NEW YORK -- He was one of the most charismatic figures in the civil rights movement and also one of its most feared, a former convict who abandoned his "slavemaster name," energized the Nation of Islam and met a violent end at 39.
Four decades after his death, Malcolm X has inspired another movement -- one aimed at reexamining and preserving his legacy.
Malcolm X was killed 40 years ago today.
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Leading the way are Malcolm X's daughters, who want to convince people he was a champion of human rights and are converting the Audubon Ballroom in upper Manhattan -- the scene of his assassination on Feb. 21, 1965 -- into a history center that will catalogue his life and work.
"It's our responsibility to make sure that we do preserve and document our history to empower future generations," said Ilyasah Shabazz, the third of six daughters born to Malcolm X and wife Betty Shabazz.
On Monday, the Audubon will be the site of a commemorative event on the 40th anniversary of Malcolm X's death. The official opening of the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center at the Audubon is slated for May 19, on what would have been his 80th birthday.
The son of a preacher who was killed after being threatened by the Ku Klux Klan, Malcolm Little was arrested for robbery in 1946 and spent six years in prison. He emerged as a fiery Nation of Islam minister. His messages of black empowerment and self-sufficiency made him an icon to blacks and others worldwide.
In 1964, he split from the Nation of Islam, and after an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca where he worshiped alongside Muslims of all colors, he renounced racial separatism. His new direction angered some black Muslims -- and led to his murder during a speech at the Audubon Ballroom.
