The Assassination of Malcolm X

This is the scene from Spike Lee's movie, X.

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE.

"We have not yet learned to disagree without becoming violently disagreeable." --Martin Luther King, on the assassination of Malcolm X.

A horribly misguided need to be right at all costs resulted in the assassination of Malcolm X. There are still many questions about who exactly was behind the killing. There were members of the Nation of Islam who were arrested for his murder. Talmadge Hayer confessed to the crime. Norman 3X Butler (AKA Muhammad Abdul Aziz) and Thomas 15X Johnson, (AKA Khalil Islam) were also convicted, but their convictions are questionable.

It is also possible that certain factions of the U.S. government were culpable in the death of Malcolm X. We may never know for certain.

Malcolm X was a true role model. He wasn't perfect, but he was highly intelligent and eager to find the truth in any situation. His desire to do the right thing led him to be at odds with the Nation of Islam, as he came to the point of no longer believing in Black supremacy, but in the need for human equality and justice for all people.

Although I am white, I count Malcolm X among my role models. He stood up for what he believed in, even though it cost him his life. He was willing to change his ways if he discovered he was going down the wrong path. He owned his actions and apologized for his mistakes. Such traits do not know any particular race. They are traits that every human being should attempt to embody.

Rest in peace, Malcolm. The world is a better place for your having been here.

May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965