The Afterlife of Malcolm X’ Explores How His Legacy Continues to Reshape America

Who will still speak your name in fifty years? For Malcolm X, the answer is clear. In The Afterlife of Malcolm X, author Mark Whitaker traces how the civil rights icon's influence only grew after his 1965 assassination. That fateful night at the Audubon Ballroom—where he urged wife Betty Shabazz and their daughters to attend—marked a tragic end, but also the beginning of an evolving legacy. Whitaker explores the complex aftermath: grief, suspicion, and decades of unanswered questions surrounding the murder. Yet the heart of the book lies in how Malcolm’s radical voice, political clarity, and global vision continued to shape generations. This is more than biography—it’s a meditation on memory, power, and what it means to leave a legacy that refuses to fade.