NC Penguin

This notable black American died this date in 1965. He was 39 years old.

The official website for Malcolm X is:
http://www.cmgww.com/historic/malcolm/home.php

Has anyone read his autobiography?





NC Penguin

Lion in Winter

You bet. An extraordinary man, agree with him or not.

superpat

Apparently Malcolm X was a burglar before he became an activist - Bruce Schneier quotes an interesting piece of security advice from him in Beyond Fear: leave the bathroom light on at night, especially if you are not home - "The bathroom is the one place where somebody could be, for any length of time, at any time of the night, and he would be likely to hear the slightest strange sound."

Cheers,

Pat

Franklin

Yes he was, he matured so much and had so much to offer us. It is tragic that he was murdered after starting his new organization. America lost a great man.

Bob

movie was a bit of an odd one though weren't it...

Franklin

Yes, but some people change for the better. Malcolm X went through many changes, including his realization that the organization that he belonged was on a wrong track. So he started a new one, it is a great pity he was rendered unable to evolve his ideas further. A very great pity. He was on a distinguished road, imho.

NC Penguin

I deliberately read the autobiography before seeing the film. Denzel Washington gave a fine performance but the film was nowhere as good as the book, as is often the case in adaptations.




NC Penguin

rogerpenycate

Wasn't the movie by Spike Lee ? Bound to have been a bit off the wall.
Good documentary on him last night. Not surprising he was such an 'angry young man' having his father 'allegedly' pushed under a bus and disected in two and the Police doing nothing about it.

NC Penguin

Yes. The film was directed by Spike Lee but if you're really interested in the life of Malcolm X, read the book then watch the film, in that order.

Malcolm X was a fine orator and highly eloquent so the book vividly describes the young Malcolm's upbringing as well as the years when he became "Public Enemy No. 1".




NC Penguin

Lion in Winter

I saw that too. I think it's hard for us to imagine the conditions that black people were living with at the time. I was struck by how people were saying how they listened to Malcolm and Elijah Muhammad and "were made to feel whole". If you read James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time, which is an excellent book, you find the same thing. Society has told you you're shit, all your life, and then along comes somebody and says "hey, no you're not", and proves it with history.

doctor scrumpy

Just a thought here, but why is Black History Month so important ?
Can they not celebrate their history anytime of the year they choose ?