This text explores the life and legacy of Malcolm X, an African-American human rights activist who was a prominent figure of the Civil Rights movement in America. This autobiography was a joint effort between Malcolm X himself and a journalist called Alex Haley, who held a series of interviews with Malcolm before his death.
The book analyses Malcolm's experiences of racism, and the idea of "perception" is often spoken about. Malcolm explains that during his lifetime, black people were perceived by those around them in a negative light. From here, Malcolm argues that black and white people would be unable to live together in harmony due to the idea of perception, which forms the basis of his argument for segregation.
Religion is another topic Malcolm deals within this autobiography. Malcolm himself was an avid supporter of Islam throughout his life and advocates the religion in this text. He argues that Islam is superior because it does not support racism, and says that "America needs to understand Islam because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem."
