Social Justice

Black History Month: Malcolm X Assassinated 47 Years Ago Today

Malcolm X was assassinated during a rally of one of his followers in a ballroom in New York City.

Published

14 years ago

February 21, 2012

UVM Staff

Malcolm X (Library of Congress. New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/97519439/)

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Malcolm X 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 times 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 Magazine named “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” one of the ten most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century.

After Malcolm resigned his position in the Nation of Islam and renounced Elijah Muhammad, relations between the two had become increasingly volatile. FBI informants working undercover in the NOI warned officials that Malcolm had been marked for assassination.

“Human rights are something you were born with. Human rights are your God-given rights. Human rights are the rights that are recognized by all nations of this earth.”

Malcolm X was assassinated during a rally of one of his followers in a ballroom in New York City 47 years ago. The men accused of his murder were believed to have connections to the Nation of Islam, though a formal tie between that group and the assassination was never proven.

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Related Topics:Blacks in History Malcolm X

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UVM Staff

Unheard Voices, an award-winning, family owned online news magazine, began in 2004 as a community newsletter serving Neptune, Asbury Park, and Long Branch, N.J. Over time, it grew into a nationally recognized Black-owned media outlet. The publication remains one of the few dedicated to covering social justice issues. Its honors include the NAACP Unsung Hero Award and multiple media innovator awards for excellence in social justice reporting and communications.