| Denzel Washington | Malcolm X |
| Angela Bassett | Betty Shabazz |
| Albert Hall | Baines |
| Al Freeman Jr | .Elijah Muhammad |
| Delroy Lindo | West Indian Archie |
| Spike Lee | Shorty |
| Theresa Randle | Laura |
| Kate Vernon | Sophia |
| Lonette McKee | Louise Little |
| Tommy Hollis | Earl Little |
| James McDaniel | Brother Earl |
| Ernest Thomas | Sidney |
| Jean-Claude La Marre | Benjamin 2X |
| O.L. Duke | Pete |
| Larry McCoy | Sammy |
| Maurice Sneed | Cadillac |
| Debi Mazar | Peg |
| Phyllis Yvonne Stickney | Honey |
| Scot Anthony Robinson | Daniel |
| Sonny Jim Gaines | Cholly |
| Joe Seneca | Toomer |
| LaTanya Richardson | Lorraine |
| Wendell Pierce | Ben Thomas |
| Michael Guess | William X |
| Leland Gantt | Wilbur Kinley |
| Giancarlo Esposito | Thomas Hayer |
| Leonard L. Thomas | Leon Davis |
| Roger Guenveur Smith | Rudy |
| Craig Wasson | TV Host |
| Graham Brown | Dr. Payson |
| Gerica Cox | Eva Marie |
| Kristan Rai Segure | Saudi |
| Lauren Padick | Lisha |
| Danielle Fletcher | Attalah |
| Robinson Frank Adu | Chuck |
| Aleta Mitchell | Sister Robin |
| Curt Williams | Mr. Cooper |
| John Ottavino | Blades |
| John Reidy | Simmons |
| Frances Foster | Woman Outside Audubon Ballroom |
| Reggie Montgomery | Dick Jones |
| David Patrick Kelly | Mr. Ostrowski |
| Gary L. Catus | Doctor |
| Sharon Washington | Augusta |
| Shirley Stoler | Mrs. Swerlin |
| Oran 'Juice' Jones | Hustler |
| Ricky Gordon | Lionel Hampton |
| George Lee Miles | Preacher |
| Raye Dowell | Sister Evelyn Williams |
| Veronica Webb | Sister Lucille Rosary |
| Abdul Salaam El Razzac | Fox |
| Keith Randolph Smith | Brother Gene |
| George Guidall | Mr. Holway |
| James L. Swain | Conductor |
| Peewee Love | Speedy |
| Lawrence James | Tully |
| Steve White | Brother Johnson |
| K. Smith | Roderick |
| Christopher Rubin | Sophia's Husband |
| Matthew Harris | Malcolm, 5 years old |
| Zakee Howze | Young Malcolm |
| Cytia Fontenette | Hilda, 3 years old |
| Marlaine Bass | Hilda, 8 years old |
| Benjamin Atwell | Philbert, 1 year old |
| Peter Dunn | Philbert, 6 years old |
| Dion Smack Jr | .Reginald, 2 years old |
| Darnell Smith | Elijah Muhammad's Grandson |
| TaiNesha Scott | Elijah Muhammad's Granddaughter |
| Chelsea Counts | Yvonne, 6 months old |
| Chela Counts | Yvonne, 6 months old |
| Natalie Clanton | Yvonne, 1 year old |
| Jessica Givens | Attalah |
| LaToyah Bigelow | Qubillah, 3 years old |
| Martaleah Jackson | Ilyasah, 2 and 3 years old |
| Tamaraleah Jackson | Ilyasah, 2 and 3 years old |
| Jasmine Smith | Ilyasah, 2 and 3 years old |
| Valentino Smith | Wilfred, 4 years old |
| David Thomas Jr | .Wilfred, 8 years old |
| Simon Do-Ley | Son of Elijah Muhammad and Secretary Evelyn Williams |
| Bill Goldberg | The "John" |
| Jonathan Peck | Phone Voice |
| Leonard Parker | Jason |
| Lennis Washington | Mrs. Johnson |
| Dyan Humes | Maid at open air market |
| Lizbeth MacKay | White Woman in market |
| Terry Layman | CIA Agent |
| Terry Sumter | CIA Agent |
| Jasper McGruder | Hotel Clerk |
| Mary Alice | School Teacher |
| Wyatt Tee Walker | Hospital Spokesperson |
| Hazel Medina | Cashier Person |
| Wendy E. Taylor | Numbers Woman |
| Ed Herlihy | Joe Louis Announcer |
| Ralph Cooper Sr | .Radio Announcer |
