The Autobiography of Malcolm X: Read as Young and an Older Man

Last updated on: February 25, 2018 at 10:46 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

The Autobiography of Malcolm X: Read as Young and an Older Man 2018-02-25T10:46:08-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Malcom X never grew as old as I am now. Instead, he was gunned down in the (seemingly) eternal racial conflict in America. Like John Brown, you can admire much about Malcolm, if you cannot ever agree with him. He is an American original: the product of this Republic, deeply flawed and great. The Autobiography of Malcolm X was must reading when I was a young man, then faded into the background for a time, but is now considered must reading again now that I am a (much) older man.

It is not my place or within my competence to judge Malcolm’s place in American history, but I can say that reading his autobiography (as told to Alex Haley) influenced me deeply as a young man and haunts me as an older man. There are books that you come back to as an older man and find disappointing, but a few that keep teaching you. This is one.

When I was a young man, the book reminded me of truths about America I had been taught (my family was good that way), but that were easy to ignore or whitewash. Malcolm X was fierce and manly in his condemnation of racists and the power structure that made centuries of racism possible. The Autobiography is brilliant in that Malcolm’s views evolve over time. As a child he is patronized, bullied, and verbally demeaned and as an adult activist he develops a corresponding vocabulary for his tormentors. It was hard to read “white devils” applied to me as a young adult, but then that helped me feel a bit of what “n-“ sounded like to my neighbors. The difference was that Malcom was justly condemned by most leaders (white and black) for his usage while my African-Americans brothers and sisters lived in a nation where racist jokes, slights, and language are still common. Of course, worst of all this language was (when I was a boy) backed up by enforced segregation.

This still hurts. Malcolm X used the image of a knife stuck into the back of African-American people to describe the situation in his time. He pointed out that pulling that knife out a few inches was progress, of a sort, but even when the knife was pulled all the way out, a scar would remain.

That is an image that sticks with a young man.

What strikes me in rereading this book in my fifties is the waste. How many world class genius types like Malcolm X did statist racism destroy? What could have been?

Malcom was nearly destroyed by bad choices that racism made easier. He was saved from immediate destruction by the teachings of the Nation of Islam, but that group was and is bad. It gets Islam wrong, embraces forms of racism, and has a deep strain of anti-Semitism. Malcom came up from drug addiction, sexual immorality, and ignorance through this deeply twisted ideology. The good news is that Malcom X was a mind awake and so gradually saw the problems with the Nation of Islam. He embraced more mainstream Islam, repudiated racism, yet kept his edge. He was changing, becoming better, more mature, liberated, and then he was murdered.

He was never content with injustice, but he was becoming a better man. Sadly, he was murdered in process. Growing up he wanted to be a lawyer, but a racist teacher discouraged him and he never got much formal education. He fought racism, but the system twisted him. He did not make excuses himself for the harm he did, but as an older man I grieve the loss of his genius.

The Autobiography is harsh toward Christianity in America and God knows most of it is deserved. Yet Malcom X does not get the African roots of Christianity right. He skims over Ethiopia too quickly and embraced Islam too uncritically. There were a few Christian ministers he came to admire by the end of his life. One wonders what he would have thought if he had lived longer.

Mostly, as an older man I wanted to listen and not argue. The errors Malcom X made do not tempt me, but the truths he spoke then are still true. He was fierce in asserting that he was a man and that he must be treated as a man. He was dedicated to the truth that black is beautiful and good.

To know a great book, even one that is flawed, starts in loving what is good in that book. The Autobiography of Malcolm X is one to read in humility. If you look like me and the text makes you angry, keep reading. There is hope for our Republic if we keep reading, as my pastor would say: “inshallah.”

Culture

On Books

Previous Post

February 23, 2018

The Danger of Focusing on Technology (Guest Post)

Next Post

February 25, 2018 Icons or Idols

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is Christian stewardship?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ignoring others Caring for God's gifts Taking from the poor Hiding talents

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »