Islamic Aspects of the Legacy of Malcolm X

Abstract

Spike Lee's 1992 film, ''Malcolm X," is the most recent evidence of
the increased popularity of Malcolm X (El Haj Malik El Shabazz). The
film, based on a screenplay by James Baldwin and Arnold Perl, sparked
controversy over "X" memorabilia and also a debate over the appropriate
interpretation of Malcolm X's legacy. For example, black nationalist
Amiri Baraka opposed Lee's portrayal and criticized the film as an attempt
to "make middle class Negroes sleep easier." Yet when the current
controversy and debate end, the Islamic aspects will remain, as before,
the most significant and least recognized elements of Malcolm X's
legacy. This paper briefly examines this phenomenon in order to offer a
more accurate and meaningful analysis of the significance of Malcolm X.
Although Alex Haley's Autobiography of Malcolm X climbed to the
New York Times' best-seller list in 1992, popular media accounts, such
as Lee's film, have stimulated even greater social interest. As one writer
notes, "if many blacks did not listen when he was alive, young blacks are
listening now." It is also interesting to note how "Malcolm X's appeal
has crossed racial barriets in a way that would have been unthinkable
during his life." Nevertheless, the emergent popularity of Malcolm X in
the 1990s is a direct result of the lingering presence of racism and of his
own martydom in the struggle against it.
Most mainstream analyses associate Malcolm X's message with vie
lence and hatred of white America. For example, his oft-quoted phrase,
"by any means necessary," and his advocacy of martial arts proficiency
and rifle club formation for defenseless black victims of racial violence ...