It started in the summer of 2001 when I read a news report about 16-year-old Malcolm Shabazz. Four years earlier he had set the fire that resulted in the death of his grandmother and Malcolm X's widow, Betty Shabazz. Now, like so many other young black men caught up in our criminal justice system, he was tied to rumors of petty crimes, gang affiliations, delayed prison releases and escapes. I wanted to know, Who is this young man? What had happened to him? How did he start his life over? Did he look like his grandfather?                                   

Starting today, GIANT Magazine’s sister site, NewsOne.com will feature  exclusive photo, video and text excerpts from the autobiography of Malcolm Shabazz.  In the NewsOne.com photo gallery, watch young Malcolm recreate some of his grandfather’s most iconic images—captured, ironically, on the 43rd anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination.  (You can see their likeness in young Malcolm’s eyes, his jawbone, his smile, but mostly, in his quiet charisma.)

Throughout April, NewsOne.com coverage will include exclusive video outtakes of that photo shoot, a behind the scenes blog with journalist Aliya S. King (who, over a six month reporting period, befriended the grandson of her namesake) and hopefully, commentary from you, our readers. 

There is an eerie parallel between the experience of the deeply troubled grandchild of a great icon and the lives of young black men in America.  As a journalist who has always wanted to tell our stories using the multimedia power of the Internet, I can’t imagine a better way to debut www.NewsOne.com.