A Marked Man: The Assassination of Malcolm X

by Matt Doeden

February 21, 1965. Controversial civil rights leader Malcolm X is gunned down during a speech in Manhattan.

Few were shocked by the news of Malcolm X‘s death. Since 1952 the former member of the Nation of Islam had supported the Nation‘s philosophy of violence as the method to achieve justice for blacks in the United States. But in March 1964, after a major shift in his philosophy, Malcolm changed his message. He no longer agreed with the Nation of Islam and feuded with its leaders.

In this chronicle of an assassination, find out the answers to the questions about who assassinated Malcolm and learn more about the impact of Malcolm X‘s life, and his death, on civil rights in the United States.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, African American

88 pages, Library Binding

First published December 28, 2012

About the author

Matt Doeden was born in southern Minnesota and lived parts of his childhood in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and Madison, Minnesota. He studied journalism at Mankato State University, where he worked at the college newspaper for three years. In his senior year, he served as the paper's Sports Editor, which put him in charge of the entire sports section, the sports writers, and the photographers. He covered mostly college sports, but also the Minnesota Vikings, who held training camp at MSU.

His work allowed him to meet and interview people like Dennis Green, Cris Carter, Robert Smith, and more. Matt went on to work as a sports writer for the Mankato paper, and then he got a job as an editor with a small children's publisher called Capstone Press, and in 2003 he decided to start his own business as a freelance writer and editor.

Since then, Matt has written and edited hundreds of books. Lots of them are on high-interest topics like cars, sports, and airplanes. He also writes and edits on geography, science, and even math.

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've long had mixed feelings about Malcolm X. On the one hand, the man had a great passion for his cause and he expressed himself powerfully. But on the other hand, his long expressed ideas about hate for whites and the use of violence to achieve black rights I don't agree with at all. Yet I learned some really interesting things reading this book. The information about Malcolm's background caused me to empathize with tragedies of his life. His father's death when he was six, watching his home burn at age four, having his mother committed to an asylum when he was 13 and of course the constant bigotry he faced because he was black. It wasn't hard to see what lead Malcolm to hate whites and why the Nation of Islam appealed so much to him while he was in prison.

The irony in all this is that after spending so many years working for and promoting Nation of Islam, his own ideas and passion led him away from it. A pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia changed some of Malcolm's extremist views and pointed him toward greater cooperation with the mainstream civil rights movement. This infuriated Malcolm's former allies with the Nation of Islam. He himself expected to be targeted and he was right. The book explains what is known about the circumstances surrounding the assassination including the questions that remain. While many suspected the Nation of Islam of being behind it, it was never proven.

What I found so sad was that if greater precautions had been taken, it might have been postponed or not occurred at all. A well put-together book about a controversial figure from history who left his mark on the world. The book is beautifully designed with quotes, photographs, a glossary, index, and brief biographies of some of the major players.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more engaging than the Gandhi assassination-memoir from the same series, and with better design choices. Historical context is somewhat abbreviated - understandable, the book is only 88 pages long - but in some cases I feel like the text glosses over complex issues or makes sweeping statements that aren't entirely accurate.

[James Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so wonderful to return to the meat and potatoes of my undergrad days in the social sciences when I went knee-deep into Black Sociology/Ethic Studies and especially anything and everything having to do with the Nation of Islam (NOI). Not only were we reading Alex Haley's famous book but the Spike Lee film on Malcolm had just been released and, wow, was it making waves around the campus! Years later, I had the pleasure of hanging out with some NOI brothers and attending some events.

The author goes into the lesser known but established events and details of Malcolm's last years in the Nation, nascent secular ideas about Black Power, fatal falling out with Elijah Muhammad, and tragic violent end. Although, his conversion to Sunni Islam is usually posited as a bright spiritually redeeming peak that eclipses other details, the author depicts the civil rights leader's last days of isolation and struggle; everyone was out to get him. In addition, the plotting of the men involved and their identities, as well the mystery of the powers that pulled the strings, are areas that will fascinate the reader. The aftermath of the lives of family, friends, and foes are explicitly discussed right up until the days of the Obama presidency.

The author also gives us a brief history of the legacy of slavery during colonial times and the American Civil War as well the injustices during the era of Jim Crow and Segregation.

Despite the topic, this is a well-written book for all ages and a tale of mythic proportions that in its conclusion leaves many matters unresolved, dizzying conspiracy theories in the air (of course). Regardless, Malcolm Little/X/El Hajj Malik El Shabazz to this day is an underrated hero that shook the earth and moved mountains for humanity. And, to this day, he is often cited as one of the shining lights in the history of Islam and the United States, an exemplary moral archetype.

[Chelsea Kilpack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of Malcolm's story for pre-teens. Highly recommend that this book is read with an adult to provide context and debrief, as it includes some graphic details of his assassination.

[Allyson Bogie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, learned a lot, and am really glad that I bought two copies for the middle school library where I work. Often biographies of people who died a long time ago (over 50 years ago for Malcolm X) feel stuffy and old. I was glad to see that this 2013 biography was published and included both old photos from when Malcolm X was alive, and also more recent photos such as a picture of his six daughters (along with updates on all of them), a more recent photo of Betty, and also a recent photo of one of the men convicted of participating in his assassination. These components made the book feel current, even though it is primarily about events set in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. The beginning chapters go into Malcolm X's childhood, his early involvement in the Nation of Islam, and even information about slavery and the roots of the civil rights movement. The final chapters focus on the lead-up to his assassination, provide a detailed account of the day of his assassination, and then give information about the aftermath and the impacts. Students tend to ask questions about really specific details of his assassination, such as what part of his body he was shot in, and what happened with the people who were accused of killing him. This book answers these questions in detail

A Marked Man is very readable and engaging, and I am excited to recommend it to students.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the figure Malcolm X. I knew very little going into this book, and was surprised to discover the man behind the name. This book was informative, and I think will make a great asset to a middle school library for anyone interested in the Civil Rights Movement. It was a candid look at how African-Americans felt and were treated throughout the history of the Americas. I am keenly interested now to see if there is an autobiography of Malcolm's wife. She strikes me as an interesting woman who somehow managed to survive and thrive.

[Charl(ie|es) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is mostly a summery of The Autobiography of Malcolm X with a few other minor events included. The addition of photos kept it interesting enough but I would still recommend the autobiography over this book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dry, but graphically very interesting... this story of Malcolm X and additional information on the civil rights movement is a good starting point for those not familiar with the story.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed professionally.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing children's biography of Malcolm X. Information is disorganized and sometimes redundant. Chapter 2 isn't even about Malcolm X; the entire chapter is devoted to slavery and jumps back in time 60 yrs before Malcolm was born. More text is devoted to Malcolm's criminal activity than to his civil rights accomplishments, painting him in a rather negative light. Overall, this book doesn't read like non-biased, objective nonfiction. Includes a timeline of Malcolm's life, short bios of some important people in Malcolm's life, glossary, index, and extensive bibliographic information.