The History Book Club discussion

Manning Marable (1951-2011) was M. Moran Weston and Black Alumni Council Professor of African American Studies and professor of history and public affairs at Columbia University. He was founding director of African American Studies at Columbia from 1993 to 2003, and directed Columbia’s Center for Contemporary Black History. The author of fifteen books, Marable was also the editor of the quarterly journal Souls.

This is the thread for the discussion of the May 2016 - Book of the Month - Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable.

by Manning Marable

Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for History, 10 Best Books of 2011 (New York Times), The 2011 Carnegie Medals Short List for Nonfiction, 2011 National Book Award Finalist,
Nonfiction - http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2011_n...

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Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Marable passed away before his Pulitzer Prize winning book was published

Manning Marable, an influential Columbia University scholar of African American history and culture whose forthcoming Malcolm X biography could revise perceptions of the slain civil rights leader, died April 1, just days before the book described as his life’s work was to be released. He was 60.

His wife, Leith Mullings, said Dr. Marable died from complications of pneumonia at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. She said he had suffered for 24 years from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease, and had a double lung transplant in July.

She said his latest book, “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention,” will be released Monday.

Two decades in the making, the nearly 600-page biography is described as a reevaluation of Malcolm X’s life, bringing fresh insight to such subjects as his autobiography, which is still assigned in many college courses, and his assassination at the Audubon Ballroom in New York on Feb. 21, 1965.

The book is based on exhaustive research, including thousands of pages of FBI files and records from the CIA and State Department. Dr. Marable also conducted interviews with the slain civil rights leader’s confidants and security team, as well as witnesses to his assassination.

Blair Kelley, a history professor at North Carolina State University, called Dr. Marable’s death a “devastating” loss for black historians.

“He really deserved the opportunity to be celebrated for his groundbreaking scholarship,” Kelley wrote on Twitter.

Dr. Marable was born in Dayton, Ohio, on May 13, 1950. He wrote in his 1998 book, “Speaking Truth to Power,” that he was born into the era that witnessed the emergence of Rosa Parks, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and nonviolent movements in the South to combat white supremacy.

But as the child of middle-class black Americans in the North, he watched from afar as African Americans in the South struggled against segregation and racial inequality, he wrote. As a teenager, he found his emergent political voice writing columns for a neighborhood newspaper.

Dr. Marable wrote that his mother encouraged him to attend King’s funeral in Atlanta “to witness a significant event in our people’s history.” As the correspondent for a local black newspaper, he marched with thousands of others in the funeral procession.

“With Martin’s death, my childhood abruptly ended,” he wrote. “My understanding of political change began a trajectory from reform to radicalism.”

Dr. Marable graduated from Earlham College in Indiana in 1971 and received a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1972 and a doctorate in history from the University of Maryland in 1976.

In the 1970s, he was active in the National Black Political Assembly, a community organizing group. He taught at Cornell University, Ohio State University and the University of Colorado before joining the Columbia faculty in 1993.

He lectured widely throughout the country and was co-founder of the Black Radical Congress, an organization of African American activists.

Dr. Marable wrote almost 20 books, including the landmark “How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America” (1983). Before his biography of Malcolm X, he published books on Medgar Evers and W.E.B. Dubois.

At Columbia, he was founding director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies and established the Center for Contemporary Black History.

His marriage to Hazel Ann Marable ended in divorce.

In addition to his second wife, survivors include three children from his first marriage and two stepchildren.

— Associated Press

all by Manning Marable

The book that will be the May 2016 Book of the month is Malcolm X: The Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable.

by Manning Marable

Synopsis:

Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for History

Hailed as "a masterpiece" (San Francisco Chronicle), the late Manning Marable's acclaimed biography of Malcolm X finally does justice to one of the most influential and controversial figures of twentieth-century American history. Filled with startling new information and shocking revelations, Malcolm X unfolds a sweeping story of race and class in America. Reaching into Malcolm's troubled youth, it traces a path from his parents' activism as followers of Marcus Garvey through his own work with the Nation of Islam and rise in the world of black nationalism, and culminates in the never-before-told true story of his assassination. Malcolm X is a stunning achievement, the definitive work on one of our greatest advocates for social change.