| Christian J. Dacosta | Passerby |
| Karen Duffy | Sophia's Friend |
| Walter Jones | Barber's Customer |
| Marc Phillips | Photographer |
| Showman Uneke | Hustler at Grand Central Station |
| Theara Ward | Moviegoer |
| Larry M. Cherry | Prison Barber |
| Clebert Ford | Barber |
| Grafton Trew | Barber |
| Rogers Simon | Barber |
| George T. Odom | Barber |
| Vincent Moscaritola | Prison Guard |
| Larry Attile | Guard Baines |
| Brendan Kelly | Guard Cone |
| John Griesemer | Guard Wilkins |
| Fia Porter | Coed |
| Billy J. Mitchell | Man #1 |
| Kent Jackman | Man #2 |
| Beatrice Winde | Elderly Woman |
| Fracaswell Hyman | Bartender |
| Rion Johnson | Shoeshine Boy |
| Charles Weldon | Follower at Temple #7 |
| Mike Hodge | Follower at Temple #7 |
| Iris Little Thomas | Follower at Temple #7 |
| Ilyasah Shabazz | Follower at Temple #7 |
| Bahni Turpin | Follower at Temple #7 |
| Aaron Blackshear | Student in Harlem Classroom |
| Nilyne Fields | Student in Harlem Classroom |
| John David Washington | Student in Harlem Classroom |
| Rudi Bascomb | Student in Harlem Classroom |
| Muhammad Parks | Student in Harlem Classroom |
| Chinere Parry | Student in Harlem Classroom |
| Ian Quiles | Student in Harlem Classroom |
| Sharmeek Martinez | Student in Harlem Classroom |
| Chuck Cooper | Customer |
| Damon Chandler | Customer |
| Shellye Broughton | Customer |
| Nicholas Barnwell | Customer |
| Sam Dixon | Customer |
| Barbara Smith | Customer |
| Rome Neal | Prisoner |
| Earl Whitted | Prisoner |
| Michael C. Mahon | Prisoner |
| Addison Cook | Prisoner |
| Byron Utley | Prisoner |
| George Rafferty | Harrington |
| Maxwell Sinovoi | Prisoner |
| Eric Swirsly | Prisoner |
| Stewart J. Zully | TV Reporter |
| Colleen Cowan | TV Reporter |
| Armand Schultz | TV Reporter |
| Reade Kelly | TV Reporter |
| Janet Zarish | TV Reporter |
| Annie Corley | TV Reporter |
| Stephen James | TV Reporter |
| Steven Randazzo | TV Reporter |
| Chris Skutch | TV Reporter |
| William Swinton | TV Reporter |
| Marcus Naylor | TV Reporter |
| Anthony Nocerino | TV Reporter |
| Gareth Williams | JFK Reporter |
| Stephen Hanan | JFK Reporter |
| Richard Schiff | JFK Reporter |
| David Berman | JFK Reporter |
| Michael Imperioli | Reporter at Fire Bombing |
| Steve Stapenhorst | Reporter at Fire Bombing |
| Arthur French | Pullman Porter |
| Lex Monson | Pullman Porter |
| Judd Jones | Pullman Porter |
| C.E. Smith | Fountain Waiter |
| Erika Smith-Brown | Waitress |
| Raymond Anthony Thomas | Crowd Member |
| Delilah Picart | Crowd Member |
| Michael Ralph | Crowd Member |
| Monique Cintron | Hooker |
| Jake-Ann Jones | Hooker |
| Sharon Ferguson | Hooker/Roseland Dancer |
| Amelia Mimi Walker | Hooker |
| Neisha Folkes-LeMelle | Hooker |
| Karen Michaels | Hooker |
| Lenore Pemberton | Hooker |
| Elise Neal | Hooker |
| Felicia Wilson | Hooker |
| Yvette Brooks | Hooker |
| Teresa Yvon Farley | Young Hooker |
| Kiki Della Vecchia | Teenage Whore |
| John Sayles | FBI Agent |
| Martin Donovan | FBI Agent |
| Jay Charbonneau | Cop at Audubon |
| Joe Pentangelo | Mounted Police |
| Mike Farley | Mounted Police |
| Nick Muglia | Mounted Police |
| David Reilly | Mounted Police |
| Nicholas Turturro | Boston Cop |
| James Murtaugh | Cop at Harlem Station |
