Source: Les Payne. The Dead Are Arising - The Life of Malcolm X (2020)
Malcolm X’s security detail, other than Roberts, reacted poorly and in a disorganized fashion, but one of them hit Hayer in the thigh with a gunshot. Two bystanders were shot, one in the foot and another in the leg, and one of those bystanders was whisked away in a police car, which led to false reports that two gunmen had been taken into custody by the NYPD. After being knocked down by a chair by Roberts, Hayer was separated from his .45 caliber handgun, and the assassin was exposed to the crowd. The injured Hayer went through the door straight into an angry crowd that started to beat him mercilessly. The assassin begged for mercy and assistance, at which point a NYPD car came to his rescue and took him to a nearby hospital. In addition to being shot, Hayer’s head had been severely bloodied.
Among the phone calls made in the Audubon Ballroom were two reporters, and one was working for the FBI, which meant that Hoover was informed very soon after the assassination. Worse yet, Hoover and the FBI had advance knowledge of the assassination attempt and did nothing to prevent it; Hoover had come to believe that Malcolm X was more dangerous after leaving the NOI, due to his international travels and successes. The FBI, the CIA, and other government agencies were in competition to get the best intelligence concerning Malcolm X, especially by the Summer of 1964. It was those same agencies that worked very hard in the aftermath of the assassination to make sure their assets remained unknown.
Among the phone calls made in the Audubon Ballroom were two reporters, and one was working for the FBI, which meant that Hoover was informed very soon after the assassination. Worse yet, Hoover and the FBI had advance knowledge of the assassination attempt and did nothing to prevent it; Hoover had come to believe that Malcolm X was more dangerous after leaving the NOI, due to his international travels and successes. The FBI, the CIA, and other government agencies were in competition to get the best intelligence concerning Malcolm X, especially by the Summer of 1964. It was those same agencies that worked very hard in the aftermath of the assassination to make sure their assets remained unknown.
Roberts was among the very few that were on the stage trying to help a dying Malcolm X. Roberts, a medical corpsman in the Navy, ascertained that Malcolm X had several chest wounds, but not exit wounds. Roberts started to give mouth-to-mouth, ministering him as him he was a true disciple, taking special care to memorize the nearby faces that were not on the stage. However, Roberts was NYPD, and he looked for the names that Malcolm X claimed to have, the names of those he had warned that he would publicly identify, but Roberts didn’t find anything of value in that regard. Roberts’ supervisors chastised him for trying to save Malcolm X’s life; the NYPD bent over backwards to make sure that Roberts role as an undercover cop and that he tried to save the life of Malcolm X never saw the light of day. Worse yet, the NYPD never heeded the repeated warnings from Roberts that an assassination attempt was going to happen. Roberts witnessed the deathroes of Malcolm X, and not wanting to be the one to tell Betty that her husband was dead, feigned dizziness and asked for someone else to take over; Betty, with her nurse’s training, took his place.
In the aftermath of the assassination, justice was not served, largely due to official cover-ups. One of Malcolm X’s security guards had given him an unregistered handgun, and while Roberts gave mouth-to-mouth, that bodyguard took the gun from Malcolm X, since the gun had the bodyguard’s fingerprints. Roberts, focused on saving the life of Malcolm X, didn’t notice the removal of the handgun (but CBS archival footage show the bodyguard approaching the stage). Had Roberts noticed, it would have been good for his career, and a bonanza for the government agencies arrayed against Malcolm X.
In the aftermath of the assassination, justice was not served, largely due to official cover-ups. One of Malcolm X’s security guards had given him an unregistered handgun, and while Roberts gave mouth-to-mouth, that bodyguard took the gun from Malcolm X, since the gun had the bodyguard’s fingerprints. Roberts, focused on saving the life of Malcolm X, didn’t notice the removal of the handgun (but CBS archival footage show the bodyguard approaching the stage). Had Roberts noticed, it would have been good for his career, and a bonanza for the government agencies arrayed against Malcolm X.
NYPD officers searched the apartment of that bodyguard for the handgun, which they missed since it was hidden in a box of Corn Flakes; soon thereafter, the bodyguard destroyed the gun. Cheated out of being able to declare that Malcolm X had been illegally armed, the missing gun meant that the authorities had to solve a murder of an African-American martyr they hated. Roberts was never called to testify, which would have been very specific and effective, since the NYPD wanted to cover up their undercover man.
The only shooter that was convicted was Hayer, while the other two skated; two that weren’t involved, however, served long prison sentences for the assassination. Those other two assassins, as well as the two that created the distraction in the audience and the smoke bomb person, never stood trial. The trials that did occur were not about justice, but about covering the tracks of the NYPD, the FBI, and other government agencies. The hit order by EM and the “Royal Family” on Malcolm X had FOI temples competing to assassinate Malcolm X, but in the end, it was Malcolm X’s reduction in security that actually opened the door to his assassination. As it turned out, it was Captain Joseph and Harlem Temple #7 that carried out the assassination. Before Malcolm X reduced his security, his security detail was stronger and better armed that the Harlem FOI.
