The Political, Moral, Intellectual and Revolutionary Authority of Africa in Malcolm X's Life and Thought

From the dawn of the Black experience in America, Africa had played and continues to play, a central role in constructions of countervailing forms/forces of resistance and empowerment. From the early nineteenth century “pioneers of protest” down to the civil and post-civil rights activists, Black Americans have invoked Africa as a critical repertoire of resistance. None more so than Malcolm X (1925-1965). Although he began his activist career in the Nation of Islam, an organization that focused less on Africa as a source of inspiration and strength, Malcolm would, shortly after his break with the NOI, position Africa at the core, and the foundation, for his philosophy of resistance and empowerment for Blacks. In his writings and speeches; and in the movement that he developed for advancing the black struggles, Malcolm X prioritized the African nexus. He advocated broadening the purview of the Black American struggles to include Africa. In his view, Africa offered much of what Black Americans lacked and desperately need in their historic struggles?the moral, cultural, political, and intellectual force and authority that would facilitate black liberation and empowerment in both America and globally.