Family Questions for Final Exam

The following are the questions I accepted from the families and the points each family member received for this exercise:

BLUE FAMILY (St. Claire, LaKeysha, Drew)
I only accepted one question for which St. Claire (who submitted it) will get the full 9 points. The other two family members will get only 5 points for this exercise.

QUESTION: In the eighth grade, what did Malcolm say he wished to become, and what was his teacher's response? (2pts)
ANSWER: Malcolm wanted to be a lawyer, but his teacher said that was not a realistic goal for a Negro, that perhaps he should consider carpentry.


YELLOW FAMILY (Leighann, Brittani, Kierra)
I accepted two questions so each family member gets 9 points for this exercise. But note that I re-worded these questions.

QUESTION: What black leader and organization did Malcolm's father work for in the 1920s and 30s? (2pts)
ANSWER: Marcus Garvey & the UNIA (United Negro Improvement Association)

QUESTION: Who brought Malcolm to Roxbury (the Harlem of Boston) in the summer of 1940 and much later also helped finance his trip to Mecca for the Hajj? (1pt)
ANSWER: his step-sister, Ella Collins


GREEN FAMILY (Jessica O., Jessica H., Brandi)
I accepted all four of your questions, so each family member will receive 11 points for the exercise (9 + 2 bonus points).

QUESTION: What is the difference, according to Malcolm, between separation (which the NOI advocated) and segregation? (2pts)
ANSWER: "Segregation is when your life and liberty are controlled, regulated, by someone else. To segregate means to control. Segregation is that which is forced upon inferiors by superiors. But separation is that which is done voluntarily, by two equals -- for the good of both." (pp. 250-1, Autobiography)

QUESTION: What name did the students in Nigeria give Malcolm on his visit there? (1pt)
ANSWER: Omowhale (or, "the son who has returned")

QUESTION: In the Preface: Teaching Malcolm, what did Dyson say was the danger of his black male students trying to prove they were more black than others? (1pt)
ANSWER: He said it was a regression to the European quest for RACIAL PURITY, that distinguishes between "us" and "them."

QUESTION: Name or describe TWO of the four Malcolms that Dyson discusses in Chapter 2: X Marks the Plot: A Critical Reading of Malcolm's Readers. (2pts)
ANSWER: Two of the following: (1) hero worship/saint; (2) public moralist; (3) psychobiography and forces of history (or, victim/vehicle of psychohistorical forces); (4) revolutionary figure (judged by his career trajectory from nationalist to alleged socialist).

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So, print or copy those questions and answers out, they will be on the final exam. Remember, tomorrow (Tues. 5/6) is for review, and the final exam will be given on Thursday, 5/8. I will have your papers back on Thursday.

Final Family Activity

As we wrap up our latest family activity tomorrow (Thurs, 4/24), let me describe our final family activity which I alluded to in class a week or two ago. This will involve each family making up questions for the final exam. More specifically, I want each family to make up FOUR short-answer questions on anything we have covered in this class over the course of the semester, focusing especially on lecture material, which would also include whatever lecture notes I posted on the blog. Not only do I want the questions but also what you consider the appropriate answers. PLEASE AVOID OPEN-ENDED, ESSAY-TYPE QUESTIONS. They should be direct, objective questions (see samples below). I will try to accept at least two questions from each family, for which participating family members will get 9 points (which brings us up to 25 activity points total). For each additional question I accept, that family will earn a bonus point. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT MORE THAN FOUR QUESTIONS; I WILL ONLY CONSIDER THE FIRST FOUR. I will need these questions NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, MAY 2ND, especially if we decide to have the final on the day of our last regular class meeting, Thurs., May 8th.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS (and expected answers):

1. Soon after Malcolm hooks up with Shorty in Boston, he gets a "conk." What is that, and why is Malcolm so critical of it? (2 points)
ANSWER: It is an awful, burning concoction you put in your hair to straighten the kinks. Malcolm criticized it because he believed it was all about imitating whites.

