Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of the late civil rights icon Malcolm X, has announced her intention to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the New York Police Department (NYPD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for $100 million. At an emotional press conference on Tuesday, Shabazz declared that her family has been fighting for the truth to come to light concerning her father’s murder for years and that they want justice served.
The assassination of Malcolm X occurred on February 21, 1965, when he was shot by three individuals as he prepared to give a speech in New York City. Speculation has long surrounded the killing, with many believing that government agencies had a role in it. This was partially validated when, in October 2022, the city and state of New York awarded $36m to two men wrongfully convicted of Malcolm X’s killing.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined Shabazz at the press conference and stated that the government had concealed “exculpatory evidence” that could have exonerated the two men. He added that he plans to take depositions from government officials for the case.
In the 1950s, Malcolm X rose to prominence as a spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, an African-American Muslim group that espoused Black separatism. However, he later fell out with the group and publicly broke with it in 1964, resulting in ire from some members as well as death threats. Talmadge Hayer, a former member of the Nation of Islam, said in court that he was one of the assassins. The two men wrongfully convicted had long maintained their innocence, and Hayer had said that his accomplices were other Nation of Islam members.
Ilyasah Shabazz’s announcement of her intent to sue for $100 million is a significant step towards seeking justice for her father’s wrongful death. She hopes that this case will finally provide some answers to the many unanswered questions surrounding his assassination. It is her hope that litigation will bring about justice for Malcolm X.