At a hearing in federal court November 22, U.S. District court judge Laura Taylor Swaim extended the temporary restraining order issued against Third World Press, indefinitely barring sales of its much anticipated release of the Diary of Malcolm X. Heirs of the black activist are in a dispute over who has the right to authorize the publication of the diary.
The Associated Press reported that judge Swain extended the TRO barring the sale of the book until the case can be heard in early 2014. Third World Press planned to release the book in November 2013 but X Legacy LLC, a corporation formed by the heirs of Malcolm X, said to be two of his four daughters, filed suit to prevent its publication claiming Third World Press does not have the rights.
The Diary of Malcolm X chronicles Malcolm X’s travels in Africa in 1964 and is considered an invaluable historical document. The book is co-edited by journalist Herb Boyd and Malcolm X’s third daughter, Ilyasah Al-Shabazz. Third World Press claims it has a valid contract signed by Ilyasah Al-Shabazz to publish the book. X Legacy disputes that claim and said it plans to publish its own version of the diary in 2015 to mark the 50th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination in 1965.
