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hilikus_00's review against another edition
5.0
incredible. Great introduction to the philosophies of Black Nationalism as well as a critical look at Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophies. An amazingly important read for anyone and everyone.
boxcarbuddha's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
qamelion's review against another edition
5.0
What an insightful view into one of the most eccentric personages of the 20th century this book provides. An autobiography that manages to both display Malcolm X’s life in exciting detail of his earlier days in Lansing, Boston and New York City and at the same time builds up a vivid feeling of tension and conflict that cropped up along with his increasing eminence.
While the main focus obviously is on Malcolm X’s life I also very much appreciated the preceding foreword of his oldest daughter Attallah Shabazz as well as the beautifully put together epilogue of the book’s co-author Alex Haley. Especially the latter served as a useful chapter that helped put everything that was told earlier (the injustices Malcolm X faced as well as the ones he was preaching) into an objective perspective. What stood out most to me during this reading process and what actually also surprised me a lot was how easy it is to compare the inequality that was a given and part of every day life almost 60 years ago in society of the USA and how little has changed since then. Social issues like mass incarceration are still a problem today (maybe an even greater one in this day and age). The political situation hasn’t improved much since then as black people and other minorities are still far too insufficiently represented in the government. And maybe the gravest problem of all of these: the drastic change of Islam’s image until today. Back then when Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad were establishing a strong nucleus of the so-called Black Muslims (why this is more of a tautologic expression than a fitting one is explained in the book) both men probably never would have guessed the hatred and racism today’s Muslims have to face each and every day especially in the US.
Keeping all of these mentioned aspects in mind this reading experience was actually a quite sad one. Learning about all the things Malcolm X was fighting for and his hope for improvement in the future while also as a reader being able to compare it to today’s situation made me close the book with a bittersweet feeling. I have now got a far more insightful and elaborated perspective on El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, a man who fought with everything he had for what he believed was right, a man who accepted change of ideology and was able to adjust when he realised he had been wrong and a man who—just like his adversaries often had forgotten—beside all the flashing lights of the press and under his iconic suit was just like everyone one else: a human being.
While the main focus obviously is on Malcolm X’s life I also very much appreciated the preceding foreword of his oldest daughter Attallah Shabazz as well as the beautifully put together epilogue of the book’s co-author Alex Haley. Especially the latter served as a useful chapter that helped put everything that was told earlier (the injustices Malcolm X faced as well as the ones he was preaching) into an objective perspective. What stood out most to me during this reading process and what actually also surprised me a lot was how easy it is to compare the inequality that was a given and part of every day life almost 60 years ago in society of the USA and how little has changed since then. Social issues like mass incarceration are still a problem today (maybe an even greater one in this day and age). The political situation hasn’t improved much since then as black people and other minorities are still far too insufficiently represented in the government. And maybe the gravest problem of all of these: the drastic change of Islam’s image until today. Back then when Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad were establishing a strong nucleus of the so-called Black Muslims (why this is more of a tautologic expression than a fitting one is explained in the book) both men probably never would have guessed the hatred and racism today’s Muslims have to face each and every day especially in the US.
Keeping all of these mentioned aspects in mind this reading experience was actually a quite sad one. Learning about all the things Malcolm X was fighting for and his hope for improvement in the future while also as a reader being able to compare it to today’s situation made me close the book with a bittersweet feeling. I have now got a far more insightful and elaborated perspective on El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, a man who fought with everything he had for what he believed was right, a man who accepted change of ideology and was able to adjust when he realised he had been wrong and a man who—just like his adversaries often had forgotten—beside all the flashing lights of the press and under his iconic suit was just like everyone one else: a human being.
absentradio's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
salowlbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
samiyaosman96's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
marajoy's review against another edition
after finishing any book i fall into a weird post-book depression, and knowing it's coming makes me start to intentionally read slower to delay the inevitable. in the case of an autobiography, particularly this autobiography, turning each page was devastating knowing the end. around 70% i just looked at my progress in the book and it struck me that this progress is also the time progressing in malcolm x's life again. i spent the entire past semester reading life writing texts, but something about malcolm x's way of conveying his life enlivened him in a way i experienced with no other writer. i'd be curious to know if the people who knew him would agree, but it truly does feel like these pages replicated his self incredibly authentically. especially his emotions of anger, love, and revelation; they are so clearly communicated that they would manifest in anyone who reads his words. it definitely comes somewhat from the nature of the autobiography's creation through alex haley's reconstructions based on conversational interviews with malcolm x–the conversational nature is what really brought it to life. haley completely captured the beautiful and horrible sense of writing about someone you knew and admired or loved in the hindsight of their still unfathomable loss. going in, admittedly all i knew was that malcolm x was a radical civil rights activist, a muslim, and was assassinated. my learning about his ideologies, convictions, actions, and impacts through his autobiography was certainly enriched by understanding them through the lens of his lived experience that formed him into the man he was. the summary on the back saying that you need to read this to truly understand america was right.
"Four hundred years the white man has had his foot-long knife in the black man's back—and now the white man starts to wiggle the knife out, maybe six inches! The black man's supposed to be grateful? Why, if the white man jerked the knife out, it's still going to leave a scar!"
"Four hundred years the white man has had his foot-long knife in the black man's back—and now the white man starts to wiggle the knife out, maybe six inches! The black man's supposed to be grateful? Why, if the white man jerked the knife out, it's still going to leave a scar!"
emeraldgarnet's review against another edition
2.0
A solid insight into the mind of someone who remains one of the most talked about figures of twentieth-century American history. Some of the discussion on criminal activities became very repetitive and could have been cut down.