Reflections on Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable

I finished the book less than 2 hours ago. These are my immediate reflections. I will be writing more as I take the time to process personally and research further. Peace.



On April 4th, 2011, Manning Marable’s much anticipated text on the life of Malcolm X hit the store shelves. Like many other blackademics, I pre-ordered my book and began reading it immediately. As a lover of historical writing and biography in general, there were a set of expectations that I had for this work. There is not a shortage of books discussing the life of Malcolm X on the library shelves. Many scholars have written about the iconic yet tragic life of our own black shining prince thoroughly combing through records attempting to reveal new and profound information. Simultaneously, scholars have attempted to discredit Malcolm not only has a contributor to the legacy of the black freedom struggle, but as a practicing Muslim, scholar, husband, and man. As a new work, I anticipated this book to contribute to the wealth of knowledge by adding new perspectives authenticated with new and relevant sources and facts. Unfortunately, I was severely disappointed. By no means am I a Malcolm X scholar, but the majority of the information presented seemed to amalgamate all previous books published while providing little new information.
The most contested assertion rests on information that has been interpreted to prove that Malcolm X participated in homosexual activity throughout his life. The debate has caused me great frustration. First, homosexuality is often the weapon of choice used by academics and psuedo-intellectuals to smear and tarnish the reputations of those who are antagonistic to the status quo and are lauded by oppressed communities throughout the world. Second, its unfortunate that homophobia, which undergirds this type of intellectual warfare, propels this discussion. The intention is to identify homosexuality as an unforgivable character flaw that repudiates the entire life’s work of a given individual. In addition, it posits the theory that we are defined by our sexual practices and alliances and not our character, not our work, and especially not our attempts to liberate ourselves and the community.
As a scholar, especially as biographer, it is important to not only substantiate claims about the personal lives of those we are repositioning in new texts but to draw direct connections between that information and the legacy the individual leaves behind. It is unfortunate that Marable fails to make that connection. For example in chapter 14, which represents November 24, 1964 - February 14, 1965, Marable states “Malcolm appears to have begun an illicit sexual affair with an eighteen-year-old OAAU secretary names Sharon 6X Poole. Little is known about her or about their relationship expect that it appears to have continued up to Malcolm’s death.” Considering Marable’s timeline this “illicit affair” would have lasted at most two and a half months. What does this uncorroborated assertion bring to the legacy of Malcolm X other than to besmirch his credibility? Just as there is so much more to Malcolm’s legacy, there is so much more we should hold Marable accountable for addressing.
Thematically, Marable asserts that Malcolm’s life was one of continuous reinvention. By using a linear chronology antithetical to the Pan-Africanist cyclical ideology that Malcolm ascribed to towards the end of his life, Marable uses specific dates to identify periods of Malcolm’s life that demarcated the end of one persona and the beginning of another. I wholly agree that Malcolm experienced several transformations especially concerning his social and political views as many individuals do. However, despite reinvention as a theme Marable only allows Malcolm to change on the surface and continually brings up things that were associated with his past and uses them to define Malcolm as a man. He continuously uses prior insinuations as motivations for action or inaction despite the chronologically marked and identified reinvention of Malcolm’s life. In particular, this method is used to describe and justify aspects of Malcolm’s relationship with his wife, Betty Shabazz.
Though Marable died shortly before the release of this work, current critiques are not an attempt to discredit him as a scholar. Marable will be remembered for all that he contributed to intellectual history. Lively debate concerning his work does not demean his legacy, but merely reaffirms his prominence among the academic community.
Ultimately, this book is a useful resource for all those interested in the legacy of Malcolm X. It should not be considered the definitive work of our own black shining prince, but serve as a catalyst for further research discussion and debate. Excellent points are made about Alex Haley’s work on The Autobiography of Malcolm X as well as great information about the history of the Nation of Islam and the development of the Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. I was thoroughly impressed with the geographic tracking of Malcolm while he was in Africa. Aligning his ideological development with his travel to countries experiencing various political changes deeply defines the essence of Malcolm’s Pan-Africanist views. In essence, reclaiming our history by finding the truth delivered in works such as these is the bold attempt of a historically disenfranchised intellectual heritage to recreate, redefine, and reaffirm the beauty of our icons and the humanity of our people, the fundamental expression of freedom, an ideal that Malcolm always held at the forefront of his livelihood. Let us embrace further discussion and heated debate as a pathway for truth. Hubert Humphrey said it clearly, “Freedom is hammered out on the anvil of discussion, dissent, and debate.”

