When Alex Haley’s estate was auctioned off to pay debts, a great deal of items related to his research for The Autobiography of Malcolm X were also sold. From hand written letters by Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad and Betty Shabbazz to three chapters that were left out of the autobiography. The chapters were sold for just over $21,000 and purchased by entertainment attorney, Gregory Reed.

These three chapters—from what Time Magazine named one of the most important nonfiction books of the 20^th Century— will appear in the latest edition of the book. Additionally, one of Malcolm’s daughters Ilyasah Shabazz (pictured after the break) has agreed to write a new foreword for this edition of the book. The omitted chapters will be revealed at a ceremony commemorating Malcolm’s 85^thbirthday, May 19^th at the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial & Education Center in New York.

Malcolm X remains a complex and defining visionary in the scope of history. The buying and selling of the icons personal items could be seen as an attempt to grasp the man behind the myth, but maybe it should serve as a cautionary tale for us all. As Malcolm said, “History is a people’s memory…” so we’d do well not to lose ours.—ADISA VERA BEATTY

TAGS: Adisa Vera Beatty, Alex Haley, Betty Shabbazz, Elijah Muhammad, Ilyasah Shabazz, MALCOLM X, Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial & Education Center, New York, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Time Magazine