Remembering Malcolm X

Forty-five years ago today the world lost a "shining black prince" when black empowerment activist Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City. The anniversary of that tragedy went largely unnoted by the mainstream media, butย ordinary people gave it its dueย in an outpouring of Tweets. Suggested Reading A Peek Inside Travis Hunter’s New Jacksonville Mansion…

Forty-five years ago today the world lost a "shining black prince" when black empowerment activist Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City. The anniversary of that tragedy went largely unnoted by the mainstream media, butย ordinary people gave it its dueย in an outpouring of Tweets.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
AI Is the New Civil Rights Frontier: Loren Douglass on Wealth, Politics & Power
AI Is the New Civil Rights Frontier: Loren Douglass on Wealth, Politics & Power

The Root's favorite Twitterati also weighed in.ย Referring to the debate over Malcolm X's stance on black nationalism later in life, Columbia University professor Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) Tweeted, "Malcolm became a more committed Black Nationalist and Pan Africanist in his final days, not a multicultural action figure."

Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925, Malcolm X evolved from an early life of criminality to a leadership role in the Nation of Islam in the 1960s. A leader of the black nationalist movement, Malcolm X provided a counterweight to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'sย approach of gaining civil rights though non-violent protest, by urging blacks to achieve their rights "by any means necessary."

Over timeย Malcolm X'sย relationship with the NOI's leader, Elijah Muhammad, grew strained. Things came to a head at the end of 1963 when Malcolm Xย referred to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy asย "a case of the chickens coming home to roost," leading to his silencing in the NOI for 90 days.

In 1964 Malcolm X left the NOI andย converted to the more mainstream Sunni sect of Islam.ย ย He made a life changing pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, returningย with the name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and a more racially inclusiveย perspective on human rights activism. He was struck down by an assassin's bullet during a speaking engagement atย Manhattan'sย Audubon Ballroom on February 21, 1965.

Six days later, Malcolm X was laid to rest. Actor and activist Ossie Davis gave the eulogy.ย During the 1992 Spike Lee biopic Malcolm X, Davis reprised the speech in a voiceover.ย 

Watch the video, or read the full transcript of the eulogy.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.