A new development in the murder of Malcolm X

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

For years since Malcolm X (ElHajj Malik El-Shabazz) was assassinated in 1965, there have been claims that the police and other agencies were involved in the crime. Those accusations were given fresh currency on Tuesday at the Shabazz Center during a press conference convened by attorney Ben Crump.Before Crump introduced the witness at the center of the new developments, he asserted that the “government was involved in the conspiracy to kill Malcolm X.” He then asked Mustafa Hassan, 84, to recount his experience that fateful day when he was working as security for the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU). Hassan (Richard Melvin Jones) repeated parts of the June 6, 2023 deposition, particularly his reaction after Malcolm was gunned down. “I saw a man running down the aisle towards the exit where I had been posted with a gun in his hand,” he recalled. “I made the decision to attempt to stop the person because he had the gun in his hand and was heading directly at me. “ He said he man- aged to knock the man down and then hurried to the stage to attend to Malcolm.Later, after seeing Malcolm’s condition, Hassan saw the man he bumped into, Talmadge Hayer (Thomas Hagan), outside the ballroom being beaten by Malcolm’s followers, when “a group of policemen suddenly showed up on the scene, asking is he [Hayer] with us while at the same time holding back Malcolm’s followers.” from beating him.”

The words “is he with us” that Hassan reportedly overheard are perhaps the key piece of new evidence of possible police conspiracy in Malcolm’s murder, indicating that Hayer may have been one of the several undercover cops at the event and members of the OAAU.

Hassan and Crump held to their version of the incident, though for the most part, the press conference was a moment to highlight the various scenes where Hassan identified himself, and photos that have long been part of the files on hanging in the closet, although it’s not as alluring as it was when it drew Lee to me. Each time I look at it, I can almost hear Tony’s voice and Lee at the piano. the crime. To some degree, Hassan’s long delay in coming forth with this disclosure was posited in the affidavit which stated that it was out of concern for his family. “I sought new residence for myself and my family,” he said. “This was done out of concern for me and my family’s safety, and where I believed the United States as a society was headed.” curiosity will flock to the excitement.

It will continue to be debatable as to the extent to which the police, FBI, and the CIA conspired in the murder of Malcolm., In effect, Hassan is another witness to Malcolm’s murder who was never arrested, charged, or served as a witness, including several policemen who infiltrated the OAAU. Alongside Crump and his team was Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm’s daughter, who reiterated what she and her family have declared in their concern for the truth. “We want all of the truth to be told and we want justice to be served,” she said.

Mackie said funding was limited, so he invited many of his engineering friends, including astronaut Jeanette Epps, to help with the event. Mackie said even with it being his first attempt, the event held more than 250 students.

“[Epps] is a Black woman with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and an astronaut. When I said an astronaut was coming, everybody was looking for a white man. And when this Black woman showed up, it blew everybody’s minds. The parents were running over the kids just to try and meet this astronaut,” said Mackie.

He added that he had tracked down some of his earliest students who attended Rocket Day, one of whom is now working at Lockheed Martin. Mackie said this is one of the many ways they track success, and those who do not pursue STEM careers are still STEM-literate for the future.

“We live in a nation that makes sure every Black and brown boy touches a football before the age of four, and no one says anything. And universities don’t have to worry about Black boys playing football or basketball. So our goal is to put STEM in the hands of kids before kindergarten,” said Mackie.

Education is the essence of Mackie and his wife’s vision in creating STEM NOLA. Mackie has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, and was the first and only tenured professor at Tulane University.

In his hometown, the New Orleans Public School system houses about 44,000 students, and 92% of those pupils are students of color. He knew the hardships this community faced, especially after Hurricane Katrina, and always found a way to give back.

Mackie said he is tired of hearing calls for diversity yet has yet to see action taken on those calls. He said his community is unjustly undervalued, but when events like STEM NOLA are hosted in these communities, people begin to value themselves.

Continued from page 28 learned from his business management and marketing degree and coupling that with his passion for music led him to a fulfilling and fruitful career.

“As an iconic figure in the New York hiphop scene, DJ Envy is the perfect person to help us celebrate the 50th anniversary of hiphop and cap a full day of HBCU football and culture with style,” said Albert Williams, the HBCU New York Classic CEO.

Williams said the event will be the largest HBCU homecoming ever since all HBCU alums, future students, and football fans alike are invited and encouraged to come to the game and the events leading up to the Classic.

The events will begin on Tuesday, September 12, with a breakfast featuring New York City Mayor Eric Adams at Sylvia’s in Harlem. The week will host two high school education days in Newark, New Jersey, and Manhattan, NY.

The events will also include an HBCU-inspired debate at The Apollo, a career expo, a step show, and a pep rally before the main event of the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers against the Albany State University Golden Rams and the after-party.

Williams stressed the importance of these educational events and awareness of HBCU schools in the Northeast. He said he did not know about the existence of predominantly-Black institutions until after he graduated high school and attended St. John’s University for some years.

Williams and DJ Envy hope to share the knowledge and power that HBCUs hold and encourage more young Black people to attend these universities.

“We did have a young man last year that decided he wasn’t going to college.. He spoke to our lady that runs our career fair. And lo and behold, he applied to (approximately) six schools, four of them were HBCUs, and he decided to go to Morehouse,” Williams said. “If you reach one mission accomplished, we want to reach many.”

Williams said the organization expanded its events compared to last year due to increased funding and awareness of the Classic. He said the sponsorships from Google, Walmart, and other large companies show a valuable investment of time and money into Black communities.

In terms of the game’s outcome, Williams said he thinks the scoreline will be interesting, regardless of which team wins.

Morehouse is coming in with a lessthan-favorable record after their (1-9) overall record last season. The team was also held scoreless in the previous year’s inaugural game against Howard University, losing 31-0. Conversely, Albany State is coming off a 7-3 record last season and has dominated Morehouse over the past decade, winning 11 games straight since 2010 over Morehouse.