Malcolm X Parade and street festival

The December 12th Movement marked Malcolm X’s 101st birthday in Harlem on May 19 with its annual “Shut ’Em Down” commemoration, according to New York Amsterdam News and Harlem World Magazine. The event centered on a march along West 125th Street in Central Harlem, where participants gathered for a public remembrance tied to Malcolm X Day. Photo agency captions published after the event described marchers moving between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Malcolm X Boulevard and calling on businesses to close in observance. The street action unfolded alongside separate anniversary programming at The Shabazz Center, which promoted a two-day “Malcolm X at 101” tribute. ### Where did the Harlem march actually take place? West 125th Street was the clearest verified location for the public commemoration on May 19. Alamy photo captions from the event said participants marched in Harlem between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Malcolm X Boulevard during a Malcolm X birthday procession. (amsterdamnews.com) Harlem World Magazine, previewing the event on May 16, said the annual Malcolm X Day commemoration would again be anchored by the “Shut ’Em Down” demonstration along 125th Street. New York Amsterdam News also reported that the December 12th Movement was planning its annual rally in Harlem in honor of Malcolm X’s birthday on May 19. (alamy.com) ### Who organized the street commemoration? The December 12th Movement was identified by both Harlem World Magazine and Amsterdam News as the organizer of the annual Harlem observance. Harlem World described the event as a day of rallies, reflection and protest linked to Malcolm X Day, while Amsterdam News referred to the group’s annual “Shut Em Down” rally in Harlem. (harlemworldmagazine.com) The 2026 march fits a long-running pattern of Malcolm X birthday observances in Harlem, though the available reporting reviewed here did not provide an official city permit notice naming the event in the same detail as the media previews. New York City’s Department of Transportation said its weekly advisories cover special events and street closings and that routes and times are subject to change. (harlemworldmagazine.com) ### Was there a street festival, or mainly a march? The verified reporting points most clearly to a march and rally on 125th Street rather than a separately documented city-permitted street fair. The user’s prompt referred to a parade and street festival, but the sources surfaced in this review consistently described a commemoration, rally, demonstration or procession. (nyc.gov) The closest related festival-style programming came from The Shabazz Center’s “Malcolm X at 101 Annual Tribute Celebration.” Harlem One Stop listed that event as a two-day celebration beginning Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., with a book launch by Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, a fireside chat, dinner, live performances, speakers and awards. Tickets on the listing started at $55.20. (harlemworldmagazine.com) ### What did participants do during the commemoration? Marchers on May 19 moved through Central Harlem carrying Malcolm X’s birthday observance into the commercial corridor on 125th Street. Alamy’s event captions said participants chanted calls for Black power and urged businesses along the route to close in observance. (harlemonestop.com) Harlem World’s preview described the day as combining remembrance and protest, and Amsterdam News framed it as part of Harlem’s annual birthday celebration for Malcolm X. Those accounts did not provide an official crowd estimate, and no police or city attendance figure surfaced in the reporting reviewed here. (alamy.com) ### What else was scheduled around the anniversary? The Shabazz Center’s tribute expanded the commemoration beyond the street march. Harlem One Stop said the program included the launch of “Malcolm in the Desert” by Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz and a community gathering focused on Malcolm X’s life and legacy. A separate remembrance was also scheduled in Washington Heights. (harlemworldmagazine.com) Alamy’s caption said a “101st Celebration of Life” was set for Broadway between 165th and 166th streets as part of a day of remembrance across upper Manhattan. (harlemonestop.com) ### What should readers rely on if they want the next step? The most concrete next listing was The Shabazz Center program that began on May 19 at 5:30 p.m., according to Harlem One Stop. For route changes or street impacts tied to future commemorations, New York City directs residents to its Department of Transportation traffic advisories and closures information, which it says are updated weekly and remain subject to change. (alamy.com) (harlemonestop.com)