Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin and the Massachusetts Historical Commission have added the childhood home of Malcolm X to the National Registry of Historic Places. According to Galvin, it is the only residence that remains from the civil rights icon's time in the Boston area. While in Boston, he went by the name Malcolm Little. He lived with his half-sister Ella Little-Collins and spent time exploring the city. Unfortunately, he was arrested in the city of Boston and charged with larceny. Fortunately, his time in prison led him to the Nation of Islam and his historic civil-rights career.
Malcolm X's nephew, Rondell, said that the family hopes to open up the house to the public. He believes the home can be split into a museum and housing for graduate students studying Black history. As a result of the house's recent designation, the family will have access to tax incentives and funding that will help them achieve their goals.
“The property also has associations with the development of Roxbury as a streetcar suburb of Boston and later as a prominent black neighborhood, and also holds the potential to reveal additional information in the future,” the Massachusetts Historical Commission stated in a recent meeting.
“Recently, it has been the subject of archaeological investigations by the City of Boston Archaeology Program that found evidence of the late 18th and early 19th-century farmstead that had been here prior to the construction of this house in 1865."
News of the designation falls directly after more information was revealed regarding the assassination of Malcolm X. The civil rights leader's family recently obtained a letter that was allegedly written by former New York Police Department Officer Ray Wood. While on his death bed, Wood reportedly implicated the NYPD and FBI in Malcolm X's designation. Specifically, he allegedly wrote that he intentionally drew security away from the door of the Audobon Ballroom on the day that Malcolm X was killed. Members of Wood's family have disputed the veracity of the letter. Meanwhile, attorney Ben Crump and Malcolm X's family are reportedly sorting through legal options that they may take. The NYPD has stated that they take these allegations seriously and will assist in any way they can. However, the FBI has not issued a statement regarding the matter.
Photo Credit: Getty Images