Follow-Up To Mr. Hanif's Presentation & Looking Ahead

I trust that all of you learned something about the Hajj and some other Muslim rituals from Mr. Hanif who experienced this first-hand. In this brief follow-up, I'd like to underscore a few broad points from his talk which are especially pertinent to understanding Malcolm X's (or Malik Shabazz's, as Mr. Hanif often referred to him) experience in Mecca.

1. First and foremost, as Mr. Hanif tried to impress on you throughout his talk, this is an INTENSE, PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY DEMANDING EXPERIENCE, WHICH CAN HAVE PROFOUND EFFECTS ON THE PERSON WHO GOES THROUGH IT.

a.) Mr. Hanif talked a lot about the physical demands which one has to endure with patience -- all the walking, running, sleeping in tents and in the open, dealing with the heat and cold, sickness, even death for some, which, as he noted, was a common occurence and seen as guaranteeing one's place in heaven.

2. When you go on the hajj you have to be ready financially, have no debts, make sure your family is provided for, make out your will. You go as if you are going to die; you leave everything behind, especially material possessions. Letting go of material possessions, of this world, prepares one to be alone with God (Allah) as on the plain of Arafat.

3. Mr. Hanif also noted how this experience with so many other Muslims from all corners of the globe breaks down barriers between people and forces you to be dependent on your fellow Muslims. He noted that this brotherhood aspect had a great impact on Malcolm X which led him to change his views on other ethnic groups, especially whites. And Mr. Hanif felt Malcolm X was very sincere in expressing his changed beliefs.

4. One can imagine that just as Mr. Hanif noted how he had changed as a person after the hajj, that Malcolm X experienced something similar -- but in Malcolm X's case he was under such pressure when he got back to the U.S. due to assassination threats, trying to get his fledgling OAAU organization off the ground, among other things, that he never really had the chance to become the new person the hajj experience may have given rise to.

PLEASE COPY OR PRINT OUT THE ABOVE POINTS. IF I ASK YOU ANYTHING ABOUT MR. HANIF'S PRESENTATION ON THE FINAL EXAM IT WILL COME FROM THESE POINTS.

As Mr. Hanif closed his presentation, he was also sincere in his open invitation to anyone in the class to ask him any further questions. Although he works mostly in a back room in the library, you will find him occasionally manning the Reference Desk on the first floor.

Finally, at our next meeting, I will hand out a couple brief articles Mr. Hanif shared with me several years ago which highlight some of the serious differences between the NOI ideology and orthodox Islam.
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LOOKING AHEAD: I believe next week (March 9th) I am going to go ahead and show that documentary I mentioned briefly in class, "Malcolm X: Make It Plain". It runs 2 hours, and we will do it in the latter half of our class. It is a nice summation of his life and philosophy. I assume that all or most of you have finished the Autobiography by now, so you should be ready for this.

Also next week, your second set of 5 journal entries are due. And Frances, Annie, Michaela, Sami will be called upon to present one of your entries to the class. I assume that this second set will focus on passages and events later in the Autobiography. Of course, you are also welcome to comment on some aspect of Mr. Hanif's presentation.

The first essay assignment I handed out yesterday will not be due until Tuesday, March 16th, but you certainly can begin to work on that at any time.

Since I probably won't have much time to wrap up my comments on the Autobiography next time (due to the video presentation), I will do my wrap up on the 16th and perhaps also make the transition to talking about Malcolm X's assassination. After this, we will then get into Between Cross and Crescent.

Finally, I hope to have a write-up of the paper assignment (which will be due near the end the semester) next time as well.

See you then.

Commentary on the Autobiography

Given that I did not make as much progress as I hoped yesterday, I am going to post some of my commentary on the Autobiography on the blog so that I don't get too far behind. I may also add to this before our next class. REMEMBER TO INCORPORATE THIS IN YOUR NOTES.

We left off yesterday in Chapter 13 talking about Malcolm X's proposal to Sister Betty and his rather dim view of Hollywood romanticism. In this context --

E. Malcolm makes an interesting comment about the Western "love" concept being basically lust, which he believes may contribute to divorce later on. In contrast, he suggests that Islam has a healthier view. He says, "You see, Islam is the only religion that gives both husband and wife a true understanding of what love is....love transcends the physical. Love is disposition, behavior, attitude, thoughts, likes, dislikes -- these things make a beautiful woman, a beautiful wife. This is the beauty that never fades. You find in your Western civilization that when a man's wife's physical beauty fails, she loses her attraction. But Islam teaches us to look into the woman, and teachers her to look into us." (p. 237)
ANY TRUTH TO THIS? IS HE BEING FAIR TO WESTERN CIVILIZATION (OR CHRISTIANITY)?

F. He then recounts a Black Muslim response to an incident of police brutality (pp. 237-239) in Harlem, which gave them increased visibility and credibility. It also revealed the power Malcolm seemed to have over his followers, which the police were in awe of. (The way he tells this story is much less dramatic than it actually was.)

Chapter 14: Black Muslims

A. He opens by giving some background on the nation-wide TV program, the Mike Wallace Show, "The Hate That Hate Produced." Around the same time he also started the NOI newspaper, "Muhammad Speaks."

