February 21
Malcolm X Assassinated
On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was shot and killed at age 39 while addressing the Organization of Afro-American Unity in Manhattan. Born Malcolm Little, he became one of the most significant voices in the struggle for Black liberation, advocating for self-determination and Black pride. His autobiography, published posthumously, remains a seminal work of American literature.
John Lewis Born
Born February 21, 1940, John Lewis was one of the original Freedom Riders and spoke at the 1963 March on Washington. He was beaten on Bloody Sunday in Selma and served in Congress for 33 years.
Barbara Jordan Born
Born February 21, 1936, Barbara Jordan became the first Southern African American elected to Congress since Reconstruction. Her keynote speech at the 1976 Democratic National Convention and her Watergate testimony made her a national figure.
Nina Simone Born
Born February 21, 1933, Eunice Kathleen Waymon (Nina Simone) became a powerful voice for the civil rights movement. Her song "Mississippi Goddam" was a fierce response to the 1963 Birmingham church bombing and the murder of Medgar Evers. Her music blended classical, jazz, blues, and gospel.
Claudia Jones Born
Born February 21, 1915, Claudia Jones was a journalist, activist, and communist who was deported from the United States during the McCarthy era. In London, she organized the Caribbean Carnival in 1959, which evolved into the Notting Hill Carnival, the largest street festival in Europe.
Death of Malcolm X
Civil rights leader Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City.