The Malcolm X Shabazz High School girls' basketball team won back-to-back county finals at the Essex County College Tournament.
Before 2,000 fans, sophomore Aliyyah Handford gave the Lady Bulldogs 11 points. She also had key baskets in the game along with five rebounds. Seton Hall bound Ka-Deidre Simmons had 12 points and Desiree Simmons had a game high with 17 points. The game MVP was Alyesha Lovett who had 11 points, five rebounds and two assists to go with a blocked shot and three steals.
The 55-40 victory over Columbia High was the school's 13th championship under the leadership of head coach Vanessa Watson. Leading Columbia was Gabby Jackson with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Brianna Thomas had 11 points.
After the game, Watson said she was proud of her team for a job well done. Senior point guard Ka-Deidre Simmons said she was proud of the victory and the team took care of business by winning.
In the boys' finals, University High defeated Seton Hall Prep 67-57. The Phoenix got 14 points from Derrick Hunter, while Sahid Dortch hit four three-pointers in the game and ended with 16 points. Seton Hall Prep was led by Sterling Gibbs with 22 points and John Caprio had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
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Three men were convicted of the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X: Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson. At first Hayer denied any involvement, but during the trial he confessed to having fired shots at Malcolm X. He testified that Butler and Johnson were not present and were not involved in the shooting but he declined to name the men who had joined him in the shooting. Nonetheless, all three men were convicted.
In 1977 and 1978, Hayer submitted two sworn affidavits re-asserting his claim that Butler and Johnson were not involved in the assassination. In his affidavits Hayer named four men, all members of the Nation of Islam's Newark, New Jersey, Temple Number 25, as having participated with him in the crime. Hayer asserted that a man he knew as "Wilbur" or "Kinly", later identified as Wilbur McKinley, shouted and threw a smoke bomb to create a diversion. Hayer said that a man named "Willie", later identified as William Bradley, had a shotgun and was the first to fire on Malcolm X after the diversion. Hayer asserted that he and a man named "Lee" or "Leon", later identified as Leon David, both armed with pistols, fired on Malcolm X immediately after the shotgun blast. Hayer also said that a man named "Ben", later identified as Benjamin Thomas, was involved in the conspiracy. Hayer's statements failed to convince authorities to reopen their investigation of the murder.
Butler, now known as Muhammad Abdul Aziz, was paroled in 1985. He became the head of the Nation of Islam's Harlem mosque in New York in 1998. He continues to maintain his innocence. Johnson, now known as Khalil Islam, was released from prison in 1987. During his time in prison, he rejected the teachings of the Nation of Islam and converted to Sunni Islam. He, too, maintains his innocence. Hayer, now known as Mujahid Halim, was paroled in 1993.
As of 1993, William Bradley was in prison on a charge unrelated to the assassination of Malcolm X. Benjamin Thomas died in 1986. As of 1989, Leon David was reported to be living in Paterson, New Jersey. Little is known about McKinley, and one researcher has concluded that he is dead....
~ WIKIPEDIA
4 March 2010