Malcolm X’s assassination: 50th anniversary marked in New York

Black civil rights activist Malcolm X’s death anniversary has been marked with a commemoration ceremony at the site where he was assassinated 50 years ago in New York.

Activists, politicians and actors were among some 300 people who paid tributes to Malcolm X in Harlem.

They heard a call by one of Malcolm X’s daughters to reassess her father’s importance to civil rights in America.

By the time Malcolm X was gunned down, the Muslim leader had moderated his militant message of black separatism.

He remained a passionate advocate of black unity, self-respect and self-reliance.

Saturday’s ceremony was held at the Malcolm X & Dr Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, previously known as the Audubon Ballroom.

A blue light was shone onto the floor in the exact spot where Malcolm X, whose real name was El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was gunned down.

This happened when the 39-year-old was preparing to address his followers.

“He was just a young man who gave all that he possibly could,” his daughter Ilyasah Shabazz said.

Malcolm X’s relatives also insisted that his revolutionary rhetoric was still a vital part of the struggle for equality, arguing that he should be remembered more in American history than he currently is.

Three members of the Nation of Islam organization were convicted of his murder.

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