| William Fichtner | Cop at Harlem Station |
| Tim Kelleher | Cop at Harlem Station |
| Michael Cullen | Desk Sergeant |
| James MacDonald | Lieutenant |
| Steve Aronson | Black Legion Leader |
| Bill Anagnos | Black Legion Member |
| Don Hewitt | Black Legion Member |
| Jery Hewitt | Black Legion Member |
| Joe Fitos | KKK Member |
| Manny Siverio | KKK Member |
| Jack P. Mclaughlin | KKK Member |
| Shaun O'Neil | KKK Member |
| Andy Duppin | KKK Member |
| Elmer Licciardello | KKK Member |
| Matt Dillon | DJ at the Harlem 'Y' Dance |
| Renton Kirk | DJ at the Harlem "Y" Dance |
| Tim Hutchinson | Fruit of Islam |
| Andre Blair | Fruit of Islam |
| Abdul Hakeem Hijrah | Fruit of Islam |
| Rony Clanton | Fruit of Islam |
| Scott Whitehurst | Malcolm's FOI |
| Eric Payne | Malcolm's FOI |
| Ali Adbul Wahhab | Malcolm's FOI |
| Terry Hodges | Malcolm's FOI |
| Kevan Gibbs | Malcolm's FOI |
| Dana Hubbard | Malcolm's FOI |
| David Reivers | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Robert Jason | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Kevin Rock | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Mansoor Najeeullah | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Dion Graham | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Zaahir Muhammad | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Gregory Bargeman | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Lee Summers | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Rich Gordon | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Larry Rushing | Elijah Muhammad's FOI |
| Monty Ross | MC - Roseland |
| Eddie Davis | Lionel Hampton Band - Trumpet |
| Reggie Pittman | Lionel Hampton Band - Trumpet |
| Patrick Rickman | Lionel Hampton Band - Trumpet |
| Gerald Brazel | Lionel Hampton Band - Trumpet |
| Clack Gaton | Lionel Hampton Band - Trombone |
| Richard Owens | Lionel Hampton Band - Trombone |
| Douglas Purviance | Lionel Hampton Band - Trombone |
| Mark Gross | Lionel Hampton Band - Alto Saxophone |
| Cleave Guyton Jr | .Lionel Hampton Band - Alto Saxophone |
| Javon Johnson | Lionel Hampton Band - Tenor Saxophone |
| Lance Bryant | Lionel Hampton Band - Tenor Saxophone |
| Daniel Lemelle | Lionel Hampton Band - Baritone Saxophone |
| David Fludd | Lionel Hampton Band- Piano |
| Marcus Lauper | Lionel Hampton Band - Bass |
| Dwayne Cook Broadnax | Lionel Hampton Band - Drums |
| Preston Vismale | Lionel Hampton Band - Music Assistant |
| Miki Howard | Billie Holiday Quartet - Billie Holiday |
| Terence Blanchard | Billie Holiday Quartet - Trumpet |
| Bruce David Barth | Billie Holiday Quartet - Piano |
| Rodney Whitaker | Billie Holiday Quartet - Bass |
| William E. Kilson | Billie Holiday Quartet - Drums |
| Sonny Allen | Roseland Dancer |
| Vanessa Benton | Roseland Dancer |
| Cheryl Burr | Roseland Dancer |
| Leslie Dockery | Roseland Dancer |
| Cisco Drayton | Roseland Dancer |
| Byron Easley | Roseland Dancer |
| John Elejaide | Roseland Dancer |
| Debra Elkins | Roseland Dancer |
| Gina Ellis | Roseland Dancer |
| John Festa | Roseland Dancer |
| Robert H. Fowler III | Roseland Dancer |
| Ryan Francois | Roseland Dancer |
| Phillip Gilmore | Roseland Dancer |
| Jauquette Green | Roseland Dancer |
| Wendy King | Roseland Dancer |
