Islam, African Americans: Malcolm X

Despite his association with the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X had an intimate relation with Christianity and Christians, which influenced his personal life and spirituality as well as his career. Lou Decaro's Malcolm and the Cross thoroughly explores the relation between Malcolm, the Nation of Islam, and Christianity. After revealing the religious roots of the Nation of Islam in relation to Christianity, DeCaro examines Malcolm's development and contributions as an activist, journalist, orator, and revolutionist against the backdrop of his familial religious heritage. In the process, DeCaro achieves nothing less than a radical rethinking of the way we understand Malcolm X, depicting him as a religious revolutionist whose analysis of Christianity is indispensable--particularly in an era when cultic Islam, Christianity, and traditional Islam continue to represent key factors in any discussion about racism in the United States.

This biography begins with Malcolm's seven-year imprisonment from age 21 and continues through his official adoption of the religion of the Nation of Islam; his ministry at Elijah Muhammad's Temple Number Seven and other contributions to the Nation's growth; his disillusionment and rejection of the Nation's teachings; and his pilgrimage to Mecca and other international travels.

Louis DeCaro, has produced a groundbreaking study of Malcolm's relationship to Islam as a religion. Included as well is an account of the often contentious interaction between NOI and more orthodox Islamic groups, as well as a revealing account of early Islamic evangelism in African American communities. This is the best, most thorough account we have of Malcolm X as a religious leader.

Benjamin Karim reveals an intimately human side of the great leader we have never seen before. Writing with an insider's knowledge and a disciple's devotion, Karim paints an unforgettable portrait of Malcolm X as counselor, minister, healer, and, above all, a dedicated member of his community. Here is a dramatic account of how Malcolm galvanized the Black Muslims through his tireless work at Harlem's New York Mosque Number Seven in the early 1960s.

This is the first comprehensive analysis that integrates the developing vision of the man, Malcolm X, with the man he became, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz. It provides an in-depth analysis of Malcolm's directives on why the African-American struggle for national liberation and self-determination is necessary, how it should be carried on, and why it can succeed.