Radical Philosophy Review

Volume 17, Issue 2, 2014

Special Project: Political Theory and Philosophy in a Time of Mass Incarceration

Bruce Lapenson
Pages 325-350

Malcolm X's Evolving Political Thought
Dynamic and Productive Tensions

The various attempts to find the definitive political thought of Malcolm X, after his break with the Nation of Islam, have resulted in clashing interpretations. Malcolm X’s speeches, writings, and other public forums are the root cause of the tensions. Malcolm X’s thinking is most rich and informative if its ambiguities are accepted as such and each side of a particular tension is explored. Each pole of the four tensions identified here is highly relevant for present American racial dilemmas and racial progress.