February 21, 1965 is forever etched into Black America’s memory. Malcolm X was gunned down as he spoke to a Harlem crowd. Now, decades after his death, his daughters are suing the government for plotting to kill their father, and the implications of their case could change the course of how we seek Black liberation in the future.
Three men, angry with X’s decision to split from the Nation of Islam, were eventually sentenced to life in prison for the leader’s death. One confessed to the murder. In 2023, the two others were exonerated.
However, the NYPD never investigated the men’s connections to the FBI and the CIA. The daughters claim this failure was part of a deliberate effort to slaughter their father. They’re suing for $100 million, but the implications of the case for our community? Priceless.
The FBI and the CIA have long kept files on just about anyone involved in pro-Black activities, with the goal of “disrupting” and “neutralizing” our progress. Just a year before X was assassinated, the FBI even tried to bribe X to stop his work. He refused.
This lawsuit is critical to us. It calls out the system’s role in harming us and reminds us we must address that harm by any means necessary.