New Book Explores Malcolm X’s Enduring Influence on the Arts in Honor of His Centennial
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dr. M. Muhammad
TWPF Special Projects Director
EMAIL: specialprojectmanager@thirdworldpressfoundation.org
PHONE: 616.560.0235
Third World Press
Chicago, IL — March 2025 — In recognition of the 100th anniversary of Malcolm X’s birth, the forthcoming volume Malcolm X and the Arts: Ten Centennial Reflections brings together a powerful collection of essays examining Malcolm X’s profound impact on artistic expression across generations.
This groundbreaking anthology delves into how Malcolm X’s vision and ideology have influenced creative works spanning poetry, theater, opera, literature, film, and hip-hop, affirming his continued relevance in shaping Black artistic and political consciousness.
Edited by Keith Gilyard, Malcolm X and the Arts highlights perspectives from leading scholars and artists, who analyze the deep connections between Malcolm’s philosophy and the Black Arts Movement, contemporary cultural productions, and the evolution of Black storytelling.
In the book’s preface, GIlyard reflects on Malcolm X’s recognition of the power of the artist-activist, citing his connections with luminaries like Lorraine Hansberry, Paul Robeson, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, and Julian Mayfield. As Malcolm himself wrote in 1964, “We must launch a cultural revolution … Culture is an indispensable weapon in the freedom struggle.” The essays in this volume explore how artists have taken up that call in the decades since.
Key contributors and topics include:
● Nicole Hodges Persley on the “lasting creative echo” of Malcolm X in works like Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, Ava DuVernay’s Selma, and Kehinde Wiley’s New Republic series.
● Sarah RudeWalker on For Malcolm: Poems on the Life and the Death of Malcolm X, analyzing its significance in the Black Arts and Black nationalist movements.
● Regina Jennings on Malcolm X’s influence on poet Haki Madhubuti, tracing his path toward a neo-African identity.
● Derek G. Handley on the impact of The Meeting, a play dramatizing a fictional encounter between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
● Howard Rambsy II on how Malcolm X’s assassination has functioned as a text, including in films and documentaries such as Malcolm X and Who Killed Malcolm X?
● Allison Michele Lewis on the historical significance of Black opera and its connection to X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.
● Mudiwa Pettus on One Night in Miami and Malcolm X’s role as a “pacer for Black rhetorical leadership.”
● Keith Gilyard on representations of Malcolm X in novels, exploring Kevin Baker’s Striver’s Row, Ted Pelton’s Malcolm & Jack (And Other American Criminals), and Ilyasah Shabazz’s X: A Novel and The Awakening of Malcolm X.
● Lindsay Burton on representations of Malcolm X in young adult literature, including The Hate U Give and Akata Witch.
● Mursalata Muhammad on the evolving portrayal of Malcolm X in children’s books, from deficit-focused narratives to affirming depictions of his early life.
This volume underscores the unceasing relevance of Malcolm X, a figure who continues to inspire new interpretations and artistic explorations. As Malcolm X and the Arts illustrates, his words and legacy remain a driving force in cultural and political movements worldwide.
The book will is available for pre-order August, 2025 on line at Third World Press Foundation.
For media inquiries, review copies, or interviews with the editor and contributors, please contact: Dr. Muhammad.
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About the Book
Malcolm X and the Arts: Ten Centennial Reflections is a landmark collection of essays that examines the influence of Malcolm X on artistic movements and creative works. This volume brings together scholars, artists, and writers to analyze Malcolm X’s impact on Black cultural production from the 1960s to the contemporary moment.