The question on whether there was a conspiracy behind Malcolm X’s murder really will depend on what the viewer thinks. The educated, the ignorant, and the impartial viewer will decide that he was or wasn’t assassinated within his inner circle of confidants. But for me, there’s really not enough proof that can point to either direction, so we’re basically watching two hours of assumptions and theories, and the viewer will think what they want to think. But it’s not hard to believe that Malcolm X could have been murdered by someone within his inner circle or from an outside source.
John Lennon was deported, Abbie Hoffman was harassed, and it’s not difficult to think Malcolm X’s murder was anything but an isolated incident. “Brother Minister” is not only an examination behind the murder of Malcolm X, but also a scrutinizing of the origins and methods of the Nation of Islam from its formation to its inevitable association with radical Malcolm X, and then, with a slow progression, makes the connection of X’s death to Islam. The result of said assassination would lead to a chain of events rocking the religious community of Islam pinning the death on three men, the FBI, and forcing its followers to re-examine their beliefs. After an off-color remark by Louis Farrakhan during a speech, “Brother Minister” decides to explore the issues behind the alliance of the activist, and the religious denomination.
Ultimately, the coalition between outspoken man and oppressive religious regime would lead to the inevitable battles of words, as Malcolm would become a loyal follower, then a pariah intent on keeping his beliefs in spite of the fact that Islam felt it necessary to strip him of them. Malcolm, being the usual activist, would not be quieted by his religious committee, and that would lead to the assertion that Islam would do whatever possible to keep him quiet. Malcolm was a poetic man who, in many ways, became both a larger entity of the religion, and a more popular poster boy for his beliefs, and Islam would begrudge him for it.
Sadly though, there’s never really any rock solid proof beyond interviews with witnesses who’d hear hints of how to deal with Malcolm, which becomes about as earth-shattering as the hints given by the president during the moon landing conspiracy, but the surefire after effects really become as tragic as the death of a leader like Malcolm X. Yet, there’s always that doubt that perhaps the hypocritical religion built around freedom that attempted to silence a potentially dangerous follower, had a hand in Malcolm X’s murder due to the lack of protection during Malcolm X’s speech the day of his death, and the shady events leading up to his eventual shooting. “Brother Minister” is both an in-depth powerful examination of the conspiracy behind Malcolm X’s murder, and the fated self-destruction of a religion.
To be concise if indeed the Nation of Islam would be considered a repressive regime or a radical response to the HELL that Black folk still live in, let those who do have this though remember the major contribution of the philosophy of the Nation of Islam is that it gave Black people an alternative identity. This identity gave Black people a different sense of self and therefore potential and possibilities. The philosophy of the Nation of Islam also stressed morals related to respect for women, anti drug and alcohol use, becoming educated and making a contribution to the world community. The philosophy was also popular for some Black people because it stressed unity for Black people world wide and called a spade a spade when it came to the Black Experience in what remains THE WILDERNESS OF NORTH AMERICA.