Malcolm X and the Poetics of Haki Madhubuti

Illustrating the power of 1960s oratory and its successful merging with the art of that era, this Internationally Award winning text examines the significance of Malcolm X as a literary muse for Haki Madhubuti, an independent publisher, poet and essayist. Long after Malcolm’s assassination, Haki Madhubuti continued to expound in poetry and essays X’s major oratorical themes, including X’s effort to destroy the racial appellation “Negro” and in its place create new racial signifiers for people of African descent. X’s persistence in oratory during the 1960s influenced the Black Arts Movement that positively changed both the psychology and behavior of American Blacks from neo-dependency on Whites to urgent Black autonomy.  In “Malcolm X and the Poetics of Haki Madhubuti” Regina Jennings, through historical and literary analysis of early 18th century Black poetry to 20th century 1960s art, charts how selected writers exhibited complex tensions around racial issues that shouted, then relaxed and revolutionized during the Black Arts Movement. This book contributes to a resounding understanding of Malcolm X’s profound and current impact on African-American writing and culture.