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Seven Songs for Malcolm X

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Black History Month 2026 • 52m

Directed by John Akomfrah • Documentary • 1993 • 52 minutes

An homage to the inspirational African-American civil rights leader, SEVEN SONGS FOR MALCOLM X collects testimonies, eyewitness accounts and dramatic reenactments to tell the life, legacy, loves, and losses of Malcolm X.

Featuring interviews with Malcolm's widow Betty Shabazz, Spike Lee, and many other, SEVEN SONGS looks for the meaning behind the resurgence of interest in the man whose X always stood for the unknown.

"What makes SEVEN SONGS so provocative is that Akomfrah shows respect for many different interpretations of Malcolm, suggesting that this revolutionary figure belongs to everybody."—The Chicago Reader

"Combines riveting footage of the man himself, extracts from his writing, recollections of his family, friends and fellow activists... It's all here: Malcolm X's charisma, the struggle to clarify his beliefs, and the context in which they evolved"—Time Out

Tags
african-american studies, akomfrah, american (u.s.) studies, american studies, americas, area studies, audio, biography, black, black history, blackhistory2, civil rights, collective, criminal justice, cultural and ethnic studies, documentary, experimental, expository, film, history, icarus films, john, law and legal studies, malcolm, malcolm x, north american studies, ovid, ovid_ca, s_0005, s_0029, s_0043, s_0279, s_0306, s_0597, s_0642, seven songs for malcolm x, social issues, the, title_nopqrs, title_s, u.s. history, united states, usa, video, world regions, x

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