Education platform Knarrative has expanded its virtual book collection with an upcoming edition of “Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements.”
Edited by writer George Breitman, this book revolves around the teachings and vision of Malcolm X. Using his most famous speeches that he delivered in the last few months of his life, the book highlights Malcolm X’s ideas on race, prejudice, religion, the Vietnam War, capitalism amongst other topics.
Dedicated to providing education across the Diaspora, Knarritive’s virtual book club is a space that offers e-books and interactive books to cultivate global conversations on Black history.
Here are some titles available on the platform’s site to read and join in on the discussion.
- The Souls of Black Folks: Written by teacher, sociologist and activist W.E.B. Du Bois, this collection of essays focuses on Du Bois’ ideas on race, racism’s pervasive effect on Black Americans and the color line, referring to the invisible and at times physical division between races. Throughout the book, DuBois introduces terms such as “the Veil” and double-consciousness to refer to the impact of racial prejudice and the inner conflict that oppression arises in Black Americans. DuBois also includes personal anecdotes that have helped shape his ideas such as the first time he became aware of racism and his time teaching at a rural school in the South.
- Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs: Written by James Peter Allen, an Egyptologist who formerly worked as a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the book gives readers an introductory course on learning how to understand hieroglyphics. After providing grammatical tips on the language, the book then tests readers’ knowledge with 26 exercises. The book also provides a dictionary, a comprehensive list of hieroglyphic symbols and essays on Ancient Egyptian culture and history.
- Blood in My Eye: Written by activist George Jackson, this collection of essays and letters highlights Jackson’s views on topics such as communism, fascism, state violence and class struggle amongst others. The book’s idea are shaped largely by the murder of Jackson’s younger brother, Jonathan Jackson, just a year before. Jonathan was killed in a shoot-out after an attempt to free his brother and the other inmates that made up the Soledad Brothers, Fleeta Drumgo and John Clutchette, failed. Edited by Toni Morrison, the book was published posthumously in 1972 after George’s own murder on August 21, 1971. For 11 years, George Jackson was jailed in California for stealing $70 from a gas station at the age of 18, even though he was given a one-year sentence. After an alleged attempted prison escape, he was shot and killed by prison guards at San Quentin prison. At the time of his death, he was just one month shy of his 30th birthday.
- To Praise Our Bridges: This autobiography by Civil Rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer follows her life and work. In 1961, Hamer became involved with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and joined the cause for voting rights as an organizer. On August 31, 1962, Hamer and 17 other volunteers went to the Indianola Mississippi Courthouse to vote. Given an unfair literacy test, the group was not able to vote and was harassed going home when police stopped them to unfairly charge them a $100 fine for driving a bus that was “too yellow.” Despite having faced many instances of harassment, she never gave up for her cause as she co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, participated in the organization of Freedom Summer and became one of the first Black women to speak to the U.S. Congress.
- Black World: “Africa Notebook: Views on Returning Home”: Written by activist Charlie Cobb after spending years in Tanzania, this 1972 article breaks down his ideas on topics such as the politics related to the idea of Pan-Africanism. Throughout the essay, Cobb focuses on topics such as African nationalism, the status Black Americans have in Africa as citizens of America and Europe’s presence in Africa. Having been a student at Howard University, Cobb became a part of the Civil Rights Movement as the communications director at the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. As part of the SNCC, he’s best known for his proposal of “Freedom Schools,” an education system for young Black people in Mississippi.
