Tag Archives: Nation of Islam

Sep22

Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X: The Fatal Friendship by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith adapted by Margeaux Weston (A Young Readers Adaptation of Blood Brothers)

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Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X: The Fatal Friendship by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith adapted by Margeaux Weston (A Young Readers Adaptation of Blood Brothers)

bloodbrothers

A lot of us Muslims name drop Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X in discussions about civil rights quite often, and at least, speaking for myself, I thought I had the general idea about the relationship between these two iconic figures. I have read a fair amount of books in my quest to identify books that show how Islam shaped the men as opposed to those that tend to gloss over their eventual conversion to Sunni Islam, but I read this book as if it were fiction and I didn’t know what was going to happen next.  I have not read the original Blood Brothers, but this young readers adaptation is well done in conveying the politics, environment, struggles, and humanity of these two men.  Their flaws and growth, their tests, their friendship, it really is a compelling read. The focus on their friendship puts Nation of Islam as the focus, but the book does a good job of identifying it as being different than Islam.  As their friendship falters, Malcolm X goes for Hajj and is seen to change, and choices made by Cassius Clay show the men quite distant at the time of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz’s assassination, even though eventually their paths proved quite similar. The 240 page book is MG, but I think middle school readers (in classrooms, book clubs, and on their own) will better appreciate the intersection of these two giants, the events of their time, and the legacy they have left for us all.

SYNOPSIS:

The book is a snapshot in time, sometimes focusing on Malcolm X, sometimes on Cassius Clay, sometimes of their time together.  It starts with background insight and then shares the rise of both of them in their respective worlds, Nation of Islam and boxing.  Threaded through it all is the influence that Elijah Muhammad had on them, and key events they experienced that shaped their thoughts and opinions on race relations, politics, religion, and life.  It shows Malcolm X as the teacher, and leader taking in Clay and believing in him against the Nation’s wishes and thus when Muhammad Ali pushes him away the reader sees the Champ in a different light.  It shows deception and manipulation, as deep and riveting as the best fiction out there, but is very vulnerable in showing regret and both individuals’ ability to keep learning and growing.  The conclusion highlighting Muhammad Ali reaching out to Malcolm X’s daughter Attallah, and the forgiveness that took place in restoring the love between the two men and their families, really was a cathartic release that reminds readers that for as idolized as these two figures are in pop culture and history, they were very real people.  The book has a Biography at the end that breaks down sources by Government Documents, Archival Collections, Newspapers, Magazine Articles, Books, and Websites.  It is a “Selected Biography” that is seven pages long.

FLAGS:

Racism, manipulation, assassination, hate crimes, stereotypes, propaganda, oppressions, abuse, police brutality, assault, bombing, arson, attempted murder, fear, threats, killing.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I have preordered a book for my own children to read and one for the school, I really think this book needs to be easily accessible for middle school students in libraries, classrooms, and homes.  I would love to do this as a middle school book club, I think the authentic perspective will give our youth who have heard of Malcolm X and think they know Muhammad Ali some insight into really spending time with what they did, what they faced, and how remarkable their friendship was.

Aug18

All You Have To Do by Autumn Allen

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All You Have To Do by Autumn Allen

all you have

This historical fiction YA book was hard to put down.  While being invested in the characters and learning about the historical climate from an intimate account, I could feel my mind growing and my understanding deepening. The phenomenal writing quality, and the connection between the two fictional characters from two different times rooted in reality, allowed this thought provoking book to burrow into my mind, and makes me suggest it to high school English teachers to read with their students for a novel study.  Add in that the author is Muslim and that there is inclusion of side Muslim characters, makes me really really love this 432 page book.

SYNOPSIS:

Told from two perspectives: Gibran is a high school senior in 1995 at a prestigious New England, majority white prep school.  Being aware of the efforts his mother has made for him to have the opportunities he does, the incredibly bright boy isn’t content to sit back and let injustices go unchecked.  As he understands his position in his school, and perhaps in the world, he pushes to change how the system views him and on the cusp of the Million Man March he starts to get restless when others don’t support his efforts.

Kevin is at Columbia University in New York City in the wake of the Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination.  While the country pays service to the civil rights leader Kevin is witnessing the injustices at Columbia, and begins to question what his enrollment at the institution means and the hypocrisy it supports.  He also reflects back on choices his own family has made and what he would like his future to look like when opportunities to protest arise.

Kevin is Gibran’s uncle and their parallels show how little has changed in America.  The fears of the family, the institutionalized racism, the helplessness of a broken system.  The desire for two young men coming of age to decide for themselves where they belong, who they are, and what they are capable of in a world that wants to take that freedom away from them.

WHY I LIKE IT:

The power of this book is incredible, truly.  I really don’t have words.  I do have words about the side Muslim characters though.  Gibran’s sister is a hijab wearing convert and is respected and accepted by the family.  Kevin’s cousin and activist is also a convert and a powerful influence on the main character.  There are mentions of Muslims praying, and salams are given.  The book was beneficial to read, the Muslim characters and knowing that the author is Muslim, and reading the phrase, “In the Name of God the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” before the dedication was just extra amplification of voices that this story brought to light.

