El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz
yes. they have taken your tongue
still you speak
yes. you dared and were damned
by your own skin
black hands took you but have not
taken you 
bullets slew you but have not slain you
blood spilled out of you that day
blood running out and spilling
into us
where you live
where the black phoenix rises in our hearts
forever

—Wanda Coleman from Heavy Daughter Blues: Poems & Stories 1968-1986

This past spring marked the 95th anniversary of the birthday of orator, activist and leader Malcolm X, who was born on May 19, 1925 and died 1965. Malcolm X was one of the most iconic figures to emerge in the mid-twentieth century. The Schomburg Center houses materials in its research divisions on Malcolm X, some of which may be accessed remotely, that document his evolution and efforts to liberate people of African descent from oppression, racism and colonialism. 

Some of the unique items on Malcolm X at the Schomburg include The Malcolm X Collection: Papers, 1948-1965, which contain correspondence, diaries, writings, clippings and other items.  The notes from Malcolm X's speech, "The Ballot or The Bullet," which are included in this collection have been digitized and  may be viewed here.  The Malcolm X Manuscripts contains an unpublished Autobiography of Malcolm X chapter, “The Negro,” as well as manuscript versions of published chapters and fragments of chapters from his autobiography. Both of those collections may be accessed via the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division. Published primary and secondary source materials can be found in the Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division and audiovisual recordings may be found in the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division. Photos may be found in the Photographs & Prints Division.

In the decades following Malcolm X’s death researchers continue to study his legacy and seek inspiration from writings and teachings. In 2019 a six-part documentary series Who Killed Malcolm X?  was released and in it, Abdur-Rahman Muhammad who is a lay historian and activist conducted his own investigation into the assasination of Malcolm X. The documentary renewed interest in the re-examination of Malcolm’s role with the Nation of Islam (NOI), his split from this organization and the conspiracies surrounding his murder. View a segment from a 2020 episode of PBS NewsHour featuring  Phil Bertelsen (director of Who Killed Malcolm X?) and Abdur-Rahman Muhammad discussing the documentary series here.

We are highlighting resources that readers of all ages may use remotely (including databases, e-books, audiobooks and streamed programs) to get started on their research about Malcolm X and discover more about the man, as well as the global impact he had during his lifetime and beyond.

Online Resources

Databases including African American Experience and Biography in Context are a helpful place to start for students to locate biographical resources about Malcolm X. Malcolm X, A Search For Truth, is an online exhibit that was curated by the Schomburg Center that chronicles Malcolm X and includes a detailed timeline arranged by major events in Malcolm X’s life.  

Researchers can locate newspaper and magazine articles on Malcolm X from the Black and ethnic press by searching databases that contain digitized versions of African American newspapers African American Periodicals 1827-1998, ProQuest Historical African American Newspapers, African American Newspapers and Ethnic NewsWatch.    

Scholarly journal articles on Malcolm X can be found in the databases Project Muse, ProQuest Research Library, JSTOR, Periodicals Index Online and America: History and Life.

E-Books

The Autobiography of Malcolm X  as told to Alex Haley

“Originally published in 1964, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and anti-integrationist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Black Muslim movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American Dream, and the inherent racism in a society that denies its nonwhite citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time. The Autobiography of Malcolm X stands as the definitive statement of a movement and a man whose work was never completed but whose message is timeless. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand America.”

 

 

The End of White World Supremacy: Four Speeches by Malcolm X

The End of White World Supremacy contains four major speeches by Malcolm X, including: "Black Man's History," "The Black Revolution," "The Old Negro and the New Negro," and the famous "The Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost" speech ("God's Judgment of White America"), delivered after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. This new edition bundles with the book an audio download of Malcolm's stirring delivery of "Black Man's History" in Harlem's Mosque No.7 and "The Black Revolution" in the Abyssinian Baptist Church.

 

 

 

The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X  by Les Payne and Tamara Payne

This 2021 Pulitzer Prize winning book offers "a revisionary portrait of the iconic civil rights leader draws on hundreds of hours of interviews with surviving family members, intelligence officers and political leaders to offer new insights into Malcolm X’s Depression-era youth, religious conversion and 1965 assassination."
 

 

 

 

On The Side of My People: A Religious Life of Malcolm X  by Louis A. DeCaro, Jr.

“This book recounts Malcolm X’s life, places it in the context of Black nationalist religion, and describes his conversions to the Black Muslim faith and to orthodox Islam and their effects on his teachings.”

 

 

 

 

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable

“An authoritative biography of Malcolm X draws on new research to trace his life from his troubled youth through his involvement in the Nation of Islam, his activism in the world of Black Nationalism, and his assassination.”

 

 

 

 

A Lie of Reinvention, Correcting Manning Marable’s Malcolm X  edited by Jared A. Ball and Todd Steven Burroughs

Two books were published in response to Marable's controversial biography. One was By Any Means Necessary: Malcolm X Real, Not Invented; Critical Conversations on Manning Marable's Biography of Malcolm X  edited by Herb Boyd. The other is A Lie of Reinvention Collecting Manning Marable's X  and "in this collection of critical essays, editors Jared Ball and Todd Steven Burroughs lead a group of established and emerging Black scholars and activists who take a clear stance in this controversy: Marable’s biography is at best flawed and at worst a major setback in American history, African American studies, and scholarship on the life of Malcolm X.”

Growing Up X  by Illyasah Shabazz with Kim McLarin

“February 21, 1965–Malcolm X is assassinated in Harlem’s Audubon ballroom... June 23, 1997–After surviving for a remarkable twenty-two days, his widow, Betty Shabazz, dies of burns suffered in a fire set by her own grandson. In the years between, their six daughters reach adulthood, forged by the memory of their parents’ love, the meaning of their cause, and the power of their faith. Now, at long last, Ilyasah Shabazz has recorded that touching and tumultuous journey in an unforgettable memoir, Growing Up X.”

 

 

Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X  by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith

The book "draws on previously untapped sources to illuminate the secret friendship and disastrous estrangement between Cassius Clay and Malcolm X, sharing insights into Malcolm's alleged role in shaping Clay's double life as a patriotic athlete and Islamic reformer."

 

 

 

The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.  by Peniel Joseph

“This dual biography of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King upends longstanding preconceptions to transform our understanding of the twentieth century's most iconic African American leaders.”

 

 

 

 

E-Books and Audiobooks for Young Readers

Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary  by Walter Dean Myers

This biography “traces the life of the controversial Black leader, describes his involvement with the Nation of Islam, and looks at his speeches and assassination.”

 

 

 

 

 

X: A Novel  by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

“Co-written by Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world.”

 

 

 

 

 

Betty Before X  by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renee Watson

“Collaborating with author Rene̲e Watson, Ilyasah Shabazz illuminates four poignant years in her mother's Betty Shabazz’ childhood, painting a beautiful and inspiring portrait of a girl overcoming the challenges of self-acceptance and belonging that will resonate with young readers today.”

 

 

 

 

Malcolm Little: The Little Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X  by Ilyasah Shabazz, illustrated by AG Ford

An inspiring picture book profile of the iconic civil rights leader's childhood, written by his daughter, describes how young Malcolm's optimism and faith were challenged by intolerance and a series of tragedies that compelled him to learn self-reliance and how to embrace his individuality to reach his highest potential.

 

 

Watch

The Indelible Influence of Malcolm X

A notable who’s who of participants including Kathleen Cleaver, Farah Jasmine Griffin, Esther Armah, Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Ismael Beah, Bryonn Bain, and others read the writings of Malcolm X. Watch the livestream here.

The Life and Times of Malcolm X

View an abridged concert performance of The Life and Times of Malcolm X opera by Anthony Davis and Christopher Davis and a post-performance talk with the opera’s creators.  Watch the livestream here.

Remembering Malcolm X

In this video participants who attended the Schomburg Center’s annual celebration of Malcom X in February 2020 shared how Malcolm X’s writings and activism made an impact on their lives. Watch the livestream here.

A Special 50th Anniversary of Commemoration of the Assasination of Malcolm X

Viewers can watch a conversation that focuses on Malcolm X’s legacy and impact from an international perspective featuring Les Payne, Azizah al-Hibri, Dr. Hisham Aidi, Dr. Saladin Ambar, Dr. Ahmed Osman, and filmmaker Stephen Page. Sister Aisha Al-Adawiya, a founding member of the Malcolm X Museum, and a long time Schomburg Center staff member appears in the program. Akimi Kochiyama, the granddaughter of the late Yuri Kochiyama who was an activist and friend of Malcolm X, and Sam Anderson (of the Malcolm X Museum) also make appearances in the program. Watch the livestream here. 

Women Speak About Malcolm X 

Scholars Sylvia Malik-Chan, Johanna Fernández and Esmerelda Simmons gathered to discuss human rights, social justice and transformation from the perspective of women of color. The program featured a special appearance by poet, activist and educator Sonia Sanchez.  Watch the livestream here.

 

For more resources about Malcolm X, in addition to the above resources, click here to view the titles of materials across the Schomburg Center collections about Malcolm X and here to view titles authored by him.