| Jerome Jamal Hardeman | Roseland Dancer |
| Dawn Hampton | Roseland Dancer |
| Monique Harcum | Roseland Dancer |
| Raymond Harris | Roseland Dancer |
| Delphine T. Mantz | Roseland Dancer |
| Bernard Marsh | Roseland Dancer |
| Greta Martin | Roseland Dancer |
| Norma Miller | Roseland Dancer |
| Frances Morgan | Roseland Dancer |
| John Parks | Roseland Dancer |
| Greg Poland | Roseland Dancer |
| Judine Hawkins Richard | Roseland Dancer |
| Eartha Robinson | Roseland Dancer |
| Michelle Robinson | Roseland Dancer |
| Traci Robinson | Roseland Dancer |
| Ken Leigh Rogers | Roseland Dancer |
| Eddie Sanabria | Roseland Dancer |
| Eddie Shellman | Roseland Dancer |
| Lynn Sterling | Roseland Dancer |
| Keith Thomas | Roseland Dancer |
| Debbie Williams | Roseland Dancer |
| Charles Young | Roseland Dancer |
| Anthony Dewitt | Roseland Dancer |
| Cynthia Thomas | Shorty's Dance Partner |
| Sharon Brooks | Skeleton Crew Dancer |
| Laurie Ann Gibson | Skeleton Crew Dancer |
| El Tahara Ibrahim | Skeleton Crew Dancer |
| Keith Lewis | Skeleton Crew Dancer |
| Dereque Whithurs | Skeleton Crew Dancer |
| Steve Reed | John F. Kennedy |
| Jodie Farber | Jackie Kennedy |
| Randy Means | Governor Connally |
| Columbia Dubose | Nellie Connally |
| Vincent D'Onofrio | Bill Newman |
| Cliff Cudney | Limo Driver |
| George Marshall Ruge | Secret Service Man |
| Bobby Seale | Speaker #1 |
| Al Sharpton | Speaker #2 |
| Christopher Plummer | Chaplain Gill |
| Karen Allen | Miss Dunne |
| Peter Boyle | Captain Green |
| William Kunstler | The Judge |
| Nelson Mandela | Soweto Teacher |
| Ossie Davis | Eulogy Performer |
| Bill Cosby | Himself (at end of credits) |
| Ralph Abernathy | Himself (behind King and Malcolm) |
| James Farmer | Himself (behind King and Young) |
| Jesse Jackson | Himself |
| Magic Johnson | Himself (at end of credits) |
| Michael Jordan | Himself (at end of credits) |
| John F. Kennedy | Himself (funeral procession) |
| Martin Luther King | Himself |
| Rodney King | Himself (impaired driver, resists arrest) |
| Stacey Koon | Himself (LAPD, at arrest of Rodney King) |
| Joe Louis | Himself (after fight with Billy Conn) |
| Willie Mays | Himself |
| Charles Mitchell | Prison Inmate |
| Peter Norman | Himself (silver medallist, with Smith and Carlos) |
| Laurence Powell | Himself (LAPD, subdues Rodney King) |
| Jackie Robinson | Himself |
| Tommie Smith | Himself (gives Black Power salute at Olympics) |
| Irapaul Turner | Malcolm's F.O.I |
| Ali Shahid Abdul Wahhad | Fruit of Islam |
| George Wallace | Himself (opposes integration of U. of Alabama) |
| Roy Wilkins | Himself (Isn't It A Great Day speech) |
| Timothy Wind | Himself (LAPD, subdues Rodney King) |
| Malcolm X | Himself |
| Andrew Young | Himself (with King) |
| Michael Albanese | Harvard Law Student |
| Theodore Briseno | Himself (LAPD, at arrest of Rodney King) |
| John Carlos | Himself (gives Black Power salute at Olympics) |
| Muhammad Ali | Himself (handshake with Malcolm) |
| Eugene 'Bull' Connor | Himself (in dark hat) |
| Janet Jackson | Herself (at end of credits) |
| Marva Trotter Louis | Herself (with her husband) |
| Betty Shabazz | Herself (at graveside) |
| Tracy Chapman | Herself (at end of credits) |
| Angela Davis | Herself (gives Black Power salute) |
