The Assassination of Malcolm X Pt. 1

·41 min·3 clips

The Nation of Islam trained its members for violent confrontation, with Malcolm X at the forefront of their radical cause.

This episode examines the life and 1965 assassination of civil rights leader Malcolm X, hosted by Carter Roy. It traces Malcolm's transformation from a criminal to a prominent minister for the Nation of Islam and later a rival activist. The narrative questions the official story of his murder and explores various potential conspirators. Malcolm's early life included his family being terrorized by the KKK and his father's death, which he believed was a murder by white supremacists. He became a criminal in Harlem before a prison conversion to the Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X became the Nation's most effective spokesman, growing its membership from a few hundred to over 25,000. The FBI's J. Edgar Hoover monitored Malcolm due to his influence and the Nation's militia-like Fruit of Islam. Rivalry grew within the Nation, as Elijah Muhammad and his sons saw Malcolm's popularity as a threat to leadership and financial control. Malcolm broke with the Nation in 1963 after learning Elijah fathered children with young secretaries, and he later formed the secular Organization of African American Unity. A key insight is that Malcolm survived a prior assassination attempt via a car bomb ordered from within the Nation of Islam. His home was firebombed in February 1965, which he publicly blamed on Elijah Muhammad. Despite constant death threats, Malcolm declined NYPD protection due to deep mistrust. On the day of his murder, his security team noted an unusual lack of police presence at the Audubon Ballroom. Eyewitnesses described a coordinated attack by up to five gunmen, with one, Talmadge Hayer, being caught by the crowd. The official investigation quickly focused on three Nation members, but Malcolm's supporters doubted the guilt of two, Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam. Suspicious around the investigation include the crime scene being cleaned and reopened for an event just hours after the shooting. A crucial piece of evidence, the bullet-riddled lectern, was left in the ballroom for decades. An undercover NYPD officer, Gene Roberts, was embedded within Malcolm's security team. The episode concludes by revealing that Roberts placed a call to identify himself to his superiors immediately after the shooting. The narrative suggests law enforcement may have had foreknowledge or deliberately neglected the case. The tone is investigative and narrative, blending historical biography with true-crime suspense. It uses firsthand accounts and documentary sources to build a tense, chronological story. Listeners interested in civil rights history, unsolved mysteries, or institutional corruption will find this episode compelling. Those seeking a purely religious study of Malcolm X or who prefer conclusively resolved stories might find it less satisfying.

As heard by us

A grave, patient account of how a public life became hard to separate from danger.

It traces Malcolm X from the white-hooded threat around his family before his birth to the growing political danger that follows his break with the Nation of Islam.

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Why you'd press play

If you want Malcolm X's final political turn traced with cold clarity, start here.

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