Abibifahodie.

Summary and Critique of Diane Ravitch’s “The Death and Life of the Great American School System”

Summary and Critique of
Diane Ravitch’s “The Death and Life of the Great American School System”

Prior to reading this book, I did not know much about Diane Ravitch, her politics, or her analysis of education in America. I was briefly introduced to her when a colleague shared her notable 2010 article in the New York Times entitled, “The Myth About Charter Schools,” after a staff viewing of Waiting for “Superman”. (Ironically, I was working at a new charter school in Philadelphia at the time.) I thoroughly enjoyed her critique and analysis of the perpetuation of myths regarding public education through this highly publicized and highly funded cinematic campaign for charter schools. To say the least, I was curious to dive deeper into her exploration regarding the charter school movement by reading her newest work “The Death and Life of the Great American School System”.
To understand the significance of this work, it must be understood that this text was birthed out of a woman who for decades with an extreme amount of zeal and academic fervor supported the exact reforms and strategies she is now finding antithetical of democracy. In the opening chapter, Ravitch anecdotally describes how she came to understand her new position on public education. She refers to this realization as an “intellectual crisis” and a “wrenching transformation” on her perspective. After completing the book, I would consider this more of a self “weheme mesu” (Weheme mesu is translated from mdw ntr, the language of the ancient Egyptians, as “the repetition of the birth”. This is the first expression of the concept of renaissance in history. See “Reflections on the Revision of The African Centered Paradigm” by Jacob Carruthers.) , more commonly known as a renaissance, of sorts. Her original philosophy has rebirthed. She is again, who she once was. Admittedly, she states that she was swept up in a wave of quick fixes for problems in the education system and as she details in the chapters, various working relationships and political tides of the decades inadvertently caused her to think and act in opposition to her original philosophy on education.
Using the following chapters, Ravitch critically examines the ideological path of charter school and privatization movement. Chapter 2, entitled “Hijacked! How the Standards Movement Turned into the Testing Movement” sheds light on how her professional development coincided with the political views of education reform. Ravitch describes how her work, under President G. H. W. Bush’s administration, to create voluntary national curriculum standards was single-handedly destroyed by Lynne V. Cheney and her accusation that the draft for the subject of history leaned towards political propaganda. This sparked a debate on what, who, when, and where should hold influence in history curriculums nationwide. Once that debate entered the political arena, standards were quickly abandoned and a more favorable accountability measure was pushed: high-stakes testing.
Chapters 3, 4, and 5 give explicit examples of how this new focus on reform played out in several noted districts in the United States. Ultimately, these stories do not have happy endings. However, the quick wins that were presented by the several administrations mentioned overshadowed the harsh reality that nothing had really changed for any of the districts. Academic success as heralded in the media by the administration in those districts were the result of data manipulation, staff coercion, and the pupeteering of student populations.
Chapters 6 and 7 discuss the impact of national and local legislation on education. Nationally, No Child Left Behind, enacted in January of 2002 under President George W. Bush, was a school accountability plan focused on strict measurement and severe consequences. President Barack Obama recently reenacted this legislation. Though bipartisan, NCLB has some harsh critics. Ravitch herself saw no initial problem with the system, but now is highly critical in its attempts to foster “proficiency” in mathematics and reading across the country. Even more interesting is the concept of choice and its development in Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and Washington, DC. Ravitch presents that these new options in the districts did not effectively impact the system as anticipated. The main reason for this was due to the fact that not many families took up the opportunity to use their “choice”. In addition, the rating systems used to determine choice eligibility proved arbitrary and inaccurate in many districts.
The final chapters are a presentation of Ravitch’s analysis of the situation at hand. Discussing her high school teacher, Mrs. Ratliff, she thinks about the concept of a great teacher. As a student, she felt that her teacher was wonderful and in retrospect she suspects that Mrs. Ratliff would not have been as great if she was under all of the regulations and assessments that teachers under NCLB must endure. Teacher accountability is extremely important, but measuring that accountability should not sacrifice the quality of actual learning that occurs in the classroom. However, chapter 10 was the most interesting to me. Ravitch discusses the impact foundation funding has on the national education agenda. This is not surprising considering the history of philanthropy and education from Rosenwald to Rockefeller, the national education agenda has always been in the palms of foundations. Ravitch ultimately argues that the individuals running foundations are having the greatest impact on the reforms that are enacted. The checks and balance system that is the basis of American democratic philosophy ends with philanthropy. What a philanthropist determines with their checkbook, is not up for scrutiny. This is ironic considering that philanthropists are able to write these checks because of tax legislation that was intended to support social welfare. Private donations are essentially public dollars.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I think that Ravitch cleverly used her background in the history of American education as a backdrop for the discussion of current trends. In fact, I am now privy to many concepts in education that I had yet to explore. In addition, Ravitch’s personal narrative describing her “weheme mesu” is important considering her role and relationship to some of the major power players in education. I hope that her presentation in this book may enlighten and even influence individuals who still believe in educational quick wins and quick fixes to think broadly and realistically at the dire situation at hand. Reformers, policy makers, and historians should critically read this text and take Ravitch’s recommendations as a basis for educational revolution in the future.