The only shooter that was convicted was Hayer, while the other two skated; two that weren’t involved, however, served long prison sentences for the assassination. Those other two assassins, as well as the two that created the distraction in the audience and the smoke bomb person, never stood trial. The trials that did occur were not about justice, but about covering the tracks of the NYPD, the FBI, and other government agencies. The hit order by EM and the “Royal Family” on Malcolm X had FOI temples competing to assassinate Malcolm X, but in the end, it was Malcolm X’s reduction in security that actually opened the door to his assassination. As it turned out, it was Captain Joseph and Harlem Temple #7 that carried out the assassination. Before Malcolm X reduced his security, his security detail was stronger and better armed that the Harlem FOI.
The Newark FOI (w/ Philadelphia’s FOI) was the toughest, and William Bradley (a former Green Beret) was the toughest FOI guy in Newark, thoroughly enjoying his reputation on the streets as a “lethal man”. Malcolm X’s truth-telling of EM angered the Newark temple and the FOI, since they had seen Malcolm X as a rival and potential enemy. The Newark temple was all-in with EM, even more so when Malcolm X went public with his anti-EM statements. The Newark FOI believed that they would receive a guarantee that they would never be prosecuted, given certain “assurances” by the temple minister. Other than Hayer, captured at the scene with witnesses seeing him use a gun, none of the other Newark conspirators were arrested.
In the days after the assassination, Malcolm X was portrayed as gifted-but-evil by the mainstream media, a twisted bitter fanatic who glorified violence, and now the “chickens had come home to roost” on him. The NY Times said that someone came out of the darkness that he spawned and killed him.
In the days after the assassination, Malcolm X was portrayed as gifted-but-evil by the mainstream media, a twisted bitter fanatic who glorified violence, and now the “chickens had come home to roost” on him. The NY Times said that someone came out of the darkness that he spawned and killed him.
Malcolm X was buried with the name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, and he was mourned as much as he was reviled. The funeral was held on 27 February 1965, and Malcolm X was eulogized by the actor/activist Ossie Davis. The MMI and the OAAU faded into obscurity without the leadership of Malcolm X. Two days after his assassination, Harlem Temple #7 was firebombed and destroyed. On Saviour’s Day in Chicago, 26 February 1965, 2500 listened to praises for EM; among those in the crowd were Malcolm X’s brothers, Wilfred and Philbert.
Soon thereafter, Wilfred looked to find ways to get out of the NOI, but he had to move very slowly and easily since he was Malcolm X’s oldest brother. Wilfred started by ceding his position as minister in Detroit Temple #1 to a true-believer of EM. Both Wilfred and Philbert successfully left the NOI and worked in the public sector for many years. Philbert died at the age of 70, and Wilfred died at the age of 78.
Ella organized the annual pilgrimages to Mecca and to Malcolm X’s grave, which continue to this day; she died at the age of 82. Hilda was the last of the family to die at age 93 in 2015. Betty eventually became Dr. Betty Shabazz, working years at Medgar Evers College. Betty’s twelve year old grandson set fire to her apartment, and she suffered 3rd degree burns on 80% of her body, dying three weeks later at the age of 63. Betty was buried next to Malcolm X in Hartsdale NY.
Elijah Muhammad lived to the age of 77, dying in 1975. Wallace then transformed the NOI into an orthodox Sunni Muslim group, which eventually became known as the American Society of Muslims, with Wallace taking the official Islamic title of Imam. Wallace also disbanded the Fruit of Islam, and among those that joined Wallace into Islamic orthodoxy was Muhammad Ali. Louis Farrakhan (Louis X) kept the NOI going. He was not part of the assassination conspiracy, but he knew what was going on and was in effect a replacement form Malcolm X in the NOI. All of which Farrakhan refused to admit until 25 years after the assassination.
Soon thereafter, Wilfred looked to find ways to get out of the NOI, but he had to move very slowly and easily since he was Malcolm X’s oldest brother. Wilfred started by ceding his position as minister in Detroit Temple #1 to a true-believer of EM. Both Wilfred and Philbert successfully left the NOI and worked in the public sector for many years. Philbert died at the age of 70, and Wilfred died at the age of 78.
Ella organized the annual pilgrimages to Mecca and to Malcolm X’s grave, which continue to this day; she died at the age of 82. Hilda was the last of the family to die at age 93 in 2015. Betty eventually became Dr. Betty Shabazz, working years at Medgar Evers College. Betty’s twelve year old grandson set fire to her apartment, and she suffered 3rd degree burns on 80% of her body, dying three weeks later at the age of 63. Betty was buried next to Malcolm X in Hartsdale NY.
Elijah Muhammad lived to the age of 77, dying in 1975. Wallace then transformed the NOI into an orthodox Sunni Muslim group, which eventually became known as the American Society of Muslims, with Wallace taking the official Islamic title of Imam. Wallace also disbanded the Fruit of Islam, and among those that joined Wallace into Islamic orthodoxy was Muhammad Ali. Louis Farrakhan (Louis X) kept the NOI going. He was not part of the assassination conspiracy, but he knew what was going on and was in effect a replacement form Malcolm X in the NOI. All of which Farrakhan refused to admit until 25 years after the assassination.