The New York Times | February 22, 1965**
New York, NY – February 21, 1965 – Malcolm X, the controversial civil rights leader, was assassinated while giving a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem.
X was shot multiple times by three gunmen who rushed the stage. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The assassination shocked the nation and raised questions about the state of race relations in the United States.
X was a polarizing figure, but he was also a powerful voice for black liberation. He was a former member of the Nation of Islam, but he left the group in 1964 and founded his own organization, the Organization of Afro-American Unity.
X’s assassination has been condemned by leaders of all races and creeds. President Lyndon B. Johnson called it “a senseless act of violence” and said that X “was a man who spoke his mind, and he spoke it forcefully.”
The FBI is investigating the assassination, but no arrests have been made.
In other news…
- The Vietnam War continues, with no end in sight.
- The civil rights movement is gaining momentum, with protests taking place across the country.
- The Beatles release their new album, “Rubber Soul.”
Stay tuned for more news.
By the history department of the Smartencyclopedia