It was pouring rain in Harlem. September 19, 1960. Most of the world was looking at midtown Manhattan, where the United Nations was getting ready for its 15th General Assembly. But the real story was happening miles uptown. Malcolm X and Fidel Castro were about to meet in a cramped hotel room, and the U.S. State Department was absolutely losing its mind over it.
You've probably seen the photo. Two young, bearded revolutionaries leaning in, smiling. It looks cool on a t-shirt, but the actual meeting was a calculated middle finger to the American establishment.
Why Castro ended up in Harlem
Castro didn't go to Harlem because he loved the nightlife. He went because he was kicked out of midtown.
The Cuban delegation had originally checked into the Hotel Shelburne near the UN. The management there was less than welcoming. They demanded a $20,000 cash deposit for "damages," basically accusing the Cubans of being savages before they’d even unpacked their bags. Rumors (mostly fake) flew around that the Cubans were plucking chickens in their rooms.
Fidel was furious. He threatened to sleep in tents on the UN lawn. Honestly, he probably would have done it just for the optics.
That’s when Malcolm X stepped in. As a leader in the Nation of Islam and a key member of the Harlem Welcoming Committee, he saw an opportunity. He sent word to the Cubans: Come uptown. We have a place for you.
They chose the Hotel Theresa. At the time, it was the "Waldorf of Harlem," one of the few luxury hotels that actually allowed Black guests. By moving there, Castro wasn't just finding a bed; he was making a massive political statement. He was telling the world that while "downtown" America rejected him, "uptown" America—the oppressed, the Black, the marginalized—embraced him.
Inside the room: September 19, 1960
The meeting happened around midnight. The atmosphere was chaotic.
🔗 Read more: Elecciones en Honduras 2025: ¿Quién va ganando realmente según los últimos datos?
Imagine a tiny suite on the ninth floor. It’s packed with Cuban guerrillas in olive-green fatigues, security guards, and a few lucky journalists. Only the Black press was allowed in—reporters from the Amsterdam News and the New York Citizen-Call. The "white" mainstream media was stuck outside in the rain, which Malcolm likely found hilarious.
Malcolm walked in with his aides. When he met Castro, he said something that perfectly captured the vibe:
"Downtown for you it was ice. Uptown it is warm."
Castro smiled. "Aahh yes," he replied. "We feel very warm here."
They talked through an interpreter for about 30 minutes. They didn't discuss grand military strategy or nuclear secrets. They talked about national liberation and self-determination. Malcolm explained that there were twenty million Black people in America and they "always understand" the struggle against oppression.
Malcolm later told the press that Castro had taken a more open stand for civil rights for Black Cubans than President Eisenhower had for Black Americans. It was a stinging critique. To Malcolm, Castro was a man who had actually done something—he’d overthrown a U.S.-backed dictator.
The psychological coup
Malcolm X called this a "psychological coup." He was right.
💡 You might also like: Trump Approval Rating State Map: Why the Red-Blue Divide is Moving
By hosting Castro, Harlem became the center of the diplomatic world for a week. Suddenly, the most powerful men on earth had to travel to 125th Street.
- Nikita Khrushchev (the Soviet leader) came by.
- Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt showed up.
- Jawaharlal Nehru of India made the trip.
It was like an informal "Bandung Conference" in the middle of New York City. For the people living in Harlem, seeing these global icons walking their streets was transformative. It linked their local struggle for civil rights to the global struggle against colonialism.
What people get wrong
A lot of people think Malcolm X and Fidel Castro were best friends. They weren't.
They met once. Briefly. In fact, Malcolm was still a minister for the Nation of Islam at the time, which meant he was technically supposed to stay out of "worldly" politics. He needed Elijah Muhammad’s permission to even be on that committee.
Also, it's a mistake to think this was purely about communism. For Malcolm, it was about solidarity. He didn't care if Castro was a Marxist; he cared that Castro was an enemy of the system that was oppressing Black people in the U.S.
"As long as Uncle Sam is against you," Malcolm reportedly told Castro, "you know you are a good man."
The fallout
The U.S. government was terrified of this alliance. They saw it as the ultimate "Red Scare" meeting a "Black Scare."
📖 Related: Ukraine War Map May 2025: Why the Frontlines Aren't Moving Like You Think
The FBI intensified its surveillance on both men immediately after. For the State Department, the Hotel Theresa incident was a humiliation. They had tried to isolate Castro and instead gave him a platform in the heart of Black America.
Why it still matters in 2026
This meeting wasn't just a historical footnote. It set the stage for Malcolm's later years when he moved toward a more internationalist perspective. After he left the Nation of Islam, his views on global revolution became even sharper.
It also cemented Cuba’s relationship with Black liberation movements. Later, Cuba would provide asylum to figures like Assata Shakur and support independence movements across Africa. It all traces back to that rainy night in 1960.
Lessons from the Hotel Theresa
If you're looking for the "so what" of this story, it’s about the power of narrative.
- Alliances are where you find them. Malcolm didn't wait for permission to engage in diplomacy. He saw a shared interest and acted on it.
- Space is political. By moving the Cuban delegation to Harlem, they changed the geography of power in New York.
- Propaganda has limits. As Malcolm told Castro, "We in Harlem are not addicted to all the propaganda the U.S. government puts out."
The meeting between Malcolm X and Fidel Castro remains a masterclass in political theater and genuine radical solidarity. It showed that the "underdogs" of the world could find common ground, even if they spoke different languages and came from different worlds.
To really understand this era, you should look into the memoirs of the journalists who were actually in the room, like Ralph D. Matthews. Their firsthand accounts show a level of mutual respect that goes way beyond the grainy photographs.
If you want to understand the modern links between international politics and social justice, this 1960 meeting is the blueprint. It proves that a small room in a hotel can sometimes be more important than the halls of the United Nations.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Read "Fidel & Malcolm X: Memories of a Meeting" by Rosemari Mealy for the most detailed oral history of the encounter.
- Visit the Hotel Theresa building on 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd in Harlem; though it's now office space, the exterior remains a landmark of this history.
- Research the 1955 Bandung Conference to understand the "Non-Aligned Movement" that influenced both men's worldviews.