The family of Malcolm X sues the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and New York Police Department (NYPD), accusing them of their involvement in his death and failing to stop the killing.
Following the family’s announcement to sue last year, a lawsuit was filed by the three daughters of the murdered African-American civil rights activist, on Friday, 16th November, against these agencies for $100m for their alleged involvement in their father’s murder. Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney representing the family asserted this allegation to what he called the assassination of “one of the greatest thought leaders of the 20th century”.
The lawsuit claims that police and federal agents worked with Malcolm X’s killers and helped cover up their actions for years. It says the NYPD removed his security team just before the murder, pulled their officers out of the venue, and federal agents who were there during the killing did nothing to stop it.
American federal agencies have often faced allegations for the murder of civil rights activists, including Martin Luther King Jr and Fred Hampton.
The NYPD declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing ongoing legal proceedings. The CIA did not respond to requests for comment, while the FBI stated it does not typically comment on legal cases.
el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, popularly known as Malcolm X, was a powerful civil rights movement leader. He first became well-known as a spokesperson for the Nation of Islam but later left the group to join the broader civil rights movement. His bold ideas and break from the Nation made him a target for both the Nation of Islam and government agencies. He was killed in 1965 during a speech in Harlem, and his murder has remained surrounded by questions and suspicions.
Three men were convicted for the killing, but decades later, a review found that the police and FBI had withheld important evidence. This led to two of the men being cleared in 2022. However, significant doubts remain about the true perpetrators of the assassination and the potential role of government agencies in facilitating or covering up the crime. His assassination continues to be a symbol of unresolved injustices in American history.