2. What did Malcolm X mean by referring to the assassination of President Kennedy as a case of "the chickens coming home to roost?" (1 point)
ANSWER: that Pres. Kennedy was killed because of a "climate of hate and violence" his administration helped foster (for example, by supporting assassination plots against foreign leaders).

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Just a reminder: Next Tuesday, Apr. 29 I will give you an IN-CLASS essay. It might be helpful to briefly review your notes and bring them and your books along, since it will be open notebook, open book.

New Family Activity & Extra Credit Opportunity

As promised yesterday, I am posting a description of a new family activity which we will get into tomorrow. Also remember to begin reading Dyson's book, Making Malcolm.

FAMILY ACTIVITY: At the end of Chapter 6, "A New Spirit of Resistance: Malcolm and Martin on Children and Youth," Lewis Baldwin observes that: "The ideas, activities, and contributions of Malcolm and Martin are not being properly taught in schools. Consequently, youngsters from the pre-school to the college level are deprived of important lessons from the two men about social evil and how it might be challenged and transcended." (p. 240) In this context, I want each family to address the question of how Malcolm in particular should be taught, especially to younger children in elementary school. You should consider any personal experiences you have had or have heard of about how Malcolm has been taught and how your approach might be similar or different. I want each family to write up a ONE-PAGE summary of your ideas to turn in to me and to present to the class next Tuesday (4/22). I will give you some time tomorrow to discuss this in class with your family members. This is worth 5 activity points.

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EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: For 3 extra credit points, you can attend Tim Tyson's talk tomorrow (Thurs. 4/17, 11AM, McMillan Theater, CLB) on the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In addition to attending, I want you to post a one or two-paragraph comment on the talk, identifying any aspect of it that you found interesting and insightful, and tie it in to any aspect of our course. Basically, I just want to see evidence that you attended and thought about the talk in terms of our class.

Reminders

A few reminders, especially for some of you who may have missed classes this past week:
(1) One person has not turned in Essay II, which was due this past Tuesday. And a couple of you have yet to turn in Journal #4, which was due yesterday (Thurs. 3/27). Also, I handed back essay II and journal #3.
(2) You need to give some thought to your paper topic. Remember, I want a brief (paragraph) description of what you plan to do by Tuesday, April 8th, our first class after the break. You are welcome to email me your proposal over the break. I will check my email a couple times over the break.
(3) Continue reading Between Cross and Crescent. I plan to finish commenting on that within roughly two weeks after we come back, so we can move on to Dyson's book. And for the sake of your paper (i.e., to possibly get some ideas about a topic), you might want to look ahead in the reading.
(4) When I get a chance, I may post some lecture notes over the break on Chapters 3 & 4 in Between Cross and Crescent so as not to get too far behind.

Have a good break. See you in a week and a half.

Malcolm X: The Assassination by Michael Friedly & Other Notes

As I promised yesterday, I want to post some of the comments from Michael Friedly's book on the assassination, which I believe is the best, most credible one out there, along with Peter Goldman's The Death and Life Of Malcolm X.

First, with respect to the question of Louis Farrakhan's possible involvement. As I quoted from the book: "Farrakhan vehemently denies any role, directly or indirectly, in the assassination of Malcolm X, arguing that neither he nor the Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave any orders to kill their former colleague. 'I have never been investigated for any part or complicity in the assassination of Malcolm X. I have never been mentioned in the early writings on Malcolm's assassination. My name never came up, because I was not a major player in the Nation of Islam.'"
"But when Farrakhan claims that he has never been investigated for the assassination, he misses the point of arguments that he encouraged the assassination. In fact, only one of the five assassins has been investigated, but that does not prove the other four innocent. Farrakhan's claims that he never gave an order to kill Malcolm X are also misguided...."
(I would concur wholeheartedly, and add that Farrakhan's statement is completely disingenuous. The fact that he was never investigated and that four other assassins never paid for their crime is an indictment of our criminal justice system. We obviously did not care to get to the bottom of who killed Malcolm X and why.) Continuing...
"...the argument that Farrakhan was indirectly involved in the assassination is valid. His scathing articles in Muhammad Speaks and his vitriolic attacks on Malcolm X inside and outside his own mosque were certainly contributing factors in the assassination."
"Farrakhan helped create the climate of hatred that finally killed Malcolm X." (pp. 206-207)

The other passage I quoted underscored the need to remember that it was not just outside forces, such as the FBI, that hampered the civil rights movement, but also internal conflicts. As Friedly notes, "As in other movements, while the civil rights struggle was viciously attacked from the outside, it was also being challenged by internal dissension that was far less visible, but just as destructive." (p. 208)

Of course, also keep in mind those pages from The Death and Life of Malcolm X which I handed out in class about a week and a half ago.

