"Malcolm X"?

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Spike Lee's film, "Malcolm X," depicts the way Malcolm X, in prison, forged his identity based on social and religious values, not the values of the dominant white culture, but rather values in opposition to the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant culture, which, for centuries, had oppressed persons of African descent. The author points out that Malcolm X was a sincere adherent to Islam, which was not the religion of his African ancestors, but the religion of modern Africa. The paper relates that Spike Lee demonstrates how, when Malcolm X embraced Sunni Islam and incorporated its teachings into his approach toward black liberation, his militant views became more tempered; this shift from pure militancy toward cooperation directly led to his assassination.

From the Paper:

"As Lee's movie shows, Malcolm's family history and early experiences affected his radical political views. He joined the Nation of Islam while in prison, as he felt a sense of camaraderie and solidarity that he never would have found in the outside world. Lee depicts how Malcolm X was deeply and personally affected by his exposure to the Muslim religion. In fact, one of the most remarkable things about the life of Malcolm X was his ability to grow with his religious beliefs, rather than having his religious beliefs dictate strictly what his actions were. As the film points out, Malcolm X did the necessary pilgrimage to Mecca shortly before he was assassinated."

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