Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Docu about death of Black icon lacks historical context.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Who Killed Malcolm X?
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
WHO KILLED MALCOLM X? Black minister and activist Malcolm X was assassinated while giving a speech in Manhattan's Audobon Ballroom on February 21, 1965. For years, a tour guide and historian named Abdur-Rahman Muhammad has been researching the assassination in the hopes of figuring out what really happened. Who Killed Malcolm X? traces Abdur-Rahman Muhammad's research in an attempt to find the real killers behind Malcolm X's death.
Is It Any Good?
The series ends up as a true crime documentary, rather than a historical one. Malcolm X is a rich, complex, and vital historical figure. Unfortunately, Who Killed Malcolm X? is less interested in the history surrounding its central character and his activism than in the mystery behind his death. And no matter how legitimate Abdur-Rahman Muhammad and the documentarians' research may be, presenting a conspiracy theory in a true crime format is problematic, especially when no alternate viewpoints are shown. All of this makes Who Killed Malcolm X? a missed opportunity on multiple levels.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Malcolm X. Who is Malcolm X? What were his beliefs? Why is he such a popular and enduring historical figure?
What do you know about America in the 1960s? What was happening in the early-to-mid 60s that changed the country? How did Malcolm X fit into that change?
What is known about Malcolm X's murder? What does Abdur-Rahman Muhammad believe happened? How do his theories differ from what is popularly believed to have happened? Why is it so important to know the right version of events?
How does Malcolm X differ from other Black activists across the decades?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 7, 2019
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Educational
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2020
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