Logo

Malcolm X

Counting the Books in America’s Federal Prisons

A Novel Idea

Federal penitentiaries would not say how many books they hold, so a biographer of Malcolm X spent months assembling the count himself from handbooks, emails and a prison messaging service.

A New Discovery Sheds Light on Malcolm X’s Journey to Islam

Malcolm X’s Prison Poetry

Previous Malcolm X biographies did him a disservice by skimming over his period of incarceration. Behind prison walls, he developed his mind and his faith, honing his love for language. It was a formative time, best understood by considering what he read and appreciating what he wrote.

Malcolm X and the Difficulties of Diplomacy

Malcolm X and the Difficulties of Diplomacy

In 1964, Malcolm X embarked on a 23-week journey across Africa and the Middle East. The ambitious campaign of personal diplomacy to raise awareness of racism in the United States would transform his religious and political outlook but also reveal the limits of postcolonial solidarity.