Diggin in the Vault, Volume Two

The Life, Philosophy, and Legacy of Malcolm X

In this talk Michael Eric Dyson, PhD explores the cultural significance of Malcolm X’s ideology philosophy and his impact on modern movements.

Malcolm X’s cultural rebirth—his improbable second coming—brims with irony. The nineties are marked by intense and often angry debates about racial authenticity and “selling out,” and the participants in these debates—from politicians to filmmakers to rap artists—often draw on Malcolm’s scorching rebukes to such moves. Meanwhile, Malcolm’s “X” is marketed in countless business endeavors and is stylishly branded on baseball hats and T-shirts sported by every age, race, and gender. But this rampant commercialization is only a small part of Malcolm’s remarkable renaissance. One of the century’s most complex black leaders, he is currently blazing a new path across contemporary popular culture, and has even seared the edges of an academy that once froze him out. Thirty years after his assassination, what is it about his life and words that speaks so powerfully to so many? In Making Malcolm, Michael Eric Dyson probes the myths and meanings of Malcolm X for our time.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is a Georgetown University sociology professor, a New York Times contributing opinion writer, and a contributing editor of The New Republic, and of ESPN’s The Undefeated website.

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