Praise and Reviews:

“Malcolm X is etched in the American imagination—and the American psyche—in the particular and unyielding terms of radical and militant… Marable brings a lifetime of study to this biography, which is the crowning achievement of a magnificent career.” — Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University

“Manning Marable is the exemplary black scholar of radical democracy and black freedom in our time. His long-awaited magisterial book on Malcolm X is the definitive treatment of the greatest black radical voice and figure of the mid-twentieth century. Glory Hallelujah!” — Cornel West, Princeton University

“Manning Marable’s Malcolm X is his magnum opus, a work of extraordinary rigor and intellectual beauty … This majestic and eloquent tour de force will stand for some time as the definitive work on as enigmatic and electrifying a leader as has ever sprung from American soil.” — Michael Eric Dyson, Georgetown University, author of April 4, 1968

“It will be difficult for anyone to better this book... It is a work of art, a feast that combines genres skillfully: biography, true-crime, political commentary. It gives us Malcolm X in full gallop, a man who died for his belief in freedom.” — The Washington Post

“In his revealing and prodigiously researched new biography. . . Mr. Marable artfully strips away the layers and layers of myth that have been lacquered onto his subject’s life — first by Malcolm himself in that famous memoir, and later by both supporters and opponents after his assassination.” — Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“Unlike Bruce Perry’s 1991 biography, Malcolm, which entertained the most outlandish stories in an attempt to present a comprehensive portrait, Marable’s biography judiciously sifts fact from myth.” — The Atlantic

“Magisterial…Marable’s biography is an exceedingly brave as well as a major intellectual accomplishment.” — Boston Globe

“Marable has crafted an extraordinary portrait of a man and his time…A masterpiece.” — San Francisco Chronicle

“This book is a must read.” — Ebony

“Thankfully, we have Manning Marable's new biography, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention — which is, simply put, a stunning achievement — to help us better understand Malcolm’s complex life.” — The Philadelphia Tribune

“The book also has much to recommend it for its history of orthodox Islam, the perspective it offers on the black political movements of the 1950s and 1960s that changed America, and its insights into the development and inner workings of the Nation of Islam.” — The Financial Times

“Manning Marable’s scholarship was as provocative and profound as it was prodigious.” — Newsday

“[Marable] devoted his magnificent career—more than most scholars do—to living what he wrote and what he thought. His commitment not only to equality of opportunity but also to the exposure of falsehood and hypocrisy was a hallmark of his pathbreaking work.” — The Chronicle of Higher Education

“Marable accomplishes the difficult task of showing the bad boy of the civil rights era as an actual human being . . . Each page almost secretes the formidable research into hard facts. Marable lets the chips fall where they may because he is interested in the humanity of Malcolm X, as all true scholars should be.” — New York Daily News

“This is history at its finest—written with passion and attention and drive. It is a fitting testament to the lives and the legacies of both subject and author.” — TheBarnesandNobleReview.com

“Marable’s definitive biography is now the standard by which scholars can evaluate, not just what Malcolm X said, but what generations of others have said about him.” — The National

“This book is not the only representation of Manning's brilliance… it is a culmination of a lifetime of scholarship and activism, a larger project devoted to telling the stories of a people engaged in an epic, painful and beautiful struggle for freedom.” — BlackVoices.com

“This superbly perceptive and resolutely honest book will long endure as a definitive treatment of Malcolm’s life, if not of the actors complicit in his death.” — The Wilson Quarterly

“The book is cause for celebration . . . The book is full of revelations, big and small, and amounts to a full-on reconsideration of Malcolm’s life and death.” — VeryShortList.com

“As Malcolm lived on through his best-selling autobiography, so will Marable, through his unmatched body of writing, his educational contributions, his illuminations on Malcolm X's legacy and his devoted students.” — CNN.Com

“Manning was an unflinching and breathtakingly prolific scholar whose commitments to racial, economic, gender, and international justice were unparalleled . . . That we will have his long-anticipated, great and final work even as he leaves us is so classically, tragically appropriate.” — The Nation

“While Marable himself is irreplaceable, he has provided a foundation for future generations and will continue to shape our understanding of social change and justice.” — TheRoot.com

“A prolific scholar.” — The Columbia Record

KIRKUS REVIEW

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

Remember the following:

Everyone is welcome but make sure to use the Goodreads spoiler function.

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The rules

You must follow the rules of the History Book Club and also:

First rule of Book of the Month:
Respect other people's opinions, no matter how controversial you think they may be.

Second rule of Book of the Month:
Always, always Chapter/page mark and spoiler alert your posts if you are discussing parts of the book.

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(view spoiler)

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State a Chapter and page if you can.
EG: Chapter 24, page 154

Or say Up to Chapter *___ (*insert chapter number) if your comment is more broad and not from a single chapter.

Chapter 1, p. 23
(view spoiler)[I know everything now about chapter one and I am going to post it here - oops I better place this in a spoiler alert so I do not ruin the book for others (hide spoiler)]

If you are raising a question/issue for the group about the book, you don't need to put that in a spoiler, but if you are citing something specific, it might be good to use a spoiler.

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Thanks.

