David Howard-Pitney

Simplification is necessary when it comes to history. Without it, our volumes of information would be so overwhelming that few would be brave enough to dive into them. It also allows people to easily understand a very complex set of interrelationships and interaction. Polar opposites, while perhaps not as polar as they seem, allow people to categorize information and easily recall it. It’s a necessary evil. In history classes, we are taught two sets of polar opposite simplifications: Martin Luther King Jr. was the peaceful preacher who advocated integration and Malcolm X was the frightening and violent advocate of action against whites. These are simplifications. Also, they are definitions lacking the proper train of understanding at their core. Meaning, we give the ends without discussing the means. The whys and hows are missing, which does a great disservice to the legacy of these two influential men. The reasons to buy, read, and love this book are many. First, it dispels the oversimplification in just a few short chapters. It does what lengthy biography and years of discussion has largely failed to instill in the modern mind. To look at Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X is not to see integration vs. separation, peaceful resistance vs. ‘any means necessary,’ or love vs. hate. One of the great thing that this book does is show that in addition to many differences, these men did also have a lot of similarities. Indeed, they even began to modify their views in time to meet in the middle, though a few fundamentals never wavered. Another valuable thing that this book does is present a short introduction, but allow the bulk of the book to consist of primary documents that put words to detail. In the end, the most important thing is not to agree with everything that is said, but to understand it. It is easy, for example, to feel frightened by Malcolm X and his views. But without context and a proper understanding of his history and his person is to make assumptions about him without justification. One can only make decisions when informed. The same goes for Martin Luther King Jr. and the idea that he was a peaceful, speech giving womanizer. While these might fit the standard mold, truth is more complex and infinitely more interesting. If you at all have any interest in Civil Rights or the 1960s, I feel that this book is essential. Not only does it chronicle two important and influential men, but it gives a good picture of the ideas, troubles, and influences of the highly dynamic and trouble ridden time.… (més)