First published 2011
Manning Marable chronicles the extraordinary transformations of America's most radical civil rights leader in this Pulitzer Prize-winning biography. Born Malcolm Little in a small Midwest town to an impoverished black family, the future activist lived under many identities: Homeboy, Jack Carlton, Detroit Red, Big Red, Satan, Malachi Shabazz, Malik Shabazz, and El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. During the 1940s, he worked as a thief, drug dealer, and pimp before landing in prison. Behind bars, he discovered Islam and transformed himself through self-directed study of the Quran. Marable follows Malcolm's journey across dozens of American cities and through travels to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. The author reveals how the same rebellious personality drove all of Malcolm's reinventions, from street criminal to brilliant orator fighting racism and social injustice. The biography shows Malcolm's evolution from radical separatist to advocate for peace between peoples, tracking his path until his assassination cut short his final transformation into a global spokesman for the oppressed.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, african-american, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: redemption, transformation
Setting: America, Africa, Europe, Middle East
Period: 1940s, 20th-century
608 pages · Hardcover · Viking Adult