Malcolm X, Chef Oya and Chasten Buttigieg walk into a newsletter

Last Sunday, people gathered at Riverside Family Center to celebrate Malcolm X on the weekend of his 100th birthday, when the Indianapolis City-County Council proclaimed May 19, 2025, as Malcolm X Day.

We have some photos of the celebration you can see.

More than a handful of times, when I was a tutor with the Vonnegut Youth Writing Center, I worked with Shortridge High School students as they discovered Malcolm X for the first time. I remember editing essays and learning a lot myself.

We mostly used the research database from the Indianapolis Public Library to find sources, photographs and lots of interesting information. This is all free to anyone with a library card!

So even if it's a few days later, you can join in commemorating the 100th birthday of Malcolm X by doing a little research. See what ideas come up for you, and if you want, share them with us!

Get more Indianapolis arts and culture coverage at MirrorIndy.org.