FLAGS:

Racism, violence, police violence, incarceration, hatred, drugs, alcohol, sneaking out, partying, lying, stealing, segregation, oppression, language.  The reality of the situations discussed is not PG, but the book does not sensationalize anything for the sake of shock, it is rooted in reality and a YA audience will grasp that.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Teachers, librarians, parents, teens: read this book.  Think about what you are reading, discuss what happened, what you understand, and how it makes you feel.  Preorder/order here

Aug14

Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali by Marc Bernardin illustrated by Ron Salas

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Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali by Marc Bernardin illustrated by Ron Salas

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I’m always curious how books about Muhammad Ali will present his “Islam” and this 240 page graphic novel was no exception.  I was a little hesitant with the title, and with the foreword establishing that this book is akin to the heroic poems of Odysseus and Gilgamesh, and that “inspired by truth, and truth itself, aren’t the same thing.”  I did appreciate that it says if you are going to take a test on Muhammad Ali and this is your only source, you will fail.  It seems to recognize that Ali means a lot of very different things, to different people and this book at times is true and at times just feels true.  Broken into 12 chapters, 12 rounds, the author offers sources in the back, but leaves wiggle room for creative liberty.  I think if you are familiar with Ali’s life the book doesn’t provide anything shocking and you will enjoy seeing it play out in graphic novel form. If you aren’t familiar with him, the book is a little too choppy to paint a comprehensive biography and you will be confused and need outside clarification at times. I looked into the book before diving in, and many reviews say that the story makes his life accessible to middle grade and middle schoolers, the publisher says 10th-12th grade, and I think with the panel of a prostitute trying to talk to him, alcohol being offered to him, the recreation of him being positioned as a saint being martyred for a magazine cover shoot, comments about being with a lot of women, and some of the politics, the book is best suited for high schoolers.  

SYNOPSIS:

Framed around the lighting of the Olympic torch in 1996 the book then goes back and fills in the gaps on some of the big events of Muhammad Ali’s life:

Round One: Schwinn. 1954. Having his bike stolen and being introduced to boxing.

Round Two: Olympian. 1960. Winning Olympic gold.

Round Three: Church. 1961. Meeting Malcolm X.

Round Four: Sonny Liston. 1964. The fight.

Round Five: Media. 1967. Interview with Howard Cosell.

Round Six: Martyr. 1968. Esquire cover shoot.

Round Seven: Defendant. 1971. Draft evasion charges and fight with Joe Frazier.

Round Eight: Candle. 1974. Meeting a child with leukemia.

Round Nine: Rumble. 1974. Rumble in the Jungle.

Round Ten: Patient. 1980. Early signs.

Round Eleven: Shepherd. 1990. Iraq hostage negotiations with Saddam Hussein.

Round Twelve: Survivor. 1996. Lighting the Olympic torch.

WHY I LIKE IT:

It does articulate that he parted ways with Nation of Islam in chapter 11, Elijah Muhammad and Nation of Islam is pretty prominent in the book up until then, and then in Iraq it does show him praying salat, mentioning the blessings of Allah swt in freeing the hostages, and noting he is going as the most recognizable Muslim American.  I always enjoy reading about Ali and Cosell’s relationship, so I particularly enjoyed those scenes and like the premise of the book established, who knows if they are true, but they feel true and in many ways make Ali seem almost fictious with his equal parts arrogance, humility, humor, and insight.  I had to do a bit of outside reading about the Esquire cover shoot, and the Iraq hostage situation, the book did not seem to make it clear, and got me to thinking perhaps some of the other chapters only seemed clear because I had read about those incidents before.  

Normally I like books to be sourced and a book that is biographical to be accurate, but I almost wanted this book to just be extravagant.  To have fun with the persona of Ali and make him into something of legend that the foreword seemed to hint at.  What I thought was going to make him even more so “the greatest” seemed to just provide a safety net of protection to imagine what was going on in Ali’s head during the 12 rounds highlighted.

FLAGS:

There are some offers of alcohol which he refuses, some pointed political positions, a prostitute in a hallway invites him for free, he refuses. He recreates a martyr scene even once he established he was Muslim and wasn’t ok with it, but a phone call to Elijah Muhammad’s son, made it ok because it was for money, there is a lot to unpack there for kids.  He makes a comment about being with a lot of women at one point, not in your face, but in a graphic novel, to dedicate a panel to it, makes it stand out.  Racism, hate, bigotry, prejudice.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I am a bit on the fence with this book.  I think it would work for a high school book club, but with a lot of context.  If you are discussing Ali, this would be a suitable supplement in a high school classroom.  If you are an English teacher talking about Homer and heroic poetry, I think this would be a great contemporary example. I don’t know that I would stop mature middle schoolers from reading it, but I don’t know that I would be suggesting it either.

If the book seems like a good fit for you, you can order it here.

