Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Racism in the Autobiography of Malcolm X, edited by Candice Mancini. 175 p. 196 p. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2009. ISBN 13: 978-0-7377-4022-6. $37.30.

The first election of an African American as President of the United States does not obviate the need for examination of racism in America. If anything, President Obama’s presence provides an opportunity for a deeper and more honest discussion than ever before. In high schools and colleges, The Autobiography of Malcolm X represents an outstanding vehicle for such an exploration. In classes reading Haley’s work, this new volume in Greenhaven’s Social Issues in Literature series should be a mandatory companion text. Following the format of the series, the first chapter is comprised of biographical essays—in this case, three about Malcolm X and one about Alex Haley. The middle chapter explores the issue of racism in connection to the literary work; these essays examine the protagonist’s attitude and role in violent protest, the evolution of black identity, Malcolm X’s own attitudes toward other races and the historical accuracy of Haley’s portrayal. The final chapter offers contemporary perspectives on racism, including essays about the burden carried by post-9/11 Muslim Americans and social, economic and political challenges faced by African Americans today. Like other volumes in this series, the contributors here are uniformly authoritative; they include university professors in African American history, literature, philosophy, Middle Eastern studies and journalism and most notably, civil rights activist and assistant to Martin Luther King, Jr., Bayard Rustin. Chapter discussion questions, a bibliography for further research and a general index conclude the volume. Highly recommended for high school and college libraries.