Do you remember learning about Malcolm X in school? I know that I had never heard his name until I was in college. Malcolm X is often described as the sword to Martin Luther King Jr.’s shield, but his legacy stands alone as an incredible organizer for the Nation of Islam, fierce advocate for the advancement of Black people, and an early, outspoken adversary of White supremacy and police brutality. There is no question that the modern Black Lives Matter movement would not exist today without the influence of Malcolm X. 

But, because of Malcolm’s religion and radical positions on race relations and White supremacy he is often left out of civil rights conversations at school. This book is an amazing way to introduce Malcolm X to your students. Written by Malcolm’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz, after her father’s murder, this book describes Malcolm’s childhood in rich detail. Malcolm’s life was full of heartbreak: his father was murdered by the KKK, and then he and his siblings were taken as wards of the state before he began attending a school where he was the only Black student. These experiences are presented plainly so that students can peer into the world that Malcolm lived in and draw their own conclusions about the implications of these events on shaping Malcolm.  

Malcolm also lived a childhood filled with simple pleasures: he goes fishing, savors his momma’s cooking and marvels at butterflies. This book presents the childhood of someone who changed the world as extraordinary because it was ordinary. At times Malcolm’s childhood looked very different from our students, but there are also many parts of his story that students can relate to. Drawing connections to Malcolm’s childhood will hopefully help our students see themselves as future change makers in our world.