I’ve never heard of Malcolm X Day, is it an official holiday recognized by the state & federal government?

The simple answer to your question is : No, Malcolm X Day is not(yet) recognized by the state and local government as an “official” holiday.   

The real answer is, you and all citizens can celebrate which ever holiday we deem to celebrate; it is not necessary to be given “permission” to do so.   Malcolm X Day is one of those days that definitely needs to be celebrated; his life, his thoughts, his change and his impact is something that we should pay tribute to despite what the “official” calendar says.   Malcolm X was born on May 19th, 1925, so on this day May 19th, we celebrate intelligence, wisdom, unity, strength and forward progress as a community. On this day we work toward making a real effort to do better , to have more impact and to improve the conditions of our community.   We do so for our future and in honor of Malcolm X!