Malcolm X, the famous civil rights activist, was assassinated exactly 58 years ago on Tuesday. His daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, plans to sue the FBI, CIA, and the New York City police for $100 million in damages.
Shabazz accuses the agencies of lying to hide evidence and conspiring to assassinate her father.
She spoke at a news conference at the site of her father's murder, which now serves as a memorial to Malcolm X.
The family has been fighting for the truth to come to light for years.
Malcolm X rose to prominence as the national leader of the African-American Muslim group Nation of Islam, which advocated for black independence.
However, in 1964, he left the group and changed some of his views on racial separation, leading to death threats from Nation of Islam members.
On February 21, 1965, as he prepared to speak at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, three gunmen shot him on stage, killing him at the age of 39. Ilyasah Shabazz was only two years old at the time and was present with her mother and sisters.
After Malcolm X's assassination, people who knew him claimed that several government agencies knew about the plan to kill him but did nothing to stop it.
Talmadge Hayer, a member of the Nation of Islam, admitted in court that he was one of the assassins.
However, in 2021, a judge in New York overturned the convictions of two other men who had been wrongly jailed for decades for the murder.
The district attorney's office found that evidence was withheld that would have likely led to their acquittal.
Before filing a lawsuit in New York, a notice of claims must be sent to certain government agencies. The NYPD declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit, and the FBI and CIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The family hopes that the lawsuit will bring to light the truth about the assassination and provide justice for Malcolm X.