Categories

Rare & Collectible Books at AbeBooks.com
ADVERTISEMENT
smiling women posing together

Unlocking Joy and Success: The Philosophy Behind ‘Fun at Work’

07/08/2025
brown t rex statue

The Enduring Legacy of ‘Jurassic Park’: A Deep Dive into Michael Crichton’s Masterpiece

07/05/2025
    Please install/update and activate JNews Instagram plugin.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Advertise
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
Thursday, July 10, 2025
  • Login
A Book Geek
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
    • About
  • Book Club
  • Holidays
  • Quotes & Sayings
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • About
  • Book Club
  • Holidays
  • Quotes & Sayings
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
A Book Geek
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Book News Controversy

Missing Malcolm X Writings Surface Again

Esther Lombardi by Esther Lombardi
02/24/2024
in Controversy
Reading Time: 2 mins read
432 27
A A
1
Missing Malcolm X Writings Surface Again

It’s the stuff of recent Malcolm X legend! Born with the name “Malcolm Little,” he was a Muslim minister and human rights activist. He is also one of the most important figures in the 20th century, known for the book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which was finished and published shortly after his assassination in 1965 — without three chapters, which were considered especially controversial.

While there is some anecdotal evidence that the chapters still existed, as part of Alex Haley’s papers. According to The New York Times, “one biographer was allowed a 15-minute look at some papers, but otherwise, they have been mostly locked away, surrounded by a haze of cultivated mystery.” That is, until now.

RelatedPosts

The Doomsday Clock: A Literary Journey Through Time’s Most Ominous Timepiece

Blazing Pages: The Fiery Legacy of Wildfires in Literature

The Literary Phenomenon of 2024: Unveiling the Unputdownable Bestsellers of the Year

While there’s no mention of the entirety of the missing material, the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture purchased at least one “lost” chapter, entitled “The Negro” at auction. Then they negotiated the purchase of “nearly a dozen other unpublished fragments.

The (re)appearance of previously “missing” or “lost” manuscripts is always exciting to scholars and academics. In this case, in particular, the papers could offer further insight into Malcolm X — the controversies of his life and writings.

Why The Controversy – Banned Book?

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is banned due to its controversial societal views on racism, violence, and politics. Alex Haley put together the book based on a series of interviews he’d conducted in 1963 and 1965. There has been some debate as to how much influence Haley really had on the “voice” of Malcolm X (some sources even refer to Haley as a ghostwriter), but there’s a wealth of evidence to substantiate his views on many of the his most controversial topics, including: black pride, black nationalism, and pan-Africanism.

Of course, even with the combination of controversial and incendiary ideas, the book is regularly regarded as one of the most influential books in American literature. Still, critics have called for banning and censoring The Autobiography of Malcolm X for fear that it would incite violence or intensify the racial divide.

In 1993, parents challenged the book under claims that it “disrupted racial harmony,” and Jacksonville students were only allowed to check the book out of the library if they had a permission slip from their parents.

Education of Malcolm X

Some critics have also denounced the Autobiography as dangerous due to his views on education. Some point to his criticism of a “one paragraph” depiction of black history in his school textbook, through which his teacher laughed as he read aloud about “slaves and then were freed, and how they were usually lazy and dumb and shiftless…”

With such a rich history of controversy, the unpublished material may offer even more insight into Malcolm X. As Kevin Young said when he purchased the unpublished writings, “To have the version with Malcolm X’s corrections, and to be able to see his thoughts taking shape, is incredibly powerful.”

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Share165Tweet103
Esther Lombardi

Esther Lombardi

Esther A. Lombardi is a freelance writer and journalist with more than two decades of experience writing for an array of publications, online and offline. She also has a master's degree in English Literature with a background in Web Technology and Journalism. 

Related Posts

The Doomsday Clock: A Literary Journey Through Time’s Most Ominous Timepiece
Apocalyptic

The Doomsday Clock: A Literary Journey Through Time’s Most Ominous Timepiece

01/29/2025
4k
Blazing Pages: The Fiery Legacy of Wildfires in Literature
Disaster

Blazing Pages: The Fiery Legacy of Wildfires in Literature

01/09/2025
4k
The Literary Phenomenon of 2024: Unveiling the Unputdownable Bestsellers of the Year
Banned Books

The Literary Phenomenon of 2024: Unveiling the Unputdownable Bestsellers of the Year

12/08/2024
4k
Sinterklaas
Controversy

Sinterklaas Day: Celebrating the Origins, Literature, and Impact on Modern Society

12/05/2024
4k
When Fact Meets Fiction: The Siberian Asteroid and Cosmic Literature
Controversy

When Fact Meets Fiction: The Siberian Asteroid and Cosmic Literature

12/03/2024
4k
Cher’s Memoir: A Glittering Tapestry of Controversy, Career, and Cultural Impact
Cher

Cher’s Memoir: A Glittering Tapestry of Controversy, Career, and Cultural Impact

12/08/2024
4k
Load More
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
A Book Geek

What’s Happening?

July 2025
S M T W T F S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Jun    


Recent News

smiling women posing together

Unlocking Joy and Success: The Philosophy Behind ‘Fun at Work’

07/08/2025
brown t rex statue

The Enduring Legacy of ‘Jurassic Park’: A Deep Dive into Michael Crichton’s Masterpiece

07/05/2025
What is July? Meaning, Controversies, History, and Impact on Modern Society

What is July? Meaning, Controversies, History, and Impact on Modern Society

07/04/2025


Books A Million Logo

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

AbeBooks. Thousands of booksellers - millions of books.


© 2024 A Book Geek. All rights reserved. The content on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without explicit written permission from A Book Geek. By using this site, you agree with our terms of use. Powered by the passion for literature.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

You cannot copy content of this page

Categories

Rare & Collectible Books at AbeBooks.com
ADVERTISEMENT
smiling women posing together

Unlocking Joy and Success: The Philosophy Behind ‘Fun at Work’

07/08/2025
brown t rex statue

The Enduring Legacy of ‘Jurassic Park’: A Deep Dive into Michael Crichton’s Masterpiece

07/05/2025
    Please install/update and activate JNews Instagram plugin.
No Result
View All Result
  • A Book Geek
  • About
    • Education
    • Summary
    • Experience – Esther Lombardi
  • Advertise with Us
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Book Club
  • Christmas
  • Contact Us
  • Featured
  • Home
  • Media Kit for ABookGeek
  • New Year
  • Privacy Policy
  • Quotes & Sayings
  • Terms of Service

© 2024 A Book Geek. All rights reserved. The content on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without explicit written permission from A Book Geek. By using this site, you agree with our terms of use. Powered by the passion for literature.

Discover more from A Book Geek

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

%d
    ADVERTISEMENT
    Verified by MonsterInsights