Remembering Malcolm (PB) (1995)

Many books have been written about Malcolm X in the decades since his assassination, but in Remembering Malcolm, his assistant minister Benjamin Karim reveals an intimately human side of the great leader we have never seen before. Writing with an insider's knowledge and a disciple's devotion, Karim paints an unforgettable portrait of Malcolm X as counselor, minister, healer, and, above all, a dedicated member of his community.

Here is a dramatic account of how Malcolm galvanized the Black Muslims through his tireless work at Harlem's New York Mosque Number Seven in the early 1960s. Here, too, are Karim's affectionate memories of the daily rituals and beliefs that bound Malcolm's people together--the courtship and marriage rites, the strict customs governing relations between men and women, the three-day fasts that ended in sumptuous sundown feasts, the rigorous discipline, and the quiet joys sanctioned by their faith.

Remembering Malcolm is at once a beautiful memoir about a compelling human being and a vital historical document about one of the true American visionaries of the twentieth century.