REV. AL SHARPTON, FAMILY OF MALCOLM X, INCLUDING ILYASAH SHABAZZ, MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, AND ATTORNEY BEN CRUMPTO GATHER IN HARLEM TO COMMEMORATE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER’S 100TH BIRTHDAY
Press Conference at NAN House of Justice to Serve as Call to Action Amid Ongoing Efforts to Uphold Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Commemorate Malcolm X’s Mission to Challenge Systems
NEW YORK, NY (May 15, 2025) — Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), will welcome Mayor Eric Adams, Attorney Ben Crump, and relatives of Malcolm X, including daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, to the NAN House of Justice on Monday, May 19th to commemorate what would have been the civil rights icon’s 100th birthday. The event comes as NAN continues to challenge systemic issues first elevated by Malcolm X, as it seeks to preserve significant commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion after the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
“Malcolm was taken from us 60 years ago, but his legacy has only grown over that time,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of NAN. “He challenged the systems that prevented many Black Americans from accessing basic services, and fought until his final day for Black empowerment. As we mark 100 years since his birth this Monday, it is crucial we keep the torch he lit alive to ensure Black Americans have their seat at the table, the ability to speak, and the ability to lead.”
“On what would have been Malcolm X’s 100th birthday, we honor a leader who boldly brought the struggle for Black justice in America to the global stage,” said Attorney Ben Crump. “In the final chapter of his life, he made the bold case to the United Nations that the fight for Black justice in America was part of a worldwide movement for dignity and liberation. Today, as we witness attacks on hard-earned progress, we must honor Malcolm’s legacy by continuing his mission here at home and in solidarity with oppressed people around the world.”
In the months before his February 1965 assassination, Malcolm X increasingly focused on economic empowerment for both Black Americans and marginalized communities across the globe. “In fact, the entire economy of the Black community in the States is controlled by someone who doesn’t even live there,” he said in a speech before the London School of Economics just 10 days before his death.
Many barriers to economic justice remain in place today, which is why NAN has sought to hold accountable those who committed to reversing the paradigm after George Floyd’s May 2025 murder. Hundreds of billions of dollars in programing, as well as hiring commitments, were made by the largest corporations in the United State. Yet nearly five years after that killing and those subsequent commitments, few have been realized as corporations now feel pressure from right-wing advocates to shirk those promises.
To that end, NAN has led the charge to preserve DEI. In April, Rev. Sharpton met with the CEO of PepsiCo after warning the company would face a boycott if it did not take steps to restore its DEI pledges. That built on NAN’s year-and-a-half rallying of hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman’s Manhattan office over his crusade against the policies.
Later Monday, the The 100th Birthday Celebration of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm X will be held at the The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center (3940 Broadway New York, NY 10032). For more information, click here.
WHO
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President, NAN
Mayor Eric Adams
Attorney Ben Crump
Ilyasah Shabazz, Daughter of Malcom X
WHEN
Monday, May 19th, 2025
Press call: 11:30 a.m.
Press conference: 12 p.m.
WHERE
NAN House of Justice
106 W 145th Street, at Malcolm X Boulevard
New York, NY 10039
