Malcolm X and Africa

Malcolm X and Africa Synopsis

In the current context of the Black Lives Matter movement, this book which examines the seminal contributions of Malcolm X and his explorations of his African roots could not be timelier. The book details the significant impact of Malcolm X s legacy on Africana thought in the context of the US Black freedom movement and anticolonial nationalism in Africa in the age of decolonization. Through Malcolm X s spirited commitment to Black internationalism during these turbulent moments in world history, this book integrates the story of the US Black freedom movement with the struggle for self-determination in Africa. The book, which provides a valuable account of the politics of race in US society, as well as Pan-Africanism in the 1960s, is in many ways pathbreaking. In the historic encounters that ensued in an emerging world where major powers sought the loyalty of political rulers in newly independent African states, Malcolm X traveled long distance to forge alliances, cultivated countless friendships, and also acquired many enemies, all the while sticking to a principled position as the courageous inspiration for the growing radicalism in the US Black freedom movement. While the conventional image of Malcolm as the great liberator is vividly presented in the book, readers are also treated to engaging narrative that presents Malcolm X as a simple man, who was vulnerable to the dangers of a turbulent world. And on the African side of the Atlantic, the authors treated this reader to riveting stories of African nationalists of divergent ideological stripes--radical, liberal, and conservative--whether from newly independent states or Southern Africa colonies still striving for liberation. Malcolm X and Africa is an essential read for students and scholars in Africana studies, history, and political science.