Tag: Malcolm X

5,714 words

Ibram X. Kendi
Malcolm Lives!
New York: Farrar, Straus and Girou (BYR), 2025

A fresh biography of Malcolm X emerged for youthful audiences, authored by his fellow X, the illustrious Ibram X. Kendi. (There are sure a lot of Xs here—is Elon behind this?) The think tank gig at Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research didn’t go so well, but clearly Kendi is back to his major pursuit of writing. The e-book is available now—and already at an 85% five-star rating presently—though you’ll have to wait until May 25 to get your hot little hands on the hardcover version. (more…)

Mau Mau leaders.

3,129 words

Introduction

It can be instructive to look at the racial politics of 50 or 60 years ago, so here are three illustrative episodes. The first section below paraphrases six pages of Tom Wolfe’s essay “Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers” (1970). The second summarizes Wikipedia’s article about the Black Power movement (1965-c. 1985). The third gives an account of Afrocentrism (1970 to date). Each shows us a precursor of Black Lives Matter. (more…)

3,903 words

Of all the towering luminaries of the civil rights movement, Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) stands out as the most notable. In fact, it’s hardly too much to say that his name was practically synonymous with the movement itself during the tumultuous times in which his presence so galvanized the country. Who could deny that his deeds changed America profoundly, and without them, that things might be much different? (more…)

Cracker wannabe Hasan Piker.

2,239 words

In a world where the biggest racial slur is “white,” it seems fruitless to argue whether “cracker” is also a racial slur, since no one who isn’t a liar would deny that it’s a contemptuous term aimed exclusively at white people. Anything white is bad, so “cracker” is even worse.

Then again, we also live in a world that’s one giant gas chamber of gaslighting, where whites not only are the sole race capable of racism since they alone hold institutional power — a power so indomitable that they can hardly even mention being comfortable that they’re white without having their lives destroyed — (more…)