Friday, May 20, 2011

Happy Birthday, Malcolm X

May 19 was the birthday of Malcolm X, (he would have been 86) and as someone who lived through the turbulent '60s I remember him as one of the driving forces in the civil rights era. His autobiography, written with Alex Haley, is was a compelling tale of his journey from street hustler to religious and civil rights leader.  His original name is Malcolm Little ; his Muslim name was el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz.

Democracy Now! hosts a roundtable discussion about Dr. Manning Marable's controversial new biography,Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. Dr. Marable used material for his book that was recently made available, thus providing a new insight into the famed civil rights leader. His biography, however, has also refueled the debate on many controversial aspects of Malcolm X's life and interpretation of his politics and legacy.

Only minutes into the discussion, Amiri Baraka and Michael Eric Dyson spared off about Manning's research on the life of Malcolm X and conclusions about the political legacy of the famed civil rights leader.

Check out the excerpt of what Amiri Baraka, an acclaimed poet, playwright, music historian and activist based in Newark, NJ,  and Michael Eric Dyson had to say:




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