Malcolm X ‘s Daughter Malikah Shabazz Found Dead at 56

Malikah Shabazz (Instagram)

The youngest daughter of late civil rights leader Malcolm X was found dead on Monday in her Brooklyn, New York home. 

Malikah Shabazz, 56, was found unconscious by her daughter, the New York Police Department told CNN. At this time, police believe she passed away from natural causes. 

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When Malcolm X was killed, he left behind wife Dr. Betty Shabazz and six daughters. Malikah Shabazz has a twin sister, Malaak. They were born a few months after Malcolm X died.

Malikah’s death came just days after two men were exonerated in Malcolm X’s 1965 assassination.

The 2020 Netflix documentary series Who Killed Malcolm X? helped spur a re-opening of the case. On Nov. 17, 2021, the convictions of Muhammad A. Aziz and Khalil Islam were thrown out after the men decades in prison.

The Who Killed Malcolm X filmmakers told The Wrap after looking at documents more closely, they wrote a petition to have Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. re-open the case.

“And it was at that point, we said: ‘You know what, there’s this thing called the Conviction Integrity Unit at the Manhattan DA office. Let’s file a letter of petition to have them re-investigate this crime. And sure enough, they did,” series director and producer Phil Bertelsen said.