“Shooting the messenger” is a metaphor used to describe the act of blaming the bearer of bad news for bringing such news to light. If the message was unsuitable for society, the receiver of these messages might have a tendency to blame the messenger for such unpleasant news, taking their aggravation out on the messenger instead of educating themselves on the matter. Unfortunately, this metaphor was very real for the legendary icon Malcolm X, who was shot and killed on February 21st, 1965. Art has to speak to me in order for me to truly admire it, therefore I chose an image which reminded me of what is truly affecting African American society today. “The Deathmakers” by Phillip Lindsay Mason was created on acrylic on canvas in 1968; true to