NPR Tell Me More with Michel Martin: Statement on My Work with Dr. Marable for His Book

After interviewing Ilyasah Shabazz, the producers of NPR's "Tell Me More with Michel Martin" contacted me for clarification on how my work with Dr. Manning Marable related to his pubished work, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention.

On Monday, April 25, they posted my response:

As one of the lead researchers on the Malcolm X Project, I often discussed and debated various aspects of Malcolm X's history with Dr. Manning Marable, unaware if and how those discussions would eventually play out in his book. So for me, reading "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention," was my first opportunity to see how Dr. Marable was able to synthesize the many sources and voices he researched, and discussions and debates he had while completing the biography. It is my belief that he would want those discussions and debates to continue, as we continue to grapple with the life and legacy of Malcolm X.

NPR On Point with Tom Ashbrook: "Reimagining Malcolm X"

A new telling of the life of Malcolm X, from a biographer who’s already gone.

Malcolm X was fierce in his day and an icon in his death — the hard, tough black answer to Martin Luther King’s non-violent civil rights struggle.

“The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” as told to Alex Haley, became a touchstone for generations of young African-Americans and more. His archetypal journey from crime and trouble to wisdom and awakening.

Now, a new biography of Malcolm X takes the man beyond archetype. Fills in the picture. He becomes more human, but no less compelling.

This hour On Point: the new biography of Malcom X, with guests Michael Eric Dyson & Zaheer Ali.

Listen to the program here.

NPR Tell Me More with Michel Martin: "New Bio Raises Provocative Questions About Malcolm X"

A new controversial biography of Malcolm X offers fresh insights into the life and death of the Black leader. The book, entitled "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention," is being released this week and was written by prominent African American scholar Manning Marable. Marable died last week, just days before his seminal work was released. The biography touches on sensitive aspects of the activist's life, including his sexuality and assassination. Host Michel Martin discusses the book with one of the author's lead researchers, Zaheer Ali.

Listen to the program & read the transcript here.

NPR All Things Considered: "Mourning A Mentor: Students Pay Tribute to Marable"

Columbia University professor Manning Marable did not live to see the publication of his life's work, a new biography called Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. The book was released Monday, just days after Marable, 60, died Friday of complications from pneumonia.

Marable was the author of 15 books and a multitude of scholarly articles. He founded Colgate University's Africana and Latin American Studies program as well as the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia, where he was a mentor to countless students. Three of them gathered in the late scholar's office over the weekend to discuss why Marable was such an important influence on them — and on African-American research in the U.S.

Listen to the program & read the article here.