Malcolm X

This is a superbly produced book with numerous colour illustrations and with appended Glossary; Source Notes; selected bibliography; Further Reading and Websites; and Index. It is a candid tale of redemption from an early life of crime, drugs and prison to his emergence as a self-educated, disciplined, clean living minister of the Nation of Islam – also known as Black Muslims, a peculiarly American interpretation of Islam which taught that white people were devils. He achieved a huge following as a civil rights leader in the 1950s and 60s, with a radical programme in marked contrast to Martin Luther King’s passive resistance. The book charts his break with the Nation of Islam following a pilgrimage to Mecca where he gained a different vision of black/white relationships and an insight into ‘true Islam’ not based on the demonisation of white people. This break amongst other things, led ultimately, if indirectly, to his assassination. A useful classroom resource.