*Spoiler Alert* PUSH --- A Novel by Sapphire

Admittedly, I have been devoting very little time to personal reading because of the wealth of homework under my belt, but today I was so THROUGH with school and classwork that I read Sapphire's PUSH from cover to cover in less than five hours. The main reason I even ordered the book during my months book-sprees on Amazon is that I love to read the book before seeing the movie and all these "rabble-rousers" on twitter KEPT tweeting about the movie so I needed to get the background story so I, too, could sing America.

I wasn't wowed by the book. The story is intriguing of course, but the writing didn't capture me. I don't know what I was expecting... but I felt as if the story fell flat... as if it were unfinished, and not in the intentional thought-provking manner that authors sometimes intend, but in a way that makes you wonder if the author just quit. *kanye shrug*

In summary: PUSH is written by its main character Claireece Precious Jones. The book is compilation of her thoughts, journals, and experiences over the last eighteen years of her life. Her life circumstances are deplorable beyond imagination. At the age of 16, she is in the 8th grade reading at a 2nd grade level. Her mother physically, sexually, and verbally abuses her. Her birth father molests her from age three until age sixteen and impregnates her twice, once at age 12 and again at age 16. After finally making the strides to take control of her life and assume an identity that she never had the opportunity to properly develop or explore her mother alerts her that her father died from HIV. Precious gets tested and finds out she is HIV positive as well. Precious is an eighteen year old HIV positive mother with an eighth grade education.

There are interesting concepts highlighted in the book. Minister Louis Farrakhan is an idol of her, representing the true essence of what a man should be. She is heavily influenced by the Minister's speeches and the beliefs of the Nation of Islam.

Precious equates her dark complexion as another thing she has fallen victim to. She describes to her teacher that in a perfect world she would be light-skinned so that people would love her. During her reflection on being invisible to all those she interacted with she mentions that she wishes that people saw as a little white girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. The commentary on colorism continues as Precious develops relationships with other women in her class. She identifies personality traits with skin complexion and constantly reflects on her own dark skin.

The book definitely allows the reader to see Precious' character develop throughout the story. The most explicit examples are the sample writings from her journal. Her vocabulary, sentence structure, and language usage improves throughout the story. Her character also develops mentally. She redefines her ties to the teachings of Minister Farrakhan after finding out that her beloved teacher is a homosexual. She reevaluates her self-worth after gaining friends and mentors who are looking out for her. Precious grows throughout the entire story.

My favorite part of the entire book is when it comes time for the student's in Precious' class to recite a poem from memory to the front of the class. I almost jumped out my bed when I turned the page and realized she was going to recite "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. I can remember my mother quoting lines from that poem throughout my entire childhood and as you read the story you understand why that was the most appropriate choice.

I can now in good conscious see Tyler Perry's Precious.

we have concluded that boo-loving is a 100% hater-specific term.

I've been posting things here more often than usual!

So today, I went to one of my favorite (but secret) chill spots to study, grab something to eat, and of course people watch.

It was okay, more crowded than what I would have preferred, but I noticed one thing.... everybody was out doing their Sunday "boo-loving" ie...grabbing coffee while reading the sunday paper together, having breakfast before running sunday errands, coming from church and having a nice breakfast out before going home.... all the stuff....

i wish i was doing...

On the way home from work last night I was reading The Sex Chronicles by Zane... now I'm not one to ready trashy novels, when I first started reading it I felt like other people could tell I was reading the freakiness and were thinking to themselves how nasty of a person I am...

but more than anything Zane made me realize how lonely things can get when you are not boo-loving

we have concluded that boo-loving is a 100% hater-specific term.

