Producer Phil Bertelsen and Historian Abdur-Rahman Muhammad of "Who Killed Malcolm X?"

Series Context and Relevance

• The Netflix documentary Who Killed Malcolm X? (released February 2020) gained renewed interest following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
• The series resonated with contemporary audiences by highlighting Malcolm X's long-standing opposition to police brutality and misconduct.
• Netflix recurred the series post-May 2020, bundling it with other content addressing racial justice and police accountability.
• Filmmaker Phil Berthelsen notes the series demonstrates that "what's past is prologue," emphasizing the ongoing nature of racial injustice.

Parallels to Contemporary Events

• The 1962 shooting death of Ronald Stokes inside a Los Angeles mosque is described by historian Abdur Rahman Mohammed as entirely analogous to modern incidents involving police harassment.
  • Stokes, a 29-year-old Korean War veteran and mosque secretary, was shot through the heart by Officer Donald Weiss while raising his hands and saying "peace."
  • Two young men were criminalized for a legal transaction; the police response was disproportionate given there was no inappropriate behavior.
• Mohammed highlights that nine Muslims were prosecuted for the Stokes shooting despite the incident being predicated on police misconduct, mirroring modern struggles where lack of recording technology previously obscured police actions.

Evolution of Activism and Leadership

• Phil Berthelsen characterizes the Black Lives Matter movement as a decentralized, global chapter in the continuum of Black liberation struggles that relies on technology and social media rather than singular figureheads.
• Abdur Rahman Mohammed asserts Malcolm X would have supported mass grassroots movements for social justice but rejected "senseless violence" or destruction for its own sake.
  • Mohammed clarifies that while Malcolm predicted unrest (such as the 1964 Watts riots), he advocated for "intelligent and peaceful" society and distinguished between "good policemen" and "bad policemen."
  • Malcolm identified with any collective effort to improve Black conditions, famously stating, "all my brothers are blood brothers."

Historical Reassessment of Malcolm X

• Mohammed contextualizes Malcolm X's role in the civil rights era as a "foil" to leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., providing leverage for the government to pass civil rights legislation.
• Despite being viewed as a "demagogue" in his time, Malcolm's ideological roots were in black nationalism and the Garvey movement, influenced heavily by his parents, Earl and Louise Little, who were active UNIA organizers.
• Documentary filmmaker Phil Berthelsen utilized Manning Marable's biography and archival footage to reveal Malcolm's humanity, describing him as a charismatic, generous father and husband beyond the "angry" 30-second soundbites often seen in newsreels.

The Investigation into Malcolm X's Death

• Abdur Rahman Mohammed dedicated over 30 years to investigating the assassination, driven by the lack of closure and the "travesty" of the original trial.
• Mohammed reveals that law enforcement rushed to conclude the investigation to avoid scrutiny regarding their own potential complicity or negligence.
  • Evidence of this rush includes the immediate cleaning and reopening of the Audubon Ballroom for a dance just hours after the assassination.
  • Mohammed states officials viewed Malcolm's death with relief ("Good riddance") and were indifferent to the accurate prosecution of the perpetrators.
• The documentary, supported by Mohammed's access to closed Muslim community sources, provides new evidence regarding the true perpetrators of the killing.

Outcomes and Justice Sought

• The series has prompted the Manhattan District Attorney to reopen the investigation into Malcolm X's assassination.
• Mohammed identifies two primary goals of the inquiry: correcting the historical record and securing justice for the wrongfully convicted.
  • Mohamed Abdulaziz (formerly Norman Butler) is cited as a primary beneficiary; he served over 20 years for a crime he did not commit and had his life destroyed.
  • Mohammed advocates for the expungement of the wrongful convictions to remove the stigma from Abdulaziz and his descendants.
• The documentary aims to provide finality to the African-American community regarding the circumstances of Malcolm X's death.