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Notes: Remember to be giving some thought to a paper topic. I would like to have a paragraph description of what you propose, along with a suggested title. The deadline is TUESDAY, APRIL 8th.

Your 4th journal entry is due tomorrow (Thurs. 3/27). We'll have two of the three remaining people to present your entries. Then, we'll get back to Between Cross and Crescent, and hopefully get through at least Chapter 3.

Reminders & Concluding Lecture Notes on Autobiography

First, a few reminders for this upcoming week. On Tuesday, 3/11, our next class, we will take some time out to hear from each of the families regarding Spike Lee's film. Also, don't forget that your first essay is due. I know some of you missed, "Malcolm X: Make It Plain," but you can check it out of the library when you get a chance. It is a nice summation of his life with interviews with many of the actual people in his life, not to mention clips from some of Malcolm's own speeches and interviews. It is vastly superior to Spike Lee's valiant effort. As I noted in class, we are going to take some time this week to examine his assassination. I'll talk about that on Tuesday, and then we'll see another video program on Thursday which explores his assassination and some of the theories about it. Finally, as I noted in class last Thursday, we are going to postpone the due date of your next journal entry until next Tuesday, 3/18 because of the video presentation which will take up of the full time on Thursday (and then some -- about 15 minutes over).

And now to wrap up the Autobiography

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Epilogue by Alex Haley

A. Haley gives some insight into the process by which this book was written, how he collaborated with Malcolm X. Interestingly, he notes how he wasn't making much progress at first on drawing him out until he asked Malcolm about his mother.

1. Another interesting tidbit, Malcolm admitted to Haley that he had palmed that bullet in the Russian Roulette incident in his criminal days. see, p. 423.

2. Haley is particularly good in capturing the predicament Malcolm was in in Jan. 1965, a month before his death: "He talked about the pressures on him everywhere he turned, and about the frustrations, among them that no one wanted to accept anything related to him except 'my old 'hate' and 'violence' image.' He said 'the so-called moderate' civil rights organizations avoided him as 'too militant' and the 'so-called militants' avoided him as 'too moderate.' 'They won't let me turn the corner!' he once exclaimed, "I'm caught in a trap!'" (p. 431)

B. Haley's account of the assassination is not very good or precise. There are substantial questions, as we'll see.

Ossie Davis: On Malcolm X

A. I appreciate Mr. Davis's response to questions about why he eulogized Malcolm X, noting that only white people had asked him that, no black person. (If you read the eulogy, which I handed out, you'll know why.)

B. He respects Malcolm for his uncompromising commitment to search for and tell the truth.

C. And he recognizes the significant change in Malcolm's last year.


This brings to a close my comments on the Autobiography.

Again, tomorrow, in addition to hearing from you about Spike Lee's film, I'll talk about his assassination. See you then....

Next Week & More Lecture Notes on the Autobiography

Next Week: I'll be reading your journal entries over the weekend and should have them back to you on Tuesday. As I mentioned yesterday, be thinking about the film and your responses to the questions I want you to address in the family activity I described in a 2/20 post on this blog. I will give you some time next Tuesday to discuss this in class with your family members. You need to come to some consensus about your responses. On Tuesday 3/11 we will set aside some class time to hear from each of the families, and I also want each family to turn in a summary of your findings (which can be handwritten).

You should also be working on Essay I which I handed out yesterday. And remember, I want each of you to make a clear choice of which of Malcolm's conversions you believe was most significant and why.