1. Notes the shock effect of the TV program -- that these Black Muslims had the audacity to preach hatred of whites. He comments that it focused on "shocker images." The reaction to it by the national press was "over the top" too. (see pp. 242-243)

2. Americans seemed much more obsessed with the "hate" point than Europeans.

3. Opens floodgates of criticism to which Malcolm responded in an increasingly more determined fashion. For example, Malcolm says, "For the white man to ask the black man if he hates him is just like the rapist asking the raped, or the wolf asking the sheep, 'Do you hate me?' The white man is in no moral position to accuse anyone else of hate!" (p. 245)

4. Malcolm was especially infuriated by other Negro leaders attacking the Nation of Islam. It is in this context that he makes the distinction between "house" and "field" Negroes during the days of slavery. Malcolm sympathized with the field Negro; these critics (or "Uncle Toms," as he called them) were the house Negroes. (see p. 243)

B. He always tried to interject some HISTORY, but reporters resisted this. Notes also how his words would get twisted. SEE ALL OF PAGE 247, especially the middle of that page.

1. In this context, he notes how frequently he felt he had to explain the difference between SEPARATION and SEGREGATION. He insisted that the NOI was not advocating some sort of REVERSE SEGREGATION. See bottom paragraph, p. 250-top p. 251.

2. He was also frequently accused of inciting violence.

C. He expresses some further admiration for Elijah Muhammad. Presents a typical speech by Mr. Muhammmad (pp. 258-261)

D. Around this time, Malcolm's phone was tapped and he was being watched. Black agents were sent to infiltrate the NOI, and some were converted in the process.

E. Notes the Black Muslims' success in curing drug addiction (pp. 264-265), which was based on sound psychological principles. Malcolm even suggests that perhaps the government should subsidize their efforts (sort of like Pres. Bush's "faith-based initiative").

F. In general, the NOI was flourishing as of 1961, due in no small part to Malcolm X's efforts.

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That brings us up to Chapter 15: Icarus. I may blog some more commentary, if I get a chance, before next Tuesday's class.

Reminders

First, I've decided not to post any lecture notes on the Autobiography yet. We'll see how far we get next Tuesday (2/23).

Second, let me remind you that next Tuesday (2/23) your first set of 5 journal entries are due. Also, five of you volunteered to present one of your entries in class next Tuesday. They are: Lauren, Jeremy, Sarah, Emily, Arsenio.

Finally, check out the previous blog post for a description of an extra credit opportunity in connection with attending any Black History Month event.

See you next Tuesday.

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: Black History Month Events

By attending any of the Black History Month events, even those that have already taken place, you may earn 3 extra credit points. What I want you to do to earn those points is attend the event, of course, and then post a response (or comment) on this blog post. In that response, I want you to give a brief description of the event you attended and then briefly reflect on how it relates to Malcolm X. You should be able to do this in two paragraphs or so. Some events would be easier to relate than others. For example, I know some of you went to hear Rep. Bakari Sellars. If you did, you might reflect on what Malcolm X might have thought of Mr. Sellars and some of the things he said. I realize you are just now learning about who Malcolm X was and what he stood for, so it is ok if you delay posting your response until you have digested more of the Autobiography. In terms of events, this would also include the film based on Tim Tyson's book, "Blood done sign my name." Regarding that film, you may see it when you get a chance, but there is a group going to the opening this Friday at 7:30PM at the Hollywood 20 theater on Woodruff Rd. in Greenville.

I realize that 3 points does not sound like much, but it is early in the semester and there will probably be more such opportunities. Also, I hope you will be able to attend more than one such event, even if you can only get some extra credit points for one of them.

I may be posting some lecture notes on the Autobiography later this week, so we don't get too far behind. As it stands now, we are almost up to Chapter 7. I will also post a reminder for those who volunteered to read one of their journal entries in class next week.

First Exercise & Reminders

As you recall midway in our class yesterday I showed you a one-minute clip of Malcolm X addressing the question "Who Are You?". You can find this clip on YouTube: just type in "Malcolm X Who Are You?" and hit search. What I want you to do for this exercise is to post a comment on this clip, addressing the question of whether you believe what Malcolm X says is "ancient history" (i.e., no longer really relevant or just of historical interest) or whether it continues to have some relevance for our time? You're welcome to make any other observations you'd like to make about it. I'm just looking for a couple paragraphs at most. Please try to submit your comment before our next class, next Tuesday, Feb. 16th. This exercise is worth 5 points.

REMINDERS:
**As we agreed this is going to be a once-a-week seminar (Tues. 2:30-5:30) Be prepared to go the full time next week and in the future.
**The reading assignment I gave in The Autobiography of Malcolm X for next week is to read thru Chapter 11. Read carefully; no need to rush through. And don't forget that you might consider writing at least one or two journal entries based on some interesting passages you might want to comment on. If you have any questions about that journal assignment don't hesitate to email me or raise those questions next Tuesday when we get together again.
**Next week I'll ask for five volunteers to present one of those journal entries on Tuesday, Feb. 23rd when the first set of five is due.

See you next week.

Welcome to SOC. 306 Blog: Spring 2010

Welcome to the place in the "blogosphere" set up for this course, Sociology 306: The Sociological Lessons of the Life and Times of Malcolm X. We will be using this space over the course of the semester for what I call "individual and group activities and exercises," and for occasional posting of lecture notes and reminders. I would suggest that you check this site out at least once a week. I will usually give you notice in class if I will be posting anything on this blog or if there is an activity I'd like you to do. Often, if I feel that I did not do a terribly good job presenting something in class, I may use this blog space to make amends and try to clarify or elaborate on some remarks I made in class. You will need to check this blog prior to the final exam for some questions (and answers) that will appear on that test. Finally, I hope you will feel free to use this space to post any questions or comments you may not feel comfortable verbalizing in class.

BY THE END OF THIS FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES I WILL BE POSTING A "GET-YOUR-FEET-WET" INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE TO GET YOU ACCUSTOMED TO USING THIS BLOG. BE LOOKING FOR IT.

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.