in the Nation of Islam.
Three men were charged in his murder.
Thomas Hagan, who had also been called Talmadge Hayer; Mujahid Abdul Halim, known then as Thomas 15X Johnson; and Muhammad Abdul Aziz, who at the time of Malcolm X’s death was known as Norman 3X Butler, were convicted of the activist’s murder and sentenced to life.
Butler, now 81, was the second person arrested in the case. He has maintained his innocence. Hagan admitted his role, and always affirmed the other convicted’s innocence. However, he was not willing to name others who helped him assassinate Malcolm X.
Hagan spent more than 40 years in prison but was released in 2010. Halim was released in 1987, and he died in 2009. Aziz was released on parole in 1985, and he’s still fighting to clear his name.
A criminal justice nonprofit says the murder case is being reexamined.
According to NPR, the questions raised in the new documentary have prompted the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to take another look at the evidence.
“District Attorney [Cy] Vance has met with representatives from the Innocence Project and associated counsel regarding this matter,” spokesman Danny Frost said in an emailed statement to NPR.
The Innocence Project, a nonprofit that works to exonerate the wrongly convicted, is working with civil rights attorney David Shanies to reinvestigate the conviction of Aziz.
The outcome of the district attorney’s preliminary review “will inform the office regarding what further investigative steps may be undertaken,” Frost said.
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