I believe we are going to try to see "Malcolm X: Make It Plain" next Thursday, 3/6. This is one of the finest film biographies of anyone I have ever seen and it would be a fitting way to wrap up the Autobiography (which we should wrap up on Tuesday). Unfortunately, it is long (though not nearly as long as Spike Lee's movie) -- I believe 2 hrs and 15 minutes -- and I believe it is best seen as a whole. I hope most of you can stay the additional time (we should be able to wrap up by 5PM). I know a couple people will be absent, but you can see it on your own. It is the library's copy and in VHS format. If you don't have a VHS tape player, there is a room in the library where you can see it. Need to ask at the Circulation Desk. We can talk about this on Tuesday.

Below are some more lecture notes on the Autobiography. These should be the last ones I'll have to post. As you finish reading the Autobiography, make sure to read Alex Haley's Epilogue and Ossie Davis' "On Malcolm X."

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Chapter Eighteen: El Hajj Malik El Shabazz

A. Malcolm has an audience with Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia. There is still the excitement about the "Muslim from America" (often mistaken for Muhammad Ali). Malcolm felt at a loss not knowing Arabic. Prince Faisal tells Malcolm bluntly that the American Black Muslims "have the wrong Islam." (p. 354)

B. Malcolm begins to think in more international terms -- says American power structure does not want Negroes to think internationally. Malcolm feels there is real concern abroad for the plight of Afro-Americans. He goes on to note that black leaders need to expand their vision: " I think the single worst mistake of the American black organizations, and their leaders, is that they have failed to establish direct brotherhood lines of communication between the independent nations of Africa and the American black people. Why, every day, the black African heads of state should be receiving direct accounts of the latest developments in the American black man's struggles -- instead of the U.S. State Department's releases to Africans which always imply that the American black man's struggle is being 'solved.'" (p. 353)

C. Malcolm makes an interesting comment (middle of p. 355) about how the lifestyles of women reflect the values of a culture.

D. Malcolm is also deeply impressed by the warm, down-to-earth, uninhibited reception he got from Africans. Nigerian Muslims even give him another name --"OMOWHALE" which means, "the son who has returned" (p. 357) In Nigeria, he seeks to counter the U.S. Information Agency propaganda that the American civil rights problem is being solved. Ghana receives him with open arms -- in particular a little expatriate colony of Afro-Americans, among them is Maya Angelou and the widow of W.E.B. DuBois. (p. 359) Malcolm regards his highest honor to be an audience with the leader of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

1. He also recounts an awkward encounter with Muhammad Ali who had chosen to stay with the NOI.

E. Malcolm comes back to America to face the U.S. press in NYC, most of whom asked questions about the racial violence in Harlem, as if he was somehow to blame. They did not want to hear of his plan to bring the issue of human rights in the case of Afro-Americans to the United Nations.

1. He acknowledges changes in his views of whites, yet he fairly argues that racism is so deeply engrained in the white consciousness that whites are not even aware of it. (see bottom p. 369 - 370)


That brings us up to Chapter Nineteen: 1965, where we will begin on Tuesday.

Lecture Notes on the Autobiography of Malcolm X (continued from 2/22)

Before I continue my commentary on the Autobiography, let me remind you again that we will see "X" tomorrow afternoon and that will last until around 5:45PM. Also, you should be thinking about the family activity in connection with the film, which I described last week on this blog.

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Chapter Sixteen: Out

A. Malcolm comments on the worsening health of Elijah Muhammad.

B. Malcolm expresses great pride in having advanced the NOI in America. But he also identifies reservations and disappointments. As he says on p. 295, near the bottom of the page: "If I harbored any personal disappointment whatsoever, it was that privately I was convinced that our Nation of Islam could be an even greater force in the American black man's struggle -- if we engaged in more action. By that I mean I thought privately that we should have amended, or relaxed, our general non-engagement policy." He goes on to note how "militantly disciplined" Black Muslims should have been present at some of the civil rights' demonstrations such as in Birmingham. Read the following paragraph as well which continues over to p.296.

1. He notes that he personally helped open over 100 mosques throughout the U.S. As you might imagine, he had an impossible travel and speaking schedule.