Feb9

The Awakening of Malcolm X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson

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The Awakening of Malcolm X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson

img_8312This historical fiction piece about Malcolm X follows him through incarceration with flashbacks to his childhood and teenage years.  Written by his daughter it is hard to know where this 336 page book is factual and where it takes artistic freedom with filling in the blanks. A few creative liberties are mentioned in the author’s note at the end, but some sources in the back would help clarify, as she was a toddler when her father was killed. The time frame of Malcolm X’s life and a large portion of the book covers his introduction and conversion to The Nation of Islam, but it never mentions even in the timeline at the end that he left it, or that they were responsible for his assassination.  The book is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, it is also so very humbling and empowering. I just don’t know that younger middle school readers (the stated intended audience is 12-18), will really grasp the content, his condition, and his searching, while trying to keep all the characters, time frame references, and slang straight.  With the mention of his girlfriend who he is/was sleeping with, as well as the drugs, the alcohol, and the abuses occurring in prison, older teens might be able to handle the book better, and be tempted after to dig deeper to learn about him going for Hajj, becoming Sunni, changing some of his views, and ultimately being gunned down in front of his family.

SYNOPSIS:

Malcolm Little is living between Roxbury and Harlem and going by the nickname Detroit Red.  When the story opens, Malcolm and his friend Shorty are about to tried for stealing a watch, a crime that he acknowledges he committed, but undoubtedly doesn’t deserve 8-10  years in prison for at age 20.  Nearly every chapter starts with a flashback to an earlier time and then concludes with the atrocities of prison life at hand.  As the narrative flips back and forth Malcolm’s story and awakening emerges.

Born in Omaha the Little family’s home is burned down by the Ku Klux Klan, they move a few times as the growing family grows closer together and establish themselves as followers of Marcus Garvey in advocating for Blacks.  Malcolm’s preacher father is killed when Malcolm is six years old and his mother institutionalized when he is 13, for refusing to feed her children pork amongst other things, and thus leaving the family grasping as they know she isn’t crazy, yet cannot get her released.  Malcolm is incredibly bright and attends a nearly all white prep school, but even after being class president, a teacher discourages him from pursuing his dreams of being a lawyer, and Malcolm drops out of school and ends up being a hustler.  His white girlfriend, a married woman in Boston and her friends convince him to rob some wealthy white neighborhoods and when he later takes a stolen watch to be fixed he is arrested and found guilty of grand larceny, breaking and entering, possession and more.  He is sentenced to Charlestown State Prison and day-to-day life is rough.

The guards at the overcrowded prison are aggressive, the food un consumable, and being put in the hole as punishment is beyond inhuman.  Malcolm is filled with anger and rage and is still trying to hustle people.  He learns his family has become followers of The Nation of Islam and he doesn’t want to hear it, he doesn’t want to hear about his prison mates preaching the Bible and he doesn’t want to hear about God.  He feels betrayed by God and feels guilty for not being a man his father would be proud of, the refrain: up, up, you mighty race! echoes throughout.

Throughout it all his family’s love is felt in visits, letters, and warm memories of life before his incarceration.  His flashbacks to events in his childhood that defined him, inspired him, molded him, show what a beautiful family he had and how racism in large part destroyed it.  His parents valued education and discipline and his elder siblings carry that torch and pass it on to the younger children, they are a large family and their love is palpable for each other and for the liberation of Blacks in America.

Little’s sisters write letters and eventually get Malcolm transferred to a much nicer prison, Norfolk, where he really channels his rage into reform, determined not to leave the same man he entered as.  He has access to a full library, he joins the debate team, he takes classes, converts to The Nation of Islam and then refuses to get a polio shot and is sent back to Charleston for the remainder of his sentence.

The book concludes with his release, and teases that members of his family are becoming uneasy with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.  At the very very end, he meets Betty, the lady who will be his wife.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love that this chunk of Malcolm X’s life shows the transformation of his thinking, how outside influences forced him to dig in to himself and reflect in such a profound way.  The book is as timely as ever as the systemic racism that is determined to see people of color fail is still running and growing.  There is a little mention of how veterans are treated better in other countries on the front lines than they are at home when they return that I wish was explored more, but there are so many characters that flit in and out of Malcolm’s prison world, it is hard to tell them apart as it is Malcolm’s story and his development that is being told.

Not surprisingly, I wish there was more about him converting to Sunni and going for Hajj.  The book stops before then and I am sure that most readers, will not understand the difference between The Nation, the Ahmadis mentioned, and Sunni Muslims.  This concerns me as the acceptance of Elijah Muhammad as a Prophet is hard to read.  I think some conversation with readers would be necessary as the book offers little if any to differentiate.

I like that each chapter starts with a direct quote of Malcolm X and the the fact that the relevance of his words in today’s world don’t need any explanations or context is devastatingly powerful.  I also appreciate how engaging and smooth the writing is.  You really feel the layers of Malcolm X the character, being pealed back and him coming into the proud confident leader that he is known to be.

FLAGS:

There is profanity, mention of him sleeping around, memories of kissing his girlfriend, alcohol consumption, cigarettes, drug use, violence, beatings, abuse.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I don’t think I would do this as a book club for middle school.  Possibly if I was a high school teacher I would offer it as outside reading or extra credit when reading about the Civil Rights Era, or if I was teaching the Alex Haley, Auto Biography of Malcolm X.