Reviews (2)

Review of The Assassination of Malcolm X
This is what I thought of the book. I thought it was a good book, it was interesting to read. Basically, the book was about Malcolm's plans and his murder. He went to jail when he was young then became a Muslim. He eventually broke away from the Muslims and started his own movement. The police didn't like Malcolm or his organization of Negroes. He thought blacks and whites should be seperated. Unlike Martin Luther King, he believed in the violent approach. He was killed in a ballroom. The author wants to know the reason the police didn't look further into the investigation. That's what the book is written about.

Against the political and physical murder of Malcolm X
This book combines on the spot reporting of the murder of Malcolm X that exposes the flaws in the NYPD's claims about the murder with a look back at the murder taken after COINTELPRO, the FBI's campaign against the civil rights, antiwar, and other progressive movements which included following and disrupting the life of Malcolm X. This is combined with political defense of Malcolm's ideas and his course of struggle in the time after he broke with the Muslims. For those who think the NYPD and the FBI are heroes, and who think that the US government should not be feared in regard to protecting the civil liberties of people in struggle, this is the book to read! ... Read more

Book Description

This book introduces the general reader to the points of view of Malcom X. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Dream or a Nightmare?
James Cone's "Martin & Malcolm & America" is a fascinating contrast of the lives, experiences, and thoughts of two icons. It is written in a style that recalls good investigative journalism as it maps out the tumultuous times in which the two lived.

The philosophies of Malcolm and Martin, often portrayed as polar opposites in the media, are grounded in certain similarities. Both based their viewpoints on their religious traditions, believed that God was on the side of the poor and oppressed, and both held a passionate belief in the dignity of black lives. Both philosophies were formed in spite of the fact that they lived in a age when the institutions that ruled America either neglected the dignity of blacks, or ignored civil rights issues altogether.

The lives of Malcolm and Martin were quite different, however. Martin was raised in a upper middle class family in Atlanta, the descendant of slaves whose father and grandfather both became prominant preachers. He life afforded him a great education -- at Morehouse, Crozer Theological Seminary, and Boston University. His family was close knit.

Malcolm, by contrast, saw his father murdered by white supremicists and his mother abused by the social service agencies, which eventually institutionalized her. Malcolm ended up in the foster care system and eventually went to prison for petty crime. There, he came to value the importance of education, and read voraciously. Introduced by his brother to the Nation of Islam, he had a powerful conversion experience in prison. After his release, he became second in command to Elijah Mohammed, the religion's leader.

Both Martin and Malcolm spent their time working to improve the quality of black lives. Martin took on institutional power through civil rights legislation, and Malcolm worked in the urban ghettos, attempting to galvanize blacks to reject Christianity and move towards strengthening their lives through non-integration. Although Martin and Malcolm differed in their visions, they were more alike than not.

"Martin & Malcolm & America" is a great read. Highly recommended.

A 1st rate contrast and comparison of Martin and Malcolm
Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were the 2 most prominent African-American leaders of the 20th Century. In this book Dr. Cone explores how each leader rose to prominence. He also show why they did not win total acceptance from African-Americans. He compares and contrast their ideas and shows their strong and weak points.

Excellent comparison of two giants
Martin and Malcolm and America presents an extraordinary comparison of the two most influential figures of the Civil Rights movement. It is especially enlightening because it presents the sides of each man which the world has forgotten, that is, the militant nature of the later teachings of Dr. King and the more conciliatory nature of the later teachings of Brother Malcolm. James Cone also focuses heavily on the religious aspects of each man's teaching, arguing that neither man's philosophy can be separated from the religious doctrines he espoused.

If I had one critique of this book, it is that Cone relies too heavily on the Autobiography of Malcolm X for his Malcolm information. Almost all of his Malcolm info is quoted directly from that book, and like most autobiographies, Malcolm wrote/dictated with a bit of license. Having read the autobiography twice, it got a bit annoying at times to reread Malcolm's own words about himself. Malcolm was a far more complex (and more interesting) character than he portrayed himself to be, and that part was left out. (For more info, I'd recommend "Malcolm : The Life of the Man Who Changed Black America.")

All in all, though, this is a book that should be on your bookshelf. Highly recommended.

An insightful and challenging view of 2 great men!
Cone presents an indepth review of how Martin King and Malcolm X complimented and connected in their efforts to address problems of race and class in America. Used as a text in undergraduate courses on "social problems", this work offer students new insight into the lives and visions of these two American leaders and their attempts to confront the problems of our time. Well written and easily understood, Cone's work is a useful and challenging tool for better understanding the issues of race and class in America.

Informative
This book is well written and sheds light on the influence each man had in his primary arena and illustrates how the ripples touched those who were marginal to their arena. It illustrated the psuedo-dichotomy between the two political leaders and shows how they evolved to meet each other in the middle before their deaths. Definitely a book for someone who wishes to begin an indepth study of Martin King and Malcolm X. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An introduction to the life and rhetoric of Malcolm X
"Malcolm X and Black Pride" by Robert Cwiklik might be a juvenile biography but it deals adult issues and language, which is a way of informing you that this book quotes the derogatory language to which blacks have been subjected. This is an excellent bigoraphy of Malcolm X, dealing with not only the major events in his life but the issues that defined his public rhetoric. Cwiklik presents Malcom X as a leader of the Nation of Islam, who taught blacks to take pride in their race. This book takes pains to explain both Malcolm X's break with Elijah Muhammad and his fundamental disagreement with Martin Luther King, Jr. There are also pages devoted to explaining Marcus Garvey's dream of the "new Negro" and the religion of Islam as distinct from the Black Muslims of the Nation of Islam. The book includes photographs from throughout Malcolm X's life as well as some of the artwork honoring him on the walls fo teh Audubon Ballroom where he was killed. This book, part of the Gateway Civil Rights series, will give young readers an excellent introduction to the life and rhetoric of Malcolm X. If you have not read his most famous speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet," then that would be something to look at after reading this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Over 500 essays exemplify the life and work of a man who sought to reimagine the world. Harnessing the influence of people like Elijah Muhammad, grappling with issues such as civil rights and conversion to the Nation of Islam, and driven by events like his pilgrimage to Mecca and the assassination of JFK, Malcolm X became an international pillar. This book is a broad testament to his achievements. ... Read more

Book Description

The life of Malcolm "Shorty" Jarvis, Malcolm X’s best friend before his conversion to Islam, is the subject of this memoir. Through this book, Jarvis (who died in September 1998) and Paul D. Nichols tell Jarvis’ story—to set the record straight about his personality and character, which they felt had been falsely portrayed in other books and films about Malcolm X. The relationship between Jarvis and Malcolm X began in a Roxbury pool hall in 1942. A main purpose of this book is to bring to light information about the life, spirituality, and philosophy of Malcolm "Shorty" Jarvis, an accomplished jazz musician. Includes numerous photographs. ... Read more

Book Description

In the 1950s and 1960s, Malcolm X challenged America to face the truth of its prejudice toward its African American citizens.Born in poverty in Lansing Michigan, he fell into a life of petty crime, until he discovered the Black Muslim religion in jail.Eventually, he turned his life around, continued to seek teachers, and instructed others too.His influence continues to be felt around the world.

... Read more

Book Description

Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-126) and index. A biography, in text and photographs, describing the life of the controversial African-American civil rights activist from his troubled childhood, through his years as a national leader in the Nation of Islam, to his assassination. ... Read more