By he time of his assassination in February 1965 Malcom had found himself, politically speaking, in a real pickle. By leaving the Nation of Islam the previous year he had made himself unacceptable to the more radical elements of the civil rights movement. At the same time, because he had been
so critical in the past of the moderates(especially Martin Luther King)they wanted no part of him.
As Malcom himself lamented "For Muslims, I'm too worldly; for other people, I'm too religious...
for militants, I'm too moderate, for moderates, I'm too militant."*
So if Malcom had lived, would he have managed to get out of this quandary? Or would he have
declined to total irrelevance & obscurity?
*- Quoted in Bruce Perry, MALCOM, p. 338 of the 1992, Station Hill Press paperback edition. A
good biography though marred by its author's antipathy toward his subject.
so critical in the past of the moderates(especially Martin Luther King)they wanted no part of him.
As Malcom himself lamented "For Muslims, I'm too worldly; for other people, I'm too religious...
for militants, I'm too moderate, for moderates, I'm too militant."*
So if Malcom had lived, would he have managed to get out of this quandary? Or would he have
declined to total irrelevance & obscurity?
*- Quoted in Bruce Perry, MALCOM, p. 338 of the 1992, Station Hill Press paperback edition. A
good biography though marred by its author's antipathy toward his subject.
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