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ferdy_goat's review against another edition
2.0
I did not enjoy this book.
In a lot of ways it shows the narrow and, frankly, ridiculous world view young Malcom X had while part of the Nation of Islam. However, this series of speeches is important in understanding the slow change in Malcom X that led him from a conspiracy theorist that believed white people were created by an evil scientist to the iconic anti-imperialist civil rights leader we remember him as today.
If only he had been with us longer after leaving the Nation of Islam.
In a lot of ways it shows the narrow and, frankly, ridiculous world view young Malcom X had while part of the Nation of Islam. However, this series of speeches is important in understanding the slow change in Malcom X that led him from a conspiracy theorist that believed white people were created by an evil scientist to the iconic anti-imperialist civil rights leader we remember him as today.
If only he had been with us longer after leaving the Nation of Islam.
magicseaweed's review against another edition
5.0
I found it interesting to read exactly what was preached instead of being given a high level summary of how people remember Malcom X. However I do think it’s important for people to consider the context of that time period if they do read this.
This book is truly eye opening. It’s wild to see the journey America has taken since his time and to know more about the important part he played.
This book is truly eye opening. It’s wild to see the journey America has taken since his time and to know more about the important part he played.
bibliotequeish's review against another edition
3.0
There are some pretty outrageous statements in these speeches. And while I do not agree with many points in this book, I can appreciate and respect the passion, and anger behind the sentiments.
jaybirdt's review against another edition
4.75
“Send us back to our Homelands, White America. But just know we’re not leaving empty handed. We’ll take our respective shares and leave you be.”
danicapage's review against another edition
2.0
This one was hard for me to get through. I'm not sure it was the best introduction to Malcolm X. I'll need to read more by him and then perhaps come back to this one. I hate giving it 2 stars, but I just had a hard time with it.
I'll return to it once I have more context.
I'll return to it once I have more context.
jakeyjake's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting. Listened on audible Aug 5.2019. well-narrated. Probably better than reading with eyes for this one.
First speech is from 1962. Entitled "Black Man's History." Very intriguing speech that starts with the premise that the difference between African Americans and white people is that African Americans don't know their history. He talks about black being the original color of humans and proposes that Islam is much, much older than all other religions. Spends a lot of time on Islam history and dunks on the Jews for a while.
The most interesting part of this speech to me is his telling of a sort of theological creation and world history in which the Jacob of the old testament is a trickster who six thousand years ago was able to trick the Islamic leaders into giving him his own group of people who were prophecied to take over for a duration of six thousand years before being brought down again. Jacob's people, he says (note: he repeatedly ascribes all of these teachings to "the honorable Elijah Muhammad") were/are the white people. I thought this was fascinating. I think it is in this speech that he talks about how white people (especially white women) love dogs, while Black people don't, and uses this as an example of white people's devil nature. I don't believe this particular account of history, but I find it no less likely than many other religious believers' ideas and, regardless of its historical veracity, very intriguing as a sort of parable/metaphor/or just plain story.
In the second speech, he speaks on the need for African Americans to not integrate or segregate, but separate. That African Americans should be given a space, either back in Africa or at least a 1/7 of the more fertile, mineral rights US land and a 20 year financing to get started.
The question and answer section is really interesting bc he gets asked some pretty pointed questions. He's very charismatic and smart.
In one of the later speeches he lays out how the big six civil rights leaders are just white liberal’s puppets. And also how the March on Washington was controlled by shrewd politicians to be completely compliant (even that white liberals joined in the march and kept it from going to Pentagon and other buildings where they would've caused more problems on the streets). I wonder how much of what he talks about here is still true today. And as a white liberals myself, am I just the same?
First speech is from 1962. Entitled "Black Man's History." Very intriguing speech that starts with the premise that the difference between African Americans and white people is that African Americans don't know their history. He talks about black being the original color of humans and proposes that Islam is much, much older than all other religions. Spends a lot of time on Islam history and dunks on the Jews for a while.
The most interesting part of this speech to me is his telling of a sort of theological creation and world history in which the Jacob of the old testament is a trickster who six thousand years ago was able to trick the Islamic leaders into giving him his own group of people who were prophecied to take over for a duration of six thousand years before being brought down again. Jacob's people, he says (note: he repeatedly ascribes all of these teachings to "the honorable Elijah Muhammad") were/are the white people. I thought this was fascinating. I think it is in this speech that he talks about how white people (especially white women) love dogs, while Black people don't, and uses this as an example of white people's devil nature. I don't believe this particular account of history, but I find it no less likely than many other religious believers' ideas and, regardless of its historical veracity, very intriguing as a sort of parable/metaphor/or just plain story.
In the second speech, he speaks on the need for African Americans to not integrate or segregate, but separate. That African Americans should be given a space, either back in Africa or at least a 1/7 of the more fertile, mineral rights US land and a 20 year financing to get started.
The question and answer section is really interesting bc he gets asked some pretty pointed questions. He's very charismatic and smart.
In one of the later speeches he lays out how the big six civil rights leaders are just white liberal’s puppets. And also how the March on Washington was controlled by shrewd politicians to be completely compliant (even that white liberals joined in the march and kept it from going to Pentagon and other buildings where they would've caused more problems on the streets). I wonder how much of what he talks about here is still true today. And as a white liberals myself, am I just the same?
jennderqueer's review against another edition
5.0
This was very hard to read. Part of me instinctively wanted to reject a lot of what I was reading simply because "not all white people," so I forced myself to sit with that for a long time and to understand and remember that in general, from the perspective of the oppressed, what Malcolm X said about the 'white race' is true. His anger is justified. And I think everyone would be well-served to listen to his words and try to understand what he's saying - especially now.