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Nearly 50 years after his assassination, Malcolm X continues to stir deep emotions among Americans.
Many black people view him as one of the key figures in the push for equal rights during the 20th century. He refused to be limited by the dominant society and demanded justice.
On the other hand, Malcolm X embodies the stereotypical angry black man in the minds of many whites. Upsetting their sense of cultural privilege, his defiance still unnerves them.
This strongly suggests our society is not as post-racial as we’d like to believe. Black people must still battle against the plague of racism, and whites continue to undercut their efforts.
Elmhurst College will host a presentation next week by Wendy Wolf, an editor at Viking Books, on a recent biography of Malcolm X. The book, titled “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention,” was written by Columbia University scholar Manning Marable.
Collecting material on Malcolm X for nearly 20 years, Marable tragically died last year just a few days before his book was published. Wolf will discuss her experience of working with Marable on his book and what lessons we can learn today.
“Malcolm and Manning were very different men — one was a man of the streets propelled for much of his life by anger; the other was a scholar brimming with hope — but they were united in their ceaseless efforts on behalf of social justice,” Wolf told me via email. “Manning bridged new frontiers in African American history, and he inspired a generation of young historians to reach beyond the classroom — not just to do history, but to make history. Malcolm and Manning shared a vision of a just and peaceful world, and both had voices that were silenced far too soon, when they each had so much more to tell and teach us.”
Wolf’s presentation will be held at 4 p.m. Feb. 7 in the Founders Lounge of the Frick Center at Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., in Elmhurst. The event is free and open to the public.
I doubt Wolf’s lecture will settle all questions of how we should view Malcolm X and interpret his legacy in American society. But it will continue the dialogue on one of the most intriguing and complex personalities in American history, and this indeed is a good thing.
Jerry Moore is the opinions editor for Suburban Life Publications. Contact him at (630) 368-8930 or jmoore@mysuburbanlife.com.
Nearly 50 years after his assassination, Malcolm X continues to stir deep emotions among Americans.
Many black people view him as one of the key figures in the push for equal rights during the 20th century. He refused to be limited by the dominant society and demanded justice.
On the other hand, Malcolm X embodies the stereotypical angry black man in the minds of many whites. Upsetting their sense of cultural privilege, his defiance still unnerves them.
This strongly suggests our society is not as post-racial as we’d like to believe. Black people must still battle against the plague of racism, and whites continue to undercut their efforts.
Elmhurst College will host a presentation next week by Wendy Wolf, an editor at Viking Books, on a recent biography of Malcolm X. The book, titled “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention,” was written by Columbia University scholar Manning Marable.
Collecting material on Malcolm X for nearly 20 years, Marable tragically died last year just a few days before his book was published. Wolf will discuss her experience of working with Marable on his book and what lessons we can learn today.
“Malcolm and Manning were very different men — one was a man of the streets propelled for much of his life by anger; the other was a scholar brimming with hope — but they were united in their ceaseless efforts on behalf of social justice,” Wolf told me via email. “Manning bridged new frontiers in African American history, and he inspired a generation of young historians to reach beyond the classroom — not just to do history, but to make history. Malcolm and Manning shared a vision of a just and peaceful world, and both had voices that were silenced far too soon, when they each had so much more to tell and teach us.”
Wolf’s presentation will be held at 4 p.m. Feb. 7 in the Founders Lounge of the Frick Center at Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., in Elmhurst. The event is free and open to the public.
I doubt Wolf’s lecture will settle all questions of how we should view Malcolm X and interpret his legacy in American society. But it will continue the dialogue on one of the most intriguing and complex personalities in American history, and this indeed is a good thing.
Jerry Moore is the opinions editor for Suburban Life Publications. Contact him at (630) 368-8930 or jmoore@mysuburbanlife.com.
