February 1965

Malcolm X was shot 21 times while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. His death at 39 cut short his evolution toward pan-African internationalism. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, completed with Alex Haley, was published later that year.

John Coltrane released A Love Supreme in February 1965, a four-part suite dedicated to God that is widely considered the greatest jazz album ever recorded and one of the most important albums in all of American music. The album has sold over one million copies — extraordinary for a jazz record — and influenced musicians across every genre. Coltrane's spiritual and technical mastery on the album represented the apex of his artistic vision.

Actor-playwright Ossie Davis delivered the funeral eulogy for Malcolm X at Faith Temple Church of God in Christ, calling him 'our manhood, our living Black manhood.' The eulogy — 'Ossie Davis on Malcolm X' — became a classic text of Black self-respect. Davis and wife Ruby Dee's artistic and activist work shaped the culture of Black New York throughout the decade.

Actor-playwright Ossie Davis called Malcolm X 'our manhood, our living Black manhood' in a eulogy that became a classic text of Black dignity and self-respect.