Black Minded: The Political Philosophy of Malcolm X

Black Critique

by Michael E. Sawyer

Known as 'the angriest black man in America', Malcolm X was one of the most famous activists to ever live. Going beyond biography, Black Minded examines Malcolm X's philosophical system, restoring his thinking to the pantheon of Black Radical Thought.

Michael Sawyer argues that the foundational concepts of Malcolm X's political philosophy - economic and social justice, strident opposition to white supremacy and Black internationalism - are often obscured by an emphasis on biography. The text demonstrates the way in which Malcolm X's philosophy lies at the intersection of the thought of W.E.B. Du Bois and Frantz Fanon and is an integral part of the revolutionary politics formed to alleviate the plight of people of African descent globally.

Exploring themes of ontology, the body, geographic space and revolution, Black Minded provides a much-needed appraisal of Malcolm X's political philosophy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Race, Politics, Theory

160 pages, Paperback

Published March 20, 2020

Reviews

[Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

though it's quite short, this book is very dense. i think some concepts could have been explained in simpler language. it was a very thorough discussion of malcolm x's philosophy, though. the book also explained the links between his thought and his activism, as well as establishing where his philosophy should be placed within the thought of other philosophers. importantly, the book is not a biography, so the focus is on an analysis of a variety of malcolm's speeches. i would recommend it - i learned a lot.

[Scott Jamieson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I need to be perfectly honest.....I think I bit off a little more than I could chew with this book. I picked it up as I’m interested in Malcolm X and how someone like him may think but what I didn’t expect was for this to be such a dense, deep dive into the subject. Also, the book being hung on a framework (Philosophy) that I have no knowledge of made this quite a challenge for me.

The book is quite small, both figuratively and literally, but is packed with so much that at point it was a tad overwhelming for me.

I’ve given five stars as it’s not the books/authors fault that I’m not equipped to appreciate it fully.

[Jason Scoggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to let Professor Sawyer know how much I appreciate this contribution. It's frames Malcolm X in a different fervor, allows you to restructure your political Aesthetics around one of the greatest black Minds to ever tread pan-african Waters

[Zeynep · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

genuinely enlightening and a super interesting read, albeit at times dense and intense. havent been able to stop thinking about it since i finished it. defo recommend.