C. Malcolm began to hear negative remarks about him from the upper echelon of the NOI -- that he was trying to run the whole show. Evidence of envy and jealousy. There was the completely unfounded rumor that Malcolm was making a pile of money on the side. (He was as frugal as Dr. King, who had to confront similar rumors.) There is the first hint of betrayal by Elijah Muhammad, which Malcolm caught wind of from his son, Wallace.

1. The NOI paper, Muhammed Speaks, began printing as little as possible about Malcolm. Soon, he was completely balcked out.

D. Malcolm tells the story of how he learned of Mr. Muhammad's sexual promiscuity -- two former secretaries filed paternity suits against him. Malcolm spoke with them and confirmed their stories.

E. Malcolm's comment following the Kennedy assassination leads to him being silenced by Mr. Muhammad. Check out how he justified saying it was a case of "the chickens coming home to roost." (p.307 bottom)

F. Malcolm and his family get a much needed rest when then, Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) invited them down to his training camp in Florida. Note what Malcolm says about why he liked him. (p.310) Malcolm was in Clay's corner at the Clay-Liston fight (on which one of my uncles won $500 because no one, except Malcolm and a few others, thought Clay had a chance). Malcolm gave it a Muslim vs. Christian spin. After the fight, they celebrated with ice cream!

G. Back to Mr. Muhammad, Malcolm said that, ultimately, what he could not ignore was Mr. Muhammad's deceit -- wanting to cover it up or not own up to it.

H. Malcolm discovers the first direct order for his death -- the person selected to carry this out (Bejamin 2X Goodman)went to Malcolm and told him of the plot.

I. Malcolm stresses his rapport with the ghetto masses -- that he still understands the language of the ghetto hustler. He saw black anger seething just beneath the surface of the ghetto. See pp. 317-318 He goes on to point out how the black man is "sick" spiritually, economically, politically. see p. 319 bottom - 320.
Unquestionably, there is still evidence of such sickness today.


Again, either copy or print out these notes. This brings us up to Chapter 17: Mecca, which I will begin with on Thursday.

Lecture Notes on Autobiography of Malcolm X

I thought the discussion we got into yesterday and some of your questions were good. I am sorry I may not have been as clear in my responses. But let me just add this: Like anyone, Malcolm X was far from perfect, and his ideas and accusations were often very broad and in that respect sometimes unfair. I believe we saw that in discussing his criticisms of Christianity, as well as his promotion of Islam. And I believe we'll encounter other examples such as when he tries to clarify his use of the term "white devils." In his defense, I would say that making accusations that were very stark and sweeping was part of his stock in trade and necessary to get people (black or white) to sit up and take notice, just as Dr. King used the tool of nonviolent demonstrations to get people's attention.

Since I was not able to make much progress in my commentary, I am going to post what I had planned to address, with references to the text. I may also add some more on Monday, so that we can wrap up the Autobiography fairly soon (perhaps by next Thursday). You should either print these notes out or copy them down and put them in your notebook for future reference, especially for the sake of the final exam.

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We left off in the middle of Chapter 14 where Malcolm is talking about the documentary, "The Hate That Hate Produced," which brought him and the NOI into national attention.

A. One of the issues he addresses is the difference between SEPARATION (which the NOI advocated) and SEGREGATION. Malcolm addresses this very clearly at the bottom of p.250 over to p. 251. In part he says: "... segregation is when your life and liberty are controlled, regulated by someone else. To segregate means to control. Segregation is that which is forced upon inferiors by superiors. But separation is that which is done voluntarily, by two equals -- for the good of both!"

B. Malcolm X was also frequently accused of inciting violence. But as we noted in class, despite his rhetoric, he was never personally involved in any violent incident or uprising (for example, as when Brother Hinton was beat up by the police).

C. Around this time Malcolm becomes aware that his phone was tapped and he was being watched. Black agents were sent to infiltrate the NOI, some of whom were converted in the process.

D. Toward the end of this chapter, he highlights the NOI's success in rehabilitating drugs addicts. And I would say that their approach makes a lot of sense and is based on sound principles. See pp. 264-265. A bit later, Malcolm even suggests that perhaps the government should consider funding their efforts, which I believe is as justified as other religious organizations getting government funds to provide various social services under President Bush's "faith-based initiative."

