The daughters of civil rights leader Malcolm
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Manhattan federal court, alleges that these agencies not only knew about the plot, but also failed to intervene and prevent the killing. Fox News reported.
Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was assassinated on February 21, 1965 while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in upper Manhattan.
He was shot 21 times in front of his wife, Betty Shabazz, and their daughters, who were in the audience. While three men were initially convicted of the crime, two were acquitted in 2021 after new evidence came to light suggesting key details had been overlooked or hidden by authorities.
Testimony from Mustafa Hassan, who was part of Malcolm X’s security detail at the time, further complicated the matter. Mr Hassan claimed he tried to prevent one of the gunmen, Thomas Hagan (also known as Talmadge X Hayer), from fleeing the scene. However, police officers are said to have intervened to protect Hayer, with some officers reportedly asking each other: “Is he with us?”
Now Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing the daughters and estate of Malcolm until the assassination of Malcolm X. death. The complaint accuses the government of creating a network of “ruthless killers” who operated with impunity and concealed their actions for years.
“The government’s fingerprints are all over Malcolm X’s assassination,” Crump claimed at a news conference. “We believe we have the evidence to prove it.” He added that the Shabazz family has endured decades of uncertainty, without knowing who was really responsible for the murder or the extent of the government’s involvement. “The harm caused to the Shabazz family is unimaginable, immense and irreparable,” the lawsuit said.
Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz spoke at a news conference at the site of his death about her family’s fight for justice. “We fought first and foremost for our mother, who was here,” Ilyasah said ABC News. “My mother was pregnant when she came here to see her husband speak; someone she just totally admired and witnessed this gruesome murder of her husband.
Malcolm His eventual separation from the organization led to death threats from former allies, many of whom considered him a traitor.
The case also references the murders of other black leaders, such as Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, who was killed by Chicago police officers in 1969. These murders are linked to COINTELPRO, a secret FBI program designed to disrupt and discredit black political groups.