Malcolm X at Oxford Union

Racial Politics in a Global Era

Saladin Ambar

Transgressing Boundaries: Studies in Black Politics and Black Communities

The first book to place the Oxford Address in the canon of great civil rights speeches of the 20th Century
Makes the case that Malcolm X was seeking to organize a black human rights movement not only in America, the Middle East, or Africa, but in cities such as Paris, London, and Amsterdam as well
Shows Malcolm X moving beyond Black Nationalism, while at the same time rejecting the notion of 'color-blindness'
Makes the case that the racial, religious, and political difficulties associated with immigration in both Europe and the United States today owe their origins to the time of Malcolm X's address; and some of the more difficult solutions to those challenges can be found in that speech at Oxford

Malcolm X at Oxford Union

Racial Politics in a Global Era

Saladin Ambar

Transgressing Boundaries: Studies in Black Politics and Black Communities

Description

In 1964, Malcolm X was invited to debate at the Oxford Union Society at Oxford University. The topic of debate that evening was the infamous phrase from Barry Goldwater's 1964 Republican Convention speech: "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." His response to this topic stands out as one of the great addresses of the civil rights era. In Malcolm X at Oxford Union, Saladin Ambar offers the first in-depth analysis of this important speech, illuminating its context and consequences. Delivered just months before Malcolm's assassination, the speech followed a period in which Malcolm had traveled throughout Africa and much of the Muslim world, advocating on behalf of blacks in America and other nations. The journey broadened his political thought to encompass decolonization and the revolutions underway in the developing world. His travels culminated in a revolutionary speech that tackled a staggering array of issues: the nature of national identity; US foreign policy in the developing world; racial politics at home; the experiences of black immigrants in England; and the nature of power in the contemporary world. The speech represented the most advanced stage of his thought, proffering a global and humanist approach to ushering in social change. Malcolm X at Oxford Union reshapes our understanding not only of the man himself, but world politics both then and now.

Malcolm X at Oxford Union

Racial Politics in a Global Era

Saladin Ambar

Transgressing Boundaries: Studies in Black Politics and Black Communities

Prologue 1964
1 Introduction: "This is an interesting despatch"
2 Extremism: "The revolution is now on the inside of the house"
3 Liberty: "Please forward by any means necessary"
4 Moderation "It is no part of the moderate to refuse to fight"
5 Justice "To take up arms against a sea of troubles"
6 Virtue "Authentic Revolutionary"