Synopsis
Malcolm X's searing memoir belongs on the small shelf of great autobiographies. The reasons are many: the blistering honesty with which he recounts his transformation from a bitter, self-destructive petty criminal into an articulate political activist, the continued relevance of his militant analysis of white racism, and his emphasis on self-respect and self-help for African Americans. And there's the vividness with which he depicts black popular culture--try as he might to criticize those lindy hops at Boston's Roseland dance hall from the perspective of his Muslim faith, he can't help but make them sound pretty wonderful. These are but a few examples. The Autobiography of Malcolm X limns an archetypal journey from ignorance and despair to knowledge and spiritual awakening. When Malcolm tells coauthor Alex Haley, "People don't realize how a man's whole life can be changed by one book," he voices the central belief underpinning every attempt to set down a personal story as an example for others. Although many believe his ethic was directly opposed to Martin Luther King Jr.'s during the civil rights struggle of the '60s, the two were not so different. Malcolm may have displayed a most un-Christian distaste for loving his enemies, but he understood with King that love of God and love of self are the necessary first steps on the road to freedom. --Wendy Smith
About the Author
Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska as Malcolm Little. Later he was also known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. On February 21, 1965 he was assassinated in Harlem by three Nation of Islam members. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, published shortly after his death, is considered one of the most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century. Alexander Murray Palmer "Alex" Haley was born on August 11, 1921 in Ithaca, New York. He only wrote two books, but both of them became immense best sellers. His other book was “Roots”. Nowadays, it is not unusual for a person to be able to trace his ancestry ten generations back. Without DNA testing, Alex Haley was able to trace his ancestry back six generations to a slave named Kunta Kinte who was abducted in Juffure, a village in Gambia, West Africa. Kunta Kinte was brought at the age of sixteen to America on a slave ship named Lord Ligonier. He was brought ashore on September 29, 1767 in Annapolis, Maryland and sold to a Virginia planter, who changed his name to Toby. Now with DNA testing, it is possible to verify whether this is true or not. However we lack a subject to test, Alex Haley himself, as he died on February 10, 1992 in Seattle, Washington leaving no heirs before DNA testing was widely available. Betty Shabazz a/k/a Betty Dean Sanders was the wife and widow of Malcolm X. She was born on May 28, 1934. She witnessed the assassination of her husband Malcolm X. She died on June 23, 1997 in a fire that had been set by her grandson, Malcolm. "Barney" Rosset, Jr. was the owner of Grove Press and the publisher of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. He was famous for publishing books no other publisher would touch, including Lady Chatterley's Lover and Tropic of Cancer. He was born on May 28, 1922 and died on February 21, 2012. Michael S. Handler was considered a veteran news reporter, primarily associated with the New York Times. Malcolm X reportedly believed Handler had "none of the usual prejudices or sentimentalities about black people". As a result, he entrusted Handler to write about ongoing developments in his political life as well as his changing outlook. Handler's stories concerned his break with the Nation of Islam (NOI), his journey to Mecca, his assassination and the aftermath.
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