Malcolm X (Cornerstones of Freedom)

By Jack Slater

Book Overview

The Cornerstones of Freedom detail important events in United States history. Children are given the sense of being witnesses to history-in-the-making and contemporaries of famous people who helped... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0516466690
• ISBN13: 9780516466699
• Release Date: March 1994
• Publisher: Childrens Pr
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 0.3" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Despite some valid historical points, I don't consider it required reading

There are some historical figures that young people must learn about. In the area of the modern civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are the two that most immediately leap to mind. However, Malcolm X is not one of them, as he was largely a fringe figure in the movement. Born Malcolm Little, he changed his name because he argued that it was the white slave owner who gave him the name Little and he wanted to break from that. One of the most interesting historical points in this book is the explanation of the white supremacist groups in the northern states. It is a common misconception that the Klu Klux Klan operated only in the southern states and that they were the only group that terrorized people who supported black rights. That is false and I commend Slater for making that point clear in describing the activity of white supremacist groups in Nebraska and Michigan. The sections about the Nation of Islam are also very revealing, as that group is one of very militant beliefs and as Malcolm discovered, does not follow many of the true tenants of Islam. While there are some very important historical points in this book, I do not consider it essential reading for the modern young person. Due to his short life, Malcolm X was largely a fringe figure in the battle for civil rights. However, as I have mentioned, there are other significant points secondary to the life of Malcolm X that make it worth reading.