After the death of Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wrote a letter explaining his final stance on integration.  

“I fear I am integrating my people into a burning house,” King states in the letter. 

Although you won’t read about them in many history textbooks, Pan-Africanists are important for black history. Pan-Africanists like Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey believed segregation helped many black people to expand their businesses, understand their history, and have independence from the government. 

As generations grow out of touch with black history, the name Malcolm X has become distant in the ears of many black children in America.

However, Malcolm X should be recognized, understood, and celebrated like many others who are lost in the history of the oppression of African Americans.

Did you know we are still trying to understand who killed Malcolm X?

Who Really Killed Malcolm X?

This question has been asked so many times. And there were no answers until Netflix’s documentary reintroduced the question again on February 7, 2020.

Abdur-Rahman Muhammad did an amazing job in the making of  “Who Killed Malcolm X.” The documentary offers insights into who was involved in the murder of Malcolm X.

Malcolm X was a famous member of the Nation of Islam. Yet, a public break with the organization in 1965 left him without protection for his family and himself during an unfortunate turn of events.

Many people, including leaders in the Nation of Islamdisagreed with Malcolm X’s view that independence from the white government and society would benefit the black community. 

Muhammad set the tone for the documentary by giving the audience several perceptions: his own, the U.S. Government’s, the Nation of Islam’s, and historians’. 

Muhammad concluded the three young men, who were blamed for killing Malcolm X, did not commit the crime. According to Muhammad, the government, more specifically the FBI, is the main suspect in the murder of Malcolm X.

The documentary also reveals how the government tricked the Nation of Islam to turn their backs on Malcolm X. They thought Malcolm X was trying to take over The Nation Of Isalm, which he wasn’t.

The complexity of the assassination has shaken Muhammad to continue searching for the possible answer for the perplex question. 

The Successfulness of The Documentary

Muhammad does a fantastic job of illustrating Malcolm X’s bravery during a time when both the Nation of Islam and the racist U.S. Government wanted to get rid of Malcolm X. He splits the documentary into seven or eight episodes to analyze the profound depths of Malcolm X’s assassination. 

The documentary also includes interviews with people who knew Malcolm X, who saw the assassination, who saw the rebellion in Malcolm X, who planned the assassination and who disliked Malcolm X.

Muhammad goes through tremendous steps to finally explain who really killed Malcolm X: The government. 

The government saw Malcolm X as a threat because he was trying to unify the black community. They feared that if the black community unified, the American economic system would decrease due to effects on includes labor, the prison system, shopping, etc. 

The idea of unifying the black community became a frightening discussion for the American Government. Even though African Americans make up less of the American population, they are still centralized under the economic system.

This documentary is powerful for black children in American to watch. It gives the reality of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Black kids on Delta State’s campus should watch this documentary because it is inspiring to learn about  Malcolm X. It also teaches us to be more observant of those whom we think we trust.