25th Anniversary Reprint