It has been 60 years since Civil Rights leader Malcolm X was assassinated on Feb. 21, 1965, in New York City, yet his family is still demanding answers. On the anniversary of his assassination, his daughters, alongside attorney Ben Crump, renewed their call for the federal government to declassify long-sealed documents related to his murder.
“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,” Crump said at a press conference in Manhattan on Friday,CBS News reports.
Crump pointed to past declassification efforts, including President Trump’s executive order to release documents related to the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and 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,” he declared.
Malcolm X’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, echoed that demand. “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,” she said.
The family is calling for the release of these files by May 19, which would have been the Civil Rights leader’s100th birthday. This renewed push for transparency comes just months after Malcolm X’s family filed a $100 million lawsuit against the NYPD, FBI and CIA, alleging that law enforcement agencies conspired to facilitate his murder and then covered up their involvement.
“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.
The lawsuit alleges that the government not only failed to protect Malcolm X but also actively worked against him. “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 complaint states.
Crump emphasized that these documents must be fully released without redactions. “These dastardly deeds need to be publicly released so they can serve as a teachable moment,” he said.
History has already proven that the official story surrounding Malcolm X’s murder was deeply flawed. Three men were convicted of his killing and sentenced to life in prison. But in 2021, two of them—Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam—were exonerated after serving decades behind bars.
Aziz was released after 20 years, but Islam never lived to see his name cleared. Their families were eventually awarded $36 million in a wrongful conviction settlement.
“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,” Crump said.
Friday’s press conference was held at the very place where Malcolm X was assassinated—the former Audubon Ballroom, now known as the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. Standing in the space where her father took his last breath, Ilyasah Shabazz reflected on the weight of the moment.
“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,” she said. “It has been a challenge, but we are going to have a lot of faith that we will be able to vindicate his assassination.