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<spoiler>Put Text Here</spoiler>

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE Life Beyond the Legend 1

CHAPTER 1 "Up, You Mighty Race! " 15
CHAPTER 2 The Legend of Detroit Red 39
CHAPTER 3 Becoming "X" 70
CHAPTER 4 "They Don't Come Like the Minister" 100
CHAPTER 5 "Brother, a Minister Has to Be Married" 130
CHAPTER 6 "The Hate That Hate Produced" 155
CHAPTER 7 "As Sure As God Made Green Apples" 180
CHAPTER 8 From Prayer to Protest 211
CHAPTER 9 "He Was Developing Too Fast" 235
CHAPTER 10 "The Chickens Coming Home to Roost" 269
CHAPTER 11 An Epiphany in the Hajj 297
CHAPTER 12 "Do Something About Malcolm X" 321
CHAPTER 13 "In the Struggle for Dignity" 360
CHAPTER 14 "Such a Man Is Worthy of Death" 388
CHAPTER 15 Death Comes on Time 418
CHAPTER 16 Life After Death 450

EPILOGUE Reflections on a Revolutionary Vision 479
Acknowledgments and Research Notes 489
Notes 495
A Glossary of Terms 559
Bibliography 563
Index 577

FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE A SUGGESTED WEEKLY SYLLABUS

MAY 1ST THROUGH MAY 8TH

PROLOGUE Life Beyond the Legend 1

CHAPTER 1 "Up, You Mighty Race! " 15
CHAPTER 2 The Legend of Detroit Red 39
CHAPTER 3 Becoming "X" 70
CHAPTER 4 "They Don't Come Like the Minister" 100

MAY 9TH THROUGH MAY 15TH

CHAPTER 5 "Brother, a Minister Has to Be Married" 130
CHAPTER 6 "The Hate That Hate Produced" 155
CHAPTER 7 "As Sure As God Made Green Apples" 180
CHAPTER 8 From Prayer to Protest 211

MAY 16TH THROUGH MAY 22ND

CHAPTER 9 "He Was Developing Too Fast" 235
CHAPTER 10 "The Chickens Coming Home to Roost" 269
CHAPTER 11 An Epiphany in the Hajj 297
CHAPTER 12 "Do Something About Malcolm X" 321

MAY 23RD THROUGH MAY 31ST

CHAPTER 13 "In the Struggle for Dignity" 360
CHAPTER 14 "Such a Man Is Worthy of Death" 388
CHAPTER 15 Death Comes on Time 418
CHAPTER 16 Life After Death 450

EPILOGUE Reflections on a Revolutionary Vision 479
Acknowledgments and Research Notes 489
Notes 495
A Glossary of Terms 559
Bibliography 563
Index 577

Those of you who are going to read Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention use the spoiler html because this is a single thread discussion.

1. Read message 6 and that message shows you the rules for the buddy read discussion and how to do the spoiler html.

2. Message 7 actually shows you the spoiler html code. Use it on this thread.

3. Where is the Table of Contents and the reading syllabus? - Message 8 and 9.

All, we do not have to do citations regarding the book or the author being discussed during the book discussion on these discussion threads - nor do we have to cite any personage in the book being discussed while on the discussion threads related to this book.

However if we discuss folks outside the scope of the book or another book is cited which is not the book and author discussed then we do have to do that citation according to our citation rules. That makes it easier to not disrupt the discussion.

Chapter Overviews and Summaries
Week 1

(view spoiler)[Prologue - Life Beyond the Legend

A brief overview of Malcolm X, his religious affiliations, his different personas, his journey of reinvention, and his assassination.


Malcolm X speaking at the Audubon Ballroom 1965

Chapter 1 - "Up, You Mighty Race!" - 1925 - 1941

The reader gets a bit of history on Malcolm’s father Earl Little, as well as on Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Malcolm is born. The Little family move around working with the UNIA. An explosion affects their home in Michigan. Malcolm’s father Earl has an accident. Malcolm leaves Lansing for Boston.



Chapter 2 - The Legend of Detroit Red - 1941 – January 1946

The chapter covers some background on Malcolm’s half-sister, Ella Collins. Malcolm Little meets Malcolm “Shorty” Jarvis who takes Malcolm Little under his wings, teaching him about street life. Eventually, Malcolm Little visits New York. The readers gets an overview of Harlem and Black/White relations in New York. Malcolm’s turns to a life of crime. Malcolm moves to Boston then Lansing, continuing to engage in criminal activity. He returns back to Boston and is arrested.


Mugshot of Malcolm Little

Chapter 3 - Becoming "X" - January 1946 – August 1952

Malcolm Little begins life in prison in Charlestown State Prison. He meets John Elton Bembry who encouraged him to study and educate himself. Some of Malcolm’s family convert to the Nation of Islam and encourages Malcolm to convert. Ella successfully gets Malcolm moved to Norfolk Prison Colony. Malcolm converts to Islam. A background on the Islam faith. Malcolm Little becomes Malcolm X and creates the rhetoric he will be known for. Malcolm receives parole.