Chapter Fifteen: Icarus

A. Malcolm notes that a lot of the mail he received, mostly from whites, basically agreed with him. Only a few cranks and death threats. Comparatively, King received more death threats.

B. He clarifies his use of the term "white devils." See bottom p. 271. He emphasizes whites as a collective entity. I see his point, but it still does not necessarily justify it though.

1. In this context, he also suggests there was a clear racist motivation behind the internment of the Japanese in America during WWII, and why German Americans were not also rounded up. (Malcolm later befriended a Japanese American woman and activist who had been interned, Yuri Kochiyama.)

C. White reporters liked to manuever him to criticize other civil rights leaders, especially King.

1. The Southern press blacked him out, except for his attacks on Northern liberals. He said at one point, "Snakes couldn't have turned on me faster than the liberal." (bottom, p. 276)

2. Malcolm also states a nice metaphor for how far he believed civil rights had advanced. "I can't turn around without hearing about some civil rights advance! White people seem to think the black man ought to be shouting 'hallelujah'! Four hundred years the white man has had his foot-long knife in the black man's back -- and now the white man starts to wiggle the knife out, maybe six inches! The black man's supposed to be grateful? Why, if the white man jerked the knife out, it's still going to leave a scar!" (p. 275)

D. Human rights! Respect as human beings! that's what America's blacks want. Malcolm goes on to describe this basic point further and contrast that with the push for mere "civil rights" and integration. Read carefully and think about how relevant some of his comments are to the status of black-white relations even today. (all of pp. 278-279)

E. He criticizes Negroes who try to imitate whites. He also criticizes interracial marriage in a color hostile world. (he does change a bit on this issue during his last year.)

F. Malcolm makes an important statement about the importance of "black self-help," that is, blacks focusing on improving and building up their own communities. Read the first half of p. 281. As he stresses, whites cannot give blacks self-respect, that's something blacks have to do themselves.

G. Malcolm was at the famous "March on Washington," which he ridiculed as the "Farse on Washington." I would agree he is too harsh and cynical about this great event. But he did have a point about it being stage-managed by whites in the Kennedy Adm. They even threatened to pull the plug on the public address system if John Lewis did not cut out some critical comments in his speech (which he reluctantly agreed to do). Think of it -- the crowd or the country and the world may never have heard Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech (which, incidentally, FBI director Hoover called pure demagoguery).

H. At this time (1963), Malcolm X was the second most sought-after speaker on college campuses (just behind Barry Goldwater, Republican presidential candidate in 1964). Malcolm is quite praiseworthy of these largely white college audiences. See p. 288 and see if you think Wofford or colleges and universities today measure up.

I. Malcolm is frequently accused of being anti-Semitic because he often attacks Jewish businesses which exploited the black ghettos. But he tries to make clear that his main target is exploitation itself, no matter who or what group is behind it.

J. He tells an interesting, moving story at the end of the chapter about seeing his old burglary hideout out a window when he is addressing an audience at Harvard, and he is momentarily overwhelmed by the thought of how Islam had lifted him out of the muck of his former existence. p. 293.

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That brings us up to Chapter Sixteen. I may post some more lecture notes on Monday. See you Tuesday 2/26 when we'll see "X" and keep in mind the family activity I want you to do.

Family Activity on "X"

As you know, we will be seeing Spike Lee's film biography of Malcolm X, "X", next Tuesday, 2/26. Again, be prepared for a long session. If we begin at 2:30 and have a brief intermission, we won't wrap up until around 5:45. By next Tuesday I trust that you will be nearing the end of the Autobiography. Below is a family activity we'll be doing in conjunction with viewing the film.

