today in Black history - feb 21

El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X) was assassinated in Harlem on February 21, 1965

I have often walked by the house where Malcolm X lived when he was a resident of Roxbury and thought about his life and how it unfolded into a tapestry of stories that have inspired millions. When I think about his assassination, I think about the incredible loss to the world and to his family, but I also think about true friendship when I remember his friend, activist Yuri Kochiyama, cradling him as he passed from this life. You can check out this interview with Yuri Kochiyama talking about her experience that terrible day:

The full transcript of the interview is here if you prefer to read it.

If you want to learn more about the life of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, you could read a brief biograhy on his life on the website of his daughter, Professor Ilyasah Shabazz, but I would actually recommend reading (or even re-reading) his autobiography. You can read it for free online here.