After 44 years in prison, the only man to have admitted his participation in the assassination of Malcolm X was released from a New York correctional facility on Tuesday. Thomas Hagan, now 69 years old, told the facility’s parole board that he is remorseful for his role in the killing of the iconic Civil Rights leader.
“I have deep regrets about my participation in that,” said Hagan, whose sentence was changed to weekends in jail in 1992 so that he could work to support his family. “I don’t think it should ever have happened.” Two others were charged with the murder of Malcolm X in 1966, but were freed in 1985 and 1987 respectively.
“I personally find it strange that for a couple decades any person convicted in the assassination of such an iconic figure would be allowed such leniency,” said Zead Ramadan, Board Chairman of the Malcolm X & Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. “It’s really a struggle for Muslims to contemplate this issue, because our faith and our religion is full of examples where we have to exert mercy…Only God knows why this was allowed to happen.”
In March, Hagan, who was 22 at the time of X’s death, told the parole board that his anger towards Malcolm X emerged after his infamous departure from the Nation of Islam. “It stemmed from a break off and confusion in the leadership,” Hagan explained. “Malcolm X broke with the Nation of Islam, separated from the Nation of Islam, and in doing so there was controversy as to some of the statements he was making about the leader [Elijah Muhammad].”
Hagan admitted that, after much time and new information, he now believes many of the things X was trying to warn Nation of Islam members about. Since the assassination, he has also parted with the NOI, and has begun to follow orthodox Islam. Having earned a master’s degree in sociology while incarcerated, Hagan said his main focus is to “maintain my family and to try to make things a little better for them.”
More information on Hagan’s role in the Malcolm X assassination at CNN.com.
LOL Everyone comments on bullshit articles concerning nothing, but no drops are left for this story that is about the death one of the great black leaders. SMH
All I can say to that is, I’m shaking my head with you. Damn shame people.
I dont understand the weekends sentence at all. who gets to leave jail to work?
and if this resulted in the death of someone, why did they get such short sentences? and why did the one who admitted his role get the longest sentence?
Shown some leniency for assassinating someone like malcom x, someone trying to help his community at a desperate time. Basicaly this guy’s been free 18 years. But that would have been a 46 year bid.
Basically malcom taught the nation of islam all they knew and how they moved. and recognised much of the methods they were using to terrorze him and his family were not his own methods, but of the American governments, so all this is not a surprise as the system is also owned by them .And the fact that Malcom was to sue the American Government via united nations for human rights violations was a prolem for an organization like the FBI, which in no doubt is behind this guy who killed Malcom
as muslims we sould forgive but i do not understand why the system that is so strict on sentancing murderes is so lineant on the killers of Malcom x.we all know the reason why the system do not give a fuck about our Black heros and Black people.
Exactly. HHDX needs to throw this on that front page instead of bullshit like Kat Staks (or however you spell her name).
This is like letting James Earl Ray go but niggaz won’t care because Malcom X is “an old school nigga”.
I’m reading The Autobiographie at the moment. Malcolm X on of the greatest I’ve ever heard from. A sad example for “only the good die young”.
Str8 Bullshit……..iTs truly pathetic for “the system” to release ANY of the participant in th emurder of our SUPER HERO!! I am in shock that the devil has let the brothers go after doing their work for them. Str8 up a slap in our face. I look at it like this, the God Malik El Hajj sacrificed his life for us and the least we can do is foever keep his name alive and continue on obtaining true knowledge of self…………1 BROOKLYN!!!
Unfortunately his sacrifice did not lead to you getting a good education. Str8 foever!
So if it wasn’t Malcom X he murdered, would he deserve the same punishment you’re suggesting?
The comments here are true – lest we forget if it wasn’t for people like Malcolm X speaking out, where would have the roots of Hip Hop come from ??
chew on that
Click name
aight, here we go again, pseudo-political knowledge is dropped by our 15-year old hiphop listeners…no one here knows about malcolm x anything relevant but that he had been a “black leader” and muslim…that he was an extremist and fullfilled with hate for white people seems to be okay for you stupid, uneducated dudes, but whatever…
i got a word or two for that muthafucka if i see him in Harlem! Fuck Thomas Hagan for killing Malcolm…..no mercy should have been shown
NIGGA DID HIS TIME SHOULD BE ALLOWED OUT REAL TALK
Ur a fucking idiot. Forget Malcom X, what if it was your mom, family, best friend, etc?