FAMILY ACTIVITY ON "X"

In the spirit of the letter I wrote to Spike Lee on behalf of an Interim class I was teaching when his film was in production (reproduced below), I would like each of the families to consider how you would have advised him in making his film biography of Malcolm X. Would you have emphasized some different aspects of his life? What do you believe he did right, and what was done poorly? Or, how would you defend his work as it is? Following our viewing of the film next week, I want each family to discuss the above questions and arrive at some consensus on the answers. Then, I want each of the families to compose a response to those questions (2-3 pages, at most), which you will present to the class. I will give you some class time to confer with your fellow family members, but it may also be necessary to get together outside of class. At this point I am not sure when you will be called upon to present your findings, but you'll have at least a week or more to put something together. This activity is worth 6 points and everyone has to participate to earn those points.

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Letter to Spike Lee:

Mr. Spike Lee
124 Dekalb Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Dear Mr. Lee, January 21, 1992

We the participants in Interim Project #301: "Malcolm, Martin, and Racial Issues in the 1990s," applaud your efforts to make a film based on the life of Malcolm X. As we are sure you know as well as anyone, it is an imposing task to bring to the screen the complex life of this much misunderstood, and often unfairly maligned, man who spoke so powerfully on behalf of African Americans. We feel his is a story that needs to be told and remembered as much as the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.. We understand that your efforts have met with criticism and skepticism from some segments of the black community. In light of this, you will find enclosed short essays from each of us addressing the broad question of how we would have tried to tackle the story of Malcolm X, what we would have emphasized. We realize that your film is probably near completion or finished, but you might find the enclosed essays entertaining, perhaps even informative. Please do not regard these essays as further criticism or efforts at arm-chair directing, but more as an extended fan letter from some students who have been studying the life and philosophy of Malcolm X and who hope and trust that your film will be truly great.

With kindest regards,

Response to YouTube Comments

Thanks for all your responses for which each of you will earn 5 activity points. I would encourage all of you to take a few minutes and read the comments of your classmates, if you haven't already. Just go back to that post and click on the title of it and it will display all ten comments for you to read.

If I had to summarize your remarks, I would say there was unanimous agreement that Malcolm X's message is still relevant. Most of you commented on the continuing lack of awareness of African American history and the African roots of slaves. But as a couple of you noted, going all the way back to Africa is not as important as understanding more about blacks' history in America -- that African Americans are Americans first and foremost and knowing one's African roots is less important in terms of knowing "who you are."

Malcolm X's comment on democracy being hypocrisy was also seen as relevant, given the fact that there is evidence of continuing racial discrimination and inequality in our society today. I would add a historical point to this. Back in the early 1960s, Malcolm's comment about American democracy was meant in part to expose the hypocrisy of our State Department spreading propaganda about our great "democracy" to Africa and elsewhere to counter the inroads being made by the Soviet Union or China who were advocating socialism or communism. Other civil rights leaders also highlighted our hypocrisy in order to shame our government leaders into doing something about racism and segregation. At the time (as we'll see later), I believe Malcolm X was justified in pushing for a United Nations' resolution condemning the U.S. for its human rights' abuses just as South Africa's apartheid system was condemned.

YouTube Clip of Malcolm X Exercise

At the end of our first class yesterday I showed a brief clip of Malcolm X entitled "Who Are You?". You can find that clip if you want to review it by going to YouTube and simply typing in Malcolm X. What I want you to do, again, is to post a comment on it, addressing the question of whether you believe what Malcolm X says is "ancient" history (i.e., just of historical interest) or whether it has any relevance to our time? You're welcome to make any other observation you'd like to make about it. I am just looking for a couple paragraphs. I forgot to mention yesterday that this exercise is worth 5 activity points. The deadline for submitting your comment is next Tuesday (2/12).

Also, as I noted at the end of class, begin reading the Autobiography for class tomorrow. See you then.

Welcome

Dear students of Malcolm X, Welcome to the course blog for Sociology 306: The Sociological Lessons of the Life and Times of Malcolm X. This blog will give us an opportunity to extend our discussion of the issues presented in this course. I will use this blog from time to time to post lecture material, if I happen to get behind, and reminders regarding essays, journal entries, exams, or other course activities. More importantly, it will give you an opportunity to post comments and questions and react to comments I or your classmates may post. I would recommend that, as a rule, you check the blog at least once a week.