People with boos do not use the term boo-loving. Haters do.

What am I?

A hater.

Gifted Hands by Ben Carson, MD

On my plane ride back to DC I decided to pick up a book at Borders... only because it was the first time I had seen a Borders at an airport... unbelievably there were two! The mini-Borders had an African American section and I decided to browse it knowing there was a book over there that I had not read that I absolutely need to read. I came across the title GIFTED HANDS and I knew it sounded familiar and I picked it up realizing it was the autobiography of Dr. Benjamin Carson.. an absolute must read for a black people.

On this blog I am striving to stay away from my own personal convictions and experiences but you may gather what you will from what I essential share on this page.

This book was an excellent read. It took me one day to read and I absolutely had to read every detail of the book. I read a lot (for a college student)... translation, I read for pleasure when I have the time. This story was one of the most inspirational that I have ever come across. For blacks, it is inspiring to read and understand what struggles can be overcome with persistence and hard work. For Christians, its a great testimony of what a strong faith in the Lord will do for an individual. A friend of mine told me today that she noticed those pepole who do put their trust in God never worry about anything, things always work out in the end This book is going on my must read list.

Inspiration -
This man understands wholly is God given talents and what others are able to see through him. That man has the ability of presenting humble inspiration. For those individuals that are blessed with extreme talents they often are inspiring for others because they want to imitate them. However, there are a select few who are able to take those talents and inspire more than just imitation. They inspire a work ethic, a creed, a belief in others to achieve.... not just what has already been but whatever that individual has the potential to achieve on their own level.

My favorite concept is THINK BIG... taken directly from the book
Talent: Our Creator has endowed all of us not just with the ability to sing, dance or throw a ball, but with intellectual talent. Start getting in touch with that part of you that is intellectual and develop that, and think of careers that will allow you to use that.

Honesty: If you lead a clean and honest life, you don't put skeletons in the closet. If you put skeletons in the closet, they definitely will come back just when you don't want to see them and ruin your life.

Insight: It comes from people who have already gone where you're trying to go. Learn from their triumphs and their mistakes.

Nice: If you're nice to people, then once they get over the suspicion of why you're being nice, they will be nice to you.

Knowledge: It makes you into a more valuable person. The more knowledge you have, the more people need you. It's an interesting phenomenon, but when people need you, they pay you, so you'll be okay in life.

Books: They are the mechanism for obtaining knowledge, as opposed to television.

In-Depth Learning: Learn for the sake of knowledge and understanding, rather than for the sake of impressing people or taking a test.

God: Never get too big for Him.

This concept is not too over the top for kindergarten students and is not too elementary for PhD candidates. It's simple and IT IS TRUE.

This theory needs to be applied to our public school systems across this nation. This type of refocus on personal achievement would be extremely beneficial for students and communities as a whole.

Achievement -
taken from THIS AWESOME SITE

In 1987, Carson made medical history with an operation to separate a pair of Siamese twins. The Binder twins were born joined at the back of the head. Operations to separate twins joined in this way had always failed, resulting in the death of one or both of the infants. Carson agreed to undertake the operation. A 70-member surgical team, led by Dr. Carson, worked for 22 hours. At the end, the twins were successfully separated and can now survive independently.

Carson's other surgical innovations have included the first intra-uterine procedure to relieve pressure on the brain of a hydrocephalic fetal twin, and a hemispherectomy, in which an infant suffering from uncontrollable seizures has half of its brain removed. This stops the seizures, and the remaining half of the brain actually compensates for the missing hemisphere.

All I could say was wow. This type of personal achievement is almost unheard of. By reading the book you can see exactly why Dr. Carson was able to achieve all of these things. He took pride in himself, what he did, and what he represented. Personal pride. REAL GENUINE personal pride in not only what we are but in what what we do as well. Realizing this pride and realizing its potential ensures ACHIEVEMENT especially PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT. Dr. Carson reinforces the fact that personal achievement was so much more important than impressing others. It is what you do for YOU.

GOD IS NUMBER ONE

Dr. Carson, at least through his book, constantly gave thanks, praise, and glory to God for his crowning achievements. The title in of itself was a homage to what God graciously blessed him with. Dr. Carson was a neurosurgeon who participated (not performed) miraculous surgeries numerous times. He could have easily taken the credit, but because he realized that he was merely the hands that God chose to work through he represented a well respected sense of humility and self actualization.


So... concluding thoughts tomorrow...