The family of Malcolm X, along with civil rights attorney Ben Crump, have announced plans to take legal action against multiple agencies.
According to CBS News on Tuesday (Feb. 21), 58 years to the date after the civil rights activist was shot dead, a press conference detailed plans to file a lawsuit against the New York City Police Department (NYPD), alleging they intentionally concealed evidence.
Crump, along with two of Malcolm X’s daughters, Qubilah Shabazz and Ilyasah Shabazz, shared a “formal notice” to the city of New York, the state of New York, the NYPD, the district attorney’s office, and various federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the CIA. The wrongful death lawsuit will seek $100 million.
The announcement was made at The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood. The building initially opened as a memorial site for the couple was previously the Audubon Ballroom, where Malcolm X was assassinated.
“The rhetorical question is this: if the government compensated the two gentlemen that were wrongfully convicted for the assassination of Malcolm X with tens of millions of dollars, then what is to be the compensation for the daughters who suffered the most from the assassination of Malcolm X?” questioned Crump.
In November 2021 Muhammed Aziz and Khalil Islam, who both spent more than 20 years in prison for Malcolm X’s death, were exonerated after an investigation uncovered evidence previously withheld by law enforcement. In October 2022, the men were awarded a $36 million settlement, divided equally among the two parties, after filing a lawsuit.
“We intend to have vigorous litigation of this matter, to have discovery, to be able to take depositions of the individuals who are still alive, 58 years later, to make sure that some measure of justice can be given to Malcolm X’s daughters,” Crump continued.
“The truth of what happened and who was involved has always been critical.”
Watch the press conference below.