It has been 60 years since Malcolm X was assassinated on Feb. 21, 1965 in New York City, and his family is calling for the documents in the case to be declassified.
“During this Black History Month, we believe, now more than ever, we need to tell the story of Malcolm X, one of the greatest thought leaders of the 20th century,” attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family, announced at a news conference Friday morning in Manhattan.
Crump pointed to President Trump’s recent executive order to declassify other high-profile cases, including the assassinations of civil rights leader Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and former President John F. Kennedy.
“On this historic day marking the 60th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination, we formally request that the president declassify [the] Malcolm X files,” Crump said.
“We are only asking for the declassification of our father’s records, along with President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and, of course, Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King,” added Malcolm X’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz.
Malcolm X family suing NYPD, FBI and CIA
Last November, Crump filed a lawsuit on the family’s behalf accusing the New York City Police Department and the federal government of conspiring to play a role in the assassination.
“Based on what we have learned in investigating these claims for our lawsuit on behalf of Malcolm X’s estate, we are confident that these records will show that there was a ‘deep state’ in the 1950s and the 1960s, with J. Edgar Hoover at the helm, that targeted American citizens and, specifically, they targeted African American leaders, like Martin Luther King, like Fred Hampton, like Huey Newton and, of course, they targeted Malcolm X. These records will lay that bare,” Crump said Friday.
The family’s lawsuit claims the government failed to protect Malcolm X leading up to his murder and failed to intervene on the scene. It also accuses the government of actively encouraging the shooting and trying to cover it up.
“Despite knowing the gravity of the threats, the FBI failed to protect Malcolm X, instead actively compromising his safety by arresting his security team days before his assassination,” the November complaint read in part.
Crump said Friday “these dastardly deeds” need to be publicly released, so they can serve as a “teachable moment.” He demanded the documents be declassified “in their entirety, without further delay.”
“The American people are deserving of knowing the truth of the federal government’s targeting of Malcolm X and the ultimate coverup to ensure his family and the American people can never seek justice for the wrongs committed,” he said.
The NYPD and FBI declined to comment on the lawsuit when it was announced. The New York City Law Department said it was reviewing the case.
Reflecting on Malcolm X’s legacy 60 years later
Malcolm X was a prominent spokesman for the Nation of Islam, famously calling on Black people to claim their civil rights “by any means necessary.” Near the end of his life, he split with the organization and started talking about the potential for racial unity, earning him the ire of some.
The 39-year-old civil rights activist was gunned down as he prepared to deliver a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights.
Three men were convicted in his murder and sentenced to life in prison. Mujahid Abdul Halim, who also went by the names Talmadge Hayer and Thomas Hagan, admitted to shooting Malcolm X but said the other two men — Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam — were not involved. In 2021, Aziz and Islam were exonerated.
Aziz was freed after serving 20 years in prison, but Islam died before his name could be cleared. The men and their families were eventually awarded $36 million in a pair of wrongful conviction settlements.
Friday’s news conference was held at the scene of Malcolm X’s murder, now known as the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center.
“I think of my mother, 60 years ago to this day, coming here and witnessing this assassination of her husband and giving him comfort as he took his last breath, right here in this space, and to focus and turn this place into the Shabazz Center for others,” said Shabazz. “It has been a challenge, but we are going to have a lot of faith that we will be able to vindicate his assassination.”
The center is hosting an event Friday to pay tribute to the leader and those who carry on his dedication to social justice.