A Tribute to Malcolm X was made for the groundbreaking television series Black Journal to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the civil rights leader's assassination. Anderson combines archival footage of interviews and speeches by Malcolm X with an interview with his widow, Betty Shabazz, who talks about her husband’s formative years and his later efforts to change the focus of the movement from civil rights to human rights by aligning the struggle of African Americans with those of oppressed peoples around the world. The film closes with Malcolm X’s riveting speech to students in Selma, Alabama.