Ella Little Collins

Chapter 4 - "They Don't Come Like the Minister" - August 1952 – May 1957

Malcolm X begins his parole in Detroit. He receives approval to go hear Elijah Muhammad speak in Chicago. His parole is finalized and is now allowed to travel freely again. Malcolm X becomes Detroit Temple No. 1’s assistant minister. Malcolm X begins speaking for the Nation of Islam and moves around as speaker and minister in different temples and locations. Malcolm becomes the minister of Harlem’s Temple No. 7. Malcolm X meets Louis Farrakhan. A riot is averted. Malcolm considers his future with the Nation of Islam.


Elijah Muhammad (hide spoiler)]

Week One Questions - Initial Impressions of Malcolm X

(view spoiler)[1. How much do you know about Malcolm X? Have you read his Autobiography? Have you seen the Spike Lee movie with Denzel Washington?

2. How much do you know about the Islamic faith and the Nation of Islam's teachings?

3. The author talks about Malcolm’s “reinvention” of his self. Describe what reinvention means to you. What do you expect to learn about Malcolm? Why not say his “evolution”? Are these terms synonymous?

by Malcolm X (hide spoiler)]

Hello everyone. I'm excited to kick off the discussion for Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention for the May Book of the Month selection.

Just a reminder that this is a single threaded discussion, so be sure and use the spoiler tags for discussions pertaining to the book (see message 7). I'm happy to help if you have questions.

I've posted some discussion questions to get us started, however you can post any comments or questions pertaining to the book, up to the current weeks reading assignment.

Please introduce yourself and tell us what your interest is in this month's selection.

Yes, Teri - this should be an exciting discussion.

Bentley (Group Leader) here - from Metro NYC - this Pulitzer prize winner was the life's work of Manning Marable - a Columbia University professor - he passed away just days before the publication of this book. It has had wide positive reviews (see Message 4) from eminent Ivy League universities, well known newspapers, renowned African American historians, media outlets, as well as The Financial Times.

However, with any work which gets under the hood and gets personal - there are some organizations which did not like how they were portrayed, etc. That is understandable with a revealing work such as this one.

I think our responsibility is to look under the hood ourselves, give this book and the subject matter careful scrutiny and decide for ourselves which is what we do here at the History Book Club. I am interested in doing that with all of you and I think this book will stimulate some powerful discussions on civil rights in America as well as on the complex and dynamic Malcolm X - a man that some folks loved and revered; who others hated and feared. He was a polarizing individual who was often misunderstood but one who everybody had an opinion about.

So whatever side of the fence you are on - we respect your views and look forward to a civil discourse on all of them.

Hello everyone! Samanta from Croatia here. I was, of course, familiar with the name Malcolm X from my history class in high school, but I've never gained a detailed knowledge about him. This, and our last month's read Devil in the Grove, made me want to find out more about civil rights movement in the USA.

by Gilbert King

Hello Samanta and welcome - last month's read and discussion were great. This should prove to be another one of those.

Thank you for the citations.

Welcome Bentley, Rachel, and Samanta! Glad to have you all here and looking forward to the discussion.

I saw your posts, Rachel. As mentioned, be sure to add in bold a little header to what the post in spoiler tags is about. That allows those that are behind in reading to choose what they want to read in the discussion, and choose when they want to read it so they don't have any spoilers. It's also best to make sure the questions that you quote are within the spoiler as well, especially if they give anything away in the reading.

This just allows us to give everyone a good experience in these single threaded discussions. As moderator of these discussions, I usually don't get much ahead of the week's discussion so that I refrain from accidentally spoiling things myself. :-) Thank you!

One more reminder for everyone, be sure that you cite any books that are not discussed in the book. You do not have to cite our selected book, but any that are not discussed in the book should be cited. I failed myself to cite his autobiography in the question for the week and have gone back to add it. The Goodreads site is pretty sophisticated and citing the books with the elements we ask you to do, allows for cross-referencing on the book and the author's pages. It's actually quite handy when you're looking at the book's Goodreads page and looking for more information. ;-)

by Malcolm X

Hello everyone - I am Teri and will be moderating this month's read of Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. Samanta will be backing me up along the way and helping us keep the discussion going.

I only know of Malcolm X from school history classes and brief mentions of him in movies or books. I've not seen the Spike Lee movie or read any other books on him. So this will be a learning experience for me, along with many of you. Looking forward to reading your introductions.

Hi everyone, I'm Helga from SC. I read the Autobiography of Malcolm X years ago, in the 90's I think, and really liked it alot. I learned alot about him from this book. I also saw the movie with Spike Lee. It was a very good movie. Spike Lee did an excellent portrayal of Malcom X. He was quite controversial and you either loved him or hated him. I thought he was a mesmerizing figure and did alot for the civil rights movement. I am looking forward to this book and to learn more about him. It sounds like it will be very thorough and explain alot that was left out of the autobiography.

by Malcolm X

Hello Helga - yes that is the impression that most folks have of the man - I do hope that the May read gives us a more wholistic view of what made him tick.

Welcome, Helga! Glad to have you join us this month.