It’s murder. Murders, rapist, & child molesters should not be allowed to walk for any reason.
Take a life, lose your freedom FOREVER.
You young niggas are too blind nowadays.
The problem is this fella was imprisoned but allowed free. Unheared of” ain’t that a bitch. What type of message are you trying to send out to the world, that black justice doen’t exis, especially theset in the case of freedom fighters/Political activists
u r the most ignorant nigga on the net…real talk
Or more like the most ignorant niggas on the internet are those who keep the ancient theories ex. eye for an eye. This man served his time- and they believed him to be rehabilitated. The law is “supposed” to be about equality no matter if he murdered a normal person, or the president. Are you suggesting that Malcom X’s life was worth more than a normal civilian(Not that he himself wasn’t great if anything)?
How the fuck is this real talk?
If a motherfucker killed Rush Limbaugh tomorrow, will that person ever get freed for killin that faggot? Im not comparing the greatness of Malcolm to this devil Limbaugh. But it’s obvious that the assasination of our last real hero means nothing to White America. Did the parole board actually think he was rehabilitated and ready to reenter society? I’m prety sure Malcolm wasn’t the only person he killed either. That nigga was a killer way before he bodied Malcolm.
Yet, you sadly have no proof of him being a murderer prior to killing Malcom X, so why don’t you accept the fact that they deemed him rehabilitated after 45 years of confinement.
IM FREE IM FREE YAY!!!!
Mr. X was real unlike the majority of washed up black people who converted their beliefs, religion, and tradition/culture. That’s why there is only 16 comments since they tend to forget where they came from. This isn’t hate but philosphical. A brown man like myself enjoy watching Gandhi and Malcom X. word up
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check out my music thx
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yall know his killer was black right? so yall cant really bring racism into this arguement
What are you talking about? Just because Thomas Hagan is black doesn’t mean there wasn’t racial injustice involved.
I hate having to explain shit like this to people.
There were black devisions in the FBI who went undercover with an intent to infiltrate the NOI and other black movements at the time, and this has nothing to do with race?
it had everything to do with race
you aint too bright…
Ahmen thank you man. Mother fuckers are so god damn stupid, always talking shit when they dont know shit.
Anyone else notice the guy’s name is Tom Hagen… like Tom Hagen from the Godfather
weekends in jail? never heard of that
Rap music durin’ Bush Senior’z tenure – AKA da Goldern-Era – may have been didactic, but 4 brotherz like myself who weren’t academically inclined, hearin’ about our great leaderz on wax waz valuable. There waz a sense of black pride in da late ’80z early ’90z mainly due 2 da erudite lyrics of PE, KRS, Brand Nubian, Paris, X-Clan etc. That iz what’z so disheartenin’ about moden rap acts like Soljah Boy and 50 Cent, their vacuous lyrics R uninspirin’ and R more likely 2 namecheck Kim Kardashian than Malcolm or Huey P Newton. It all remindz me of Chris Rock’z “Niggaz Vs. Black People” sketch.
It’s a very good job on DX for this artical.. it’s allowed us to speak on some real shit…Malcom X is the seed that birthed Hip Hop!!!
Malcolm X’s autobiography is a pretty interesting Book.
what te fuck? u can get a masters while in prison? what kind a bullshit is that?
also how u do prison on the weekend? on the weekend!!!?
well u know if it was a public figure that white folks liked better he woulda been in there for life no queston… but either way, good to hear the brother’s Muslim. may Allah forgive him.
Was Malcolm X relatives with DMX ???
Or Mia X
I believe anyone who kills anyone should got to prison for life (meaning no parol, probation, house arrest I DONT CARE) It doesnt matter if its Malcom X, Obama, or even a homeless person. Even if it was a homeless person they could (eventually) change thier life around and become the greatest president of the USA ever.
Fuck The Nation of Lambs
Weekends in prison, A Degree & a couple of hundred G’s from Us Goverment
I wish there was some real people/leaders left, so i could kill them………………….
NOI= Fake Muslims & Fake Niggas
i can’t believe that sick shit! how the fuck they gonna let that trifling ass nigga walk the streets after he murdered such an innocent man in front of his family. that’s some pitiful ish right there!