In this edition of Hard Knock Radio DaveyD hosts a discussion of Manning Marable’s latest book on Malcolm X with Kwame Zulu Shabazz and Jared A. Ball. More was said about the quality of Marable’s scholarship and the tendency among some to focus more on sensational claims made in the book than the actual politics and worldview of Malcolm X.
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a question I have is why people don’t wanna consider these ‘claims’ against Malcom X and why they don’t see the ‘connection bettween the revoluntionary Malcom/Family man’ Malcom X but when Malcom came out about Elijah Mohammed’s sex ‘with young girls’ everyone was all over it???!!!
However no-one can really know Marable’s intentions other than him and sadly he is not here to speak for himself…And same goes with Malcom X
One reason may be that Malcolm had evidence about Elijah. None has been really presented about Malcolm. Marable does not properly substantiate the claims in his book regarding Malcolm’s sexuality or alleged infidelity.
both jared and kwame share keen insights into the controversy generated by marable’s unnecessary, and apparently unsubstantiated remarks about malcolm’s personal life. the claims of homosexuality seem to be baseless, and of greatest import is what are the substance of malcolm’s politics. i intentionally say “are” rather than “were” because malcolm has much to contribute in 2011, particularly from a black nationalist and pan-african freedom fighter’s perspective given the current global struggles, and especially because of the naked imperialist aggression in north africa. thanks brother jared & brother kwame for your wisdom.
Actually, Marable cites two works in his attempt to substantiate Malcolm’s alleged homosexuality – the other is ‘Seventh Son.’
Also, I want to know how a discussion of one’s personal life as it may or may not relate to one’s political life is ‘Eurocentric.’ Ella Baker was a firm believer of the intersectionality of the personal with the political. Can anyone develop this assertion (not argument) a bit more?