It's time for us to dig into the reading. The overall theme of this book is Malcolm's reinvention. It will perhaps, be different than any other books you have read about him. Throughout the month, we'll be looking at the ways Malcolm has reinvented himself.

Here are some questions to kick off the conversation. Feel free to ask your own questions or comment on any part of the book up to the current week's reading. Make sure that you use spoiler tags where appropriate. This is a longer book than we've done for a while, so some may not read at other's pace.

Prologue Discussion Questions

(view spoiler)[1. Malcolm X died on February 21, 1965. Were you alive at the time of his death? If so, do you remember hearing about his death? Did it affect you and/or your community? If you were not alive during this time, what did you know about his death prior to reading this book?

2. On page 14 Marable describes Malcolm X, “He was a truly historical figure in the sense that, more than any of his contemporaries, he embodied the spirit, vitality, and political mood of an entire population – black urban mid-twentieth-century America.” Yet, many African Americans at the time disagreed with Malcolm X and his teachings. What are your initial impressions of Malcolm X’s charismatic personality? Why do you think so many people were drawn to him, yet did not agree with him? We’ll learn more as the discussion progress and we read through the book and will see if your impression changes. (hide spoiler)]

Hi everyone,

My name is Elin and I'm from western Pennsylvania. Somewhere in between State College (Penn State) and Pittsburgh. I'm very interested in the subject matter, because X is a figure from history who gets pitted against King and we learn only about their differences. (At least that was my experience in high school.) I'm also intrigued by the title including reinvention, because he was someone who did reinvent himself, but is usually only viewed through his involvement with the Black Panthers, for example.

Welcome, Elin. Glad to see you joining us. I'm very intrigued with the idea of Malcolm X and reinvention and looking at him through that perspective. If you have started the reading, feel free to take a stab at the discussion questions for the prologue.

Prologue Discussion

(view spoiler)[Malcolm X died twenty years before I was born and in the very non-diverse community I was brought up, not much was ever said about him. We knew who Martin Luther King, Jr. was, but that's probably because he was seen as less threatening because he hadn't been a member of the Panthers. I'm not sure why I never researched more about X. I knew the reasons for having a letter as a surname of sorts and knew he'd been assassinated as well, but that's really all I knew. Isn't it interesting how where you grow up determines what you learn?

I think people were drawn to X because he was "dangerous". There was something about him that made you want to be a part of what was going on, at least a witness, because you never knew what was going to happen. (Like how people are obsessed with disasters and pay more attention to the car crash that happened, rather than paying attention to the road they're driving on.) I think that's why X is often just a "side character" to what King was doing because the "danger" was both intriguing and intimidating at the same time. There was so much about X that people didn't know much about, like his religion for example. People still don't really know what the Islamic religion is about, they just hear things on the news and form their opinions that way without doing any research on their own. While I don't really have a concrete answer for why people were drawn to him, I'm finding myself drawn into his world and into the world of Marcus Garvey, another character from history I know very little about, but need to know more based on what Marable has introduced in the book. (hide spoiler)]

elin wrote: "Malcolm X died twenty years before I was born"

Hi Elin. Could you please practice the spoiler tags on your post above. Although it doesn't reveal any specific details of the prologue, it does discuss some of the themes and people of that section. Plus it's a good chance to practice using the spoiler tags. Thank you!

Response to Elin - Prologue

(view spoiler)[I would agree that people tend to learn about different areas in history, based on where they live. I think that we learn more about MLK in history classes and not Malcolm X because he's not controversial. MLK was a positive activist, while Malcolm X had a varied past with crime.

I believe we'll also be talking more about the Nation of Islam and its split into sects later in the book. Throughout these first few chapters, the Lost-Found Nation of Islam is mentioned. I've tried to research it and it seems to be a splintered group of the Nation of Islam. I'm quite curious to find out more and hope it will be discussed in some length.

I knew nothing about Marcus Garvey before this book. What are your thoughts on him? (hide spoiler)]

Yes. I was going to message you about it because I wasn't sure. I'll edit the response. Thanks!

Perfect job. Thank you!

Response to Teri-Prologue

(view spoiler)[I don't really know much about Marcus Garvey. I know of him and his ideas, but that's really it. I plan on reading more about him once I finish this book. I tend to become obsessive about topics once I learn about them. (hide spoiler)]

Week One Questions - Initial Impressions

(view spoiler)[1. How much do you know about Malcolm X? Have you read his Autobiography? Have you seen the Spike Lee movie with Denzel Washington?

Most of what I know about Malcolm X going in to this group read is what I learned in history class as well as watching the Spike Lee movie about his life, which is one of my favorites. Denzel gives what is, in my opinion, the best of his career. He really put himself into the role, so much so that I sometimes visualize his face when thinking about Malcolm. I read an interview Washington gave once where he talks about the character acting he did in that film, and he said that at times, he almost felt possessed by Malcolm’s spirit while working on the project.

