by Michael E. Sawyer
Pluto Press
3/20/2020, paperback
SKU: 9780745340746
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.
Reviews:
"Incisive, provocative, and essential, Black Minded makes a compelling case for Malcolm X's original contribution to a radical humanism that stands outside European traditions, against the dehumanization of the Black body, and for genuine global revolution" --Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination
"Brilliantly contends that meaningful Black activism is grounded in an underlying philosophy. Movements are driven by thought as well as action. Essential reading during the current Black activist renaissance" --Melina Abdullah, professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University and co-founder of Black Lives Matter - Los Angeles
"Black Minded makes a compelling case for Malcolm X as a political philosopher of the first rank. Michael Sawyer helps us hear the depth, strength, and continuing relevance of Malcolm's call for a world-wide Black revolution" --Jonathan Scott Lee, co-editor of I Am Because We Are: Readings in Africana Philosophy
About the Author:
Michael Sawyer is assistant professor of Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies in the Department of English at Colorado College. He is the author of An Africana Philosophy of Temporality (Palgrave Press, 2018).