The Malcolm X
and Dr. Betty Shabazz
Memorial and Education Center
New York, NY

The Audubon Ballroom is the site of the assassination of Malcolm X, one the defining leaders of the civil rights era. Housed in the painstakingly restored Ballroom, the memorial center elucidates the lives and legacies of Malcolm X and his wife Dr. Betty Shabazz with archival materials and multimedia presentations. Additional flexible spaces accommodate changing exhibits and public functions. A meditation room invites visitors to reflect on Dr. Shabazz’s own religious sojourn.

Davis Brody Bond was heavily involved in every aspect of the Center’s genesis, from building institutional and community interest and support to performing technical analysis for the architectural renovations to designing the exhibit armatures and consulting on their content. The last aspect demanded extensive research and balanced assessment of conflicting accounts of the fascinating and contentious life of Malcolm X and his role in the profound cultural shifts of post-war America.

The Malcolm X Center is part of Davis Brody Bond’s master plan for the Audubon Research and Technology Park and adds a significant, site-specific cultural component to the primarily academic and commercial program.

Malcolm X Center photography by Albert Vecerka; Audubon Ballroom photography by Peter Aaron / ESTO