2. How much do you know about the Islamic faith and the Nation of Islam's teachings?

I don’t know a lot about the Islamic faith as a whole. In my personal experiences, I have had a hard time pinning down the exact beliefs and teachings of the Nation of Islam. When I was a young woman (about 20), I worked in a CD shop in a strip mall, and became friends with a young man who worked at the men’s clothing shop next door. I was, and still am, a Christian, where as he and his family were devout members of the Nation of Islam, which was unusual in a small town in South Carolina. As a young woman growing up in SC at a time when being biracial in my community was still a bit of an enigma, I was going through a period where I was still trying to work out my own self-identity, and I was curious about a lot of what the NOI was saying. We spent a lot of time discussing our differences in faith, he shared some of his NOI newspapers with me, and we even visited one another’s places of worship one Sunday. I found that it was hard to find the core religious ideology in any of the written material or even in the message that was taught at the temple on the day that I attended with him. Most of what was presented was more about race relations, the ‘true role’ of the black man in American society, and how blacks could empower themselves in a white-dominated culture. On the day I visited the temple, there was also a lot of talk about Jesus, and references to the bible, so much so that it was hard to tell the difference between the speaker’s message and that of a Baptist minister. A lot of that could be due to the fact that, again, this was a very small Southern town, and maybe the national NOI messages just weren’t taught as much at this temple, as that would be a turnoff to many in my hometown community. I will say that my friend and his family were originally from New York, and seemed to me to be a lot more committed than most of the others (the women covered their hair, the children had attended Islamic schools back in NY, spoke and read Arabic, prayed and fasted according to the rules of traditional Islam, professional dress at all times, ate no pork, etc). I was surprised to see other people I knew socially but had no clue they were affiliated with the NOI. Some of these people would still identify themselves as Christians. I believe that a lot of the young black men, at least in my community, were drawn more to the message of black empowerment rather than the actual religious faith aspects, and I am curious to see if that is a case in other areas of the country.

3. The author talks about Malcolm’s “reinvention” of his self. Describe what reinvention means to you. What do you expect to learn about Malcolm? Why not say his “evolution”? Are these terms synonymous?

To me, the difference between reinvention and evolution is that reinvention is the creation of a new person, whereas evolution is the progression of the same person to higher level of knowledge and maturity. For some reason, I associate a negative connotation to reinvention, to mean an almost duplicitous character, in other words, to create another persona for specific gain. That could just be my own thought process, and not what the author intended at all, but I will be honest, it was the use of the word ‘reinvention’ in the title that really piqued my curiosity and got me excited to read this book, even before having ever read the Autobiography of Malcolm X. (hide spoiler)]

Welcome, Jovita and MaryAnn! Glad to have you joining our discussion.

MaryAnn - this is the right place. You absolutely can catch up on your reading. We're just reading the prologue through chapter four this week. When you're ready, stop by here and start reading through the posts and join in. You can take a stab at the questions we're posting, or comment on anything you'd like about this week's reading. Looking forward to having you here.

Jovita wrote: "Week One Questions - Initial Impressions."

Response to Jovita - Initial Impressions

(view spoiler)[I really need to watch the Spike Lee film. I have not (it's always been on my list to watch). I have debated on whether to wait until after our discussion this month, but I think I'll be watching it this week sometime. You've definitely made me want to do it soon, as I'm a Denzel fan and if this is his best role.... ;-)

You're catching on to the theme that I think we'll be discussing all month - "reinvention". I always try and consider why should I read another book on....xxxxx. Especially as I'm reading through a book and reading the notes / citations. Why don't I just read so and so's book instead? For this book, I think (and hope) that it's a look at how Malcolm X reinvented himself throughout his life, from the time he was a young man in Michigan to Boston and New York, etc. How did he become Malcolm X and who was he? Just a persona or was that "really him"?

As for Islam, I will raise my hand to some ignorance. I came across this article that may help us out:

http://people.opposingviews.com/compa...

It compares the religion of Islam that started in the 7th century to "The Nation of Islam". The book also talks about the Lost-Found Nation of Islam. I tried and tried to find some online information about it, and have really only found a "sect" in Houston. I believe it is a splinter group or sect of NOI, following NOI as its foundation with different leaders. A little confusing and I'm hoping it will be clarified as we move forward.

Thank you for your insight with your friend. I find it interesting that the minister seemed like a baptist preacher. In my mind, as I'm reading through, I have gotten that exact impression, that NOI is more like a Southern Baptist church, using some of the tenets of Islam but the steam and verve of a charismatic preaching style.

I'm glad you are joining us on this ride. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter One Discussion Questions - Pages 15-25

(view spoiler)[1. What influenced Malcolm as he was growing up? Are you starting to see how his character was building?

2. How did life change for the Littles after Earl died? How did you think this changed their outlook on the world and Garveyism? (hide spoiler)]

Teri wrote: "Response to Jovita - Initial Impressions ..."

(view spoiler)[Thanks for the link, Teri, I really need some background information in order to compare the differences. I think one of the reasons it is hard to pin down the actual beliefs of the NOI is because those core beliefs have been constantly changing as the philosophies of the leaders have changed/evolved/developed. For instance, the Wikipedia for NOI states the group shifted to more Sunni Muslim beliefs and practices after the death of Elijah Muhammed and while under the leadership of his son, Wallace Muhammed, but that since being led by Louis Farrakhan, the ideology has moved back towards more of Elijah Muhammed's teachings, and have even incorporated some aspects of Scientology.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_...

I believe I may try to track down some of the writings of Elijah Muhammed in order to get a better understanding of their faith.

I know the 85/10/5 belief was still apart of the NOI during the early 2000s when I was having these discussions with my friend, as he often referred to himself as a "Five-Percenter", and felt strongly about that aspect of the teaching. (hide spoiler)]

Jovita wrote: "Teri wrote: "Response to Jovita - Initial Impressions ..."

Response to Jovita - Islam vs. NOI

(view spoiler)[If you come across anything noteworthy, please post in the glossary thread and if it's specific to Islam you might post in our History of Religions - Islam folder found here:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

You might even find some good material there as well to help. (hide spoiler)]

You found us! Thanks for making your way here. Sorry the app isn't so great on spoilers.

So, since this is a single threaded discussion, we use the spoiler tags whenever we discussion questions, themes, comments directly related to the book, so that those who may be behind in reading can choose what to open and read. You would use this code when typing:

You can copy and paste below to get your spoiler right:

<spoiler>Put Text Here</spoiler>

We also ask that you put a sentence (preferably in bold) above your spoiler tag as to what the response is about.

I hope that helps.

Dale wrote: "Prologue, p. 20."

Comments from Dale on Prologue

(view spoiler)[Prologue, p. 20
So, did X use all pseudonyms to deceive or re-invent himself? To me it seems to be his hustler motif. (hide spoiler)]

Response to Dale - Prologue

(view spoiler)[It does seem, at least early on, that he's just creating a personality to separate his "hustler" lifestyle and his "family" lifestyle. I'm curious to see, as we read on, how that might change. (hide spoiler)]

Dale wrote: "Teri wrote: "Chapter One Discussion Questions - Pages 15-25."

Comments from Dale on Chapter One

(view spoiler)[Earl was certainly the keystone of the fam. With his death, especially questionable, came that emotional breakdown for his wife, and, by extension, the ultimate move to NOI.

Chapter 1 thoughts: This early childhood seems not unusual for an impoverished black family. I see how influential his folks activism may have been on him.

I wonder about the interaction between the UNIA and NAACP. (hide spoiler)]

Response to Dale - Chapter One

(view spoiler)[Good point. I had not seen much about any interaction between the NAACP and NOI, but I would suspect that NAACP would have taken a friendlier, less political stance. Most of what I know about those early years of NAACP is around their Legal Defense Fund. I'll research and see what I can find. (hide spoiler)]

I do not remember when Malcolm X was assassinated as I was too young to remember. I never really learned about him in school either. I became interested in him when I was older and became interested in civil rights.

(view spoiler)[it is difficult for me to truly understand why Malcolm X started his life with him acting in such an anti-social way. I know that he came from a broken impoverished family and there were 7 children and his mother ended up in a mental institution. He was obviously trying to create a new persona of a” hustler”. And he saw white people hurting him so he created a lifestyle different from his family. He was influenced by his father Earl and his activism and his untimely death. But I also see a lack of motivation, discipline and teaching right from wrong as a child and lack of the proper role models. When you seek out thugs and want to be with them, you become one. I see how his character is evolving as I read further. I see his reinvention as the best thing to happen to him. And that is what makes his story what it is. I am anxious to read further on how he changed. (hide spoiler)]

Teri, thank you for the link about Islam and NOI. It helps me understand the differences.

Helga wrote: "I do not remember when Malcolm X was assassinated as I was too young to remember. I never really learned about him in school either. I became interested in him when I was older and became intereste..."

Response to Helga - Initial Impressions

That Islam and NOI comparison really helped me. Now to determine the difference between NOI and the Lost-Found Nation of Islam.

(view spoiler)[I just wonder, with his father gone and kind of left on his own, if he was just looking for a "family" and some acceptance. He got in with the wrong crowd and likely felt some accomplishment hustling people. I also think he had some trust issues at this point. Everywhere he went, each new circumstance he fell into, he seemed to feel he needed to create a new persona that the particular crowd he was running with would look up to. That may be the wrong words...not look up to necessarily, but may stand out to.

Let's see where this goes. I'm curious as well. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter One Discussion Questions - Pages 26 - 39

(view spoiler)[1. Compare Malcolm's life with his parents to his life when he was with his sister Ella in Boston.

2. Do you think Malcolm would have become the man he was had his parents not been in the UNIA? (hide spoiler)]

Response to Teri and the comment on acceptance

(view spoiler)[That's a really good point Teri, about X seeking acceptance and a family. It was like he was trying on different masks or costumes until something really felt like home or right. I can see that making a lot of sense. I could compare it to the idea of going off to college and maybe getting to reinvent yourself there, especially if you went away from home, etc. (hide spoiler)]

Teri wrote: "Helga wrote: "I do not remember when Malcolm X was assassinated as I was too young to remember. I never really learned about him in school either. I became interested in him when I was older and be..."

Yes, I do agree and it makes sense.

My thoughts on chapter one discussion question two

(view spoiler)[

Do you think Malcolm would have become the man he was had his parents not been in the UNIA?

Yes, because he didn't start right as an activist right away. It was not until he converted to Islam and was member of the NOI that his activism truly began. I think that his parents own beliefs fueled some of his ideas. But I still think it was possible for him become the man he was today without the influence of his parents. (hide spoiler)]

Response to Elin and Helga - Acceptance and Reinvention

(view spoiler)[So a question for us to return to later in our reading will be "At what point did Malcolm truly reinvent himself?" If he's just "trying on different masks" is he really reinventing himself or just trying on personas at this point. Is he really changing inside or just putting on a facade?

I suppose it depends on a person's definition of reinvention. In my mind, you reinvent yourself and you truly become someone different. I suppose it can be temporary and you can "reinvent yourself" many times. I think that is Marable's premise, that he's just reinventing himself to adapt to his surroundings. In my mind, he's not truly reinventing himself, but he's seeing that he can when he needs to be. I think that as he gets deep into NOI and becomes a leader and starts to truly adopt the tenets that he has then reinvented himself.

Question for everyone: What is your definition of reinvention? At what point(s) does Malcolm reinvent himself?

As we move forward, I'm sure we'll see more cases. (hide spoiler)]

Rachel wrote: "My thoughts on chapter one discussion question two"

Response to Rachel - Chapter One - Malcolm and the UNIA

(view spoiler)[I love these discussions as you guys always have me pondering more. I do think you are right, that the UNIA wasn't the cathartic thing in his life to make him into the man he was. I think he would have been an activist no matter what. But would it have been via the NOI? I do wonder if his family in Boston that encourage him to join the NOI was influenced by their dad's background with the UNIA. Would they have gotten involved with the NOI (and then brought Malcolm in) had it not been for their understanding / involvement with the UNIA? So in that respect was the UNIA a small contributor?

I know it's speculation on our part. I do wonder if they will get into this background anymore in the book. I suspect not. (hide spoiler)]

Dale - just a note, since you didn't use the spoiler tags, I just incorporated your comments in my responses and included them in spoiler tags. Please let me know if you need help with the spoiler tags. Thank you!! I removed your comments after I incorporated them in my responses.

Response to Prologue discussion questions

(view spoiler)[1. Malcolm X died on February 21, 1965. Were you alive at the time of his death? If so, do you remember hearing about his death? Did it affect you and/or your community? If you were not alive during this time, what did you know about his death prior to reading this book?

Malcolm X died 22 years before I was born. I've heard or learned (don't quite remember anymore) very little about him. As I live miles and miles away from USA, it didn't affect me or my country (or at least I don't think so). As far as I can remember, he is only briefly mentioned in the timeline of the world history in our history classes.

2. On page 14 Marable describes Malcolm X, “He was a truly historical figure in the sense that, more than any of his contemporaries, he embodied the spirit, vitality, and political mood of an entire population – black urban mid-twentieth-century America.” Yet, many African Americans at the time disagreed with Malcolm X and his teachings. What are your initial impressions of Malcolm X’s charismatic personality? Why do you think so many people were drawn to him, yet did not agree with him? We’ll learn more as the discussion progress and we read through the book and will see if your impression changes.

I think he might have been so alluring to people because he was promoting actual acting and fight for the rights of black people of USA. At that point, I believe, people were already fed up with the state of things and were contemplating violent actions in their heads (thought maybe not acting on them). It is so easy to influence people and he was offering them what they wanted...an eye for an eye. What is wrong with this whole picture is that violence breeds violence and doing more violence is not a solution to problems. It's just a vicious circle that only leads to destruction. His promotion of violent measures might be the very reason why people were opposed to his ideas (or afraid of him). (hide spoiler)]

Samanta wrote: "Response to Prologue discussion questions"

Response to Samanta - Prologue

(view spoiler)[I really had suspected (rightfully so) that Malcolm X likely was not discussed much in history outside the US. But wonder if he came to light more with Spike Lee's movie.

I think that even now, some groups see that violence gets some recognition. It gets in the news and people start listening. In that respect, it may be that some were stopping to listen to him, even though they didn't agree with him. Great comments! (hide spoiler)]