Malcolm X and African American Self-consciousness

"Dr. Bassey has advanced and re-envisioned the scholarship on Malcolm X by casting him not only as an activist but also a thinker, intellectual, and philosopher. In that multiple framework he continues the work of William Sale, From Civil Rights to Black Liberation (1994) who argues that Malcolm was a critical thinker because of his founding the Organization of Afro-American Unity. Bassey also expands the work of John Henrik Clarke on Malcolm who situates him in the resistance tradition in Notes for an African World Revolution (1991). Bassey adds to and differs from these scholars because he persuasively provides analysis of Malcolm X using humanist and existentialist conceptualizations. This gives a fresh and original way of viewing Malcolm's contributions to globalization and ideology. Isolating Malcolm's key ideas for critique and examination, Bassey comparatively analyzes White and Black intellectuals who charted new courses for western civilization at large. He creates Malcolm as a man who entered living traditions, extending, intersecting, discounting, and transforming various ideological trends in order to ignite the self-consciousness of the "so-called n/Negro."... In his reformulation of Malcolm X, Bassey revisits democratic and African ideals that inform African-American consciousness. Such an interpretative methodology allows Malcolm his due as a male leader, intellectual, and activist because it breaks the touted and traditional rendition of Malcolm as a tragic hero. In an African humanistic conception, this work is a revelation and celebration of X's blueprint for Black social, political, cultural, and educational evolution. Bassey smoothly outlines the life of Malcolm X and the details that shaped his shifts and advances in thought and activism specifically relating to people of African descent... Magnus Bassey's well thought out and researched text presents the legacy of Malcolm X in ways that expose the minister's realistic and practical brilliance and his potential to influence future generations. This very important book is an excellent read, insightfully written and thought provoking. I recommend it for high schools, colleges, and universities, as well as readers interested in understanding Malcolm X." - Regina Jennings, Ph.D, Rutgers University"

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Dr. Magnus O. Bassey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Secondary Education and Youth Services at Queens College, The City University of New York. He is the author of Malcolm X: The Seeker of Justice; Western Education and Political Domination in Africa: A Study in Critical and Dialogical Pedagogy and Missionary Rivalry and Educational Expansion in Nigeria, 1885-1945. Dr. Bassey has also authored numerous academic articles including, Malcolm X Islam and African American Self-consciousness. His works have appeared in The Journal of Negro Education, The Western Journal of Black Studies, Educational Foundations, The Educational Forum, Dialogue and Alliance and Educational Change.

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Preface, Foreword, Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. The Life and Times of Malcolm X: From the Underside of American History to Humanist; 2. Existence and Consciousness, Blacks in American Society: TheMakingofAfricanAmericanSelf.. About the Negro Name; 3. Malcolm's Articulation of African American Consciousness, Hopelessness, Helplessness, Oppression and Call for Empowerment. Consequences of the Yoke of Slavery; 4. Venture in Faith and Consciousness. 5. Malcolm X on Human Rights and African AmericanHumanity; Malcolm-The Humanist; 6. MalcolmXandGender; Malcolm X: His Attitude and Posture Toward Women. 7. Malcolm's Political Philosophy. Malcolm X and the Political Awakening of African Americans. Notes, Appendices, Bibliography, Index

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