Wikimedia CommonsMalcolm Shabazz, the brilliant but disturbed grandson of Malcolm X.Malcolm Shabazz had a large legacy to live up to. His grandfather, Malcolm X, was one of the most significant and most polarizing figures of the civil rights movement. Though he died long before Shabazz was born, his reputation loomed over the boy from an early age. Indeed, Shabazzs life turned out to be just as controversial as his grandfathers. When he was 12, he intentionally set a fire that led to the death of his grandmother, Betty Shabazz. He spent the next few years in juvenile detention, and he ultimately joined a gang and began dealing drugs.He was later imprisoned for attempted robbery, but upon his release, he seemed to turn his life around. He embarked on a career of activism but it came to a tragic end in 2013.That May, he was traveling through Mexico to draw attention to the rights of Mexican construction workers in the United States. While in Mexico City, he was brutally beaten by waiters after a dispute over a bill. Malcolm Shabazz died at just 28, bringing an end to his dreams of redemption.The Turbulent Early Life Of Malcolm ShabazzMalcolm Shabazz was born on Oct. 8, 1984, to Qubilah Shabazz, one of the daughters of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. His life was turbulent from the very beginning. His father wasnt around, and Qubilah never truly settled down, moving young Malcolm from Paris to Los Angeles to New York City. According to The New York Times, three-year-old Shabazz once set fire to his shoes an eerie omen of what was to come.In 1997, 12-year-old Malcolm was sent to live with his grandmother Betty in New York City after he allegedly physically attacked his mother. Despite their disagreements, he was desperate to return to Qubilah, so he began lashing out.John Mathew Smith/Wikimedia CommonsBetty Shabazz, the wife of Malcolm X and grandmother of Malcolm Shabazz.I start acting up, Shabazz told The New York Times in 2003. Being bad, doing anything to get them to send me back to my mother. And nothings working. Then I get the idea to set the fire. On June 1, 1997, he deliberately started a fire in Bettys apartment. She suffered burns to 80 percent of her body and died three weeks later at age 62. I didnt think the whole thing through thoroughly, Malcolm Shabazz later recalled, but she didnt have to run through that fire. There was another way out of the house from her room. I guess what she thought was I was stuck, and she had to run out and get me I did not picture that happening, that she would do that.Francis Specker / Alamy Stock PhotoYoung Malcolm Shabazz at his arraignment in 1997.Shabazz pleaded guilty to manslaughter and arson, and he was sentenced to 18 months in juvenile detention. While incarcerated, the weight of what hed done truly hit him. He would talk to his dead grandmother while sitting in his room, begging for a sign that she forgave him.It never came. From Gang Life To ActivismAfter serving his time in juvenile detention, Malcolm Shabazz was transferred to a series of other youth homes where he was mostly free to do what he wanted. I would leave the campus and sell drugs, he recalled in 2003. Shabazz also joined the Bloods at age 14, and he quickly rose through the ranks thanks to his famous lineage. But in January 2002, he was arrested for attempted robbery and sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. Upon his release in 2005, 21-year-old Shabazz racked up several additional charges and spent more time behind bars before deciding to turn his life around. While he still had run-ins with the law for the rest of his life, he began speaking to youth groups about the dangers of drugs and gang life. He made the Hajj to Mecca in 2010. And ultimately, he took up his grandfathers activism.Public DomainMalcolm X speaking at a rally in 1963.In 2010, as reported by Metro Silicon Valley, Shabazz told an interviewer, Like my grandfather, I dont necessarily come from the streets, but I gravitated towards that. But if you look at my life today, its a lot different.The legacy goes on, said Shabazz. They say you can kill the revolutionary, but you cant kill the revolution.Tragically, this would soon prove true not only for Malcolm X but also for Malcolm Shabazz himself.The Murder Of Malcolm ShabazzIn 2013, Shabazz traveled to Mexico to bring attention to construction workers rights. There, he met up with Miguel Surez, a labor activist who had recently been deported from the United States. On the night of May 8, the two men went to a bar in Mexico City near the popular Plaza Garibaldi. They drank around six beers each but when the bill came, it added up to $1,200 in U.S. currency. Shabazz and Surez began arguing with employees about the tab, but the waiters insisted that the amount was correct because theyd also been dancing with women. Unbeknownst to the men, this cost extra much extra.We pretty much got hassled, Surez said, as reported by NPR at the time. A short dude came with a gun.JEDIKNIGHT1970/Wikimedia CommonsMalcolm Shabazz was found beaten in Plaza Garibaldi, a popular tourist location in Mexico City.The employees separated Surez and Shabazz, taking Surez to another room, where he heard a fight break out in the hallway. He managed to escape, but he couldnt find Shabazz. Shortly after, Malcolm Shabazz was found brutally beaten and dumped in the street. His skull, jaw, and ribs had been fractured by a pipe or bat. He was rushed to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries on May 9, 2013. He was just 28 years old.Mexican authorities arrested waiters David Hernndez Cruz, Manuel Alejandro Prez de Jess, and Juan Dircio Guzmn in connection with the murder. They were sentenced to 27 years in prison.However, these convictions were later overturned due to a lack of evidence. When the police investigated the bar, they found that the security cameras were turned toward the walls, and there was no footage of the incident. Restaurant employees claimed that Shabazz had not been beaten but rather had jumped from the roof of the building to avoid paying the bill. Official reports allegedly support this version of events but there have long been claims of corruption and a cover-up.In a statement following Shabazzs death, his family praised his kindness, encouragement, and hope for a better tomorrow.Robert Diaz/FindAGraveThe gravestone of Malcolm Shabazz.While critics saw Malcolm Shabazz as a disturbed young man from a controversial family, he rejected that framing of his life.People often describe me as troubled, he told News One in 2012. Im not going to say that Im not. But Im not crazy. I have troubles. A lot of us do. But you need to understand where Im coming from and why I am the way I am.Considering what Ive been through, Shabazz continued, its a miracle that Ive been able to hold it together. Im just trying to find my way.After reading about the life and death of Malcolm Shabazz, go inside the mystery of who really killed Malcolm X. Then, look through these powerful photos from the civil rights movement.The post Inside The Turbulent Life And Death Of Malcolm Shabazz, The Troubled Grandson Of Malcolm X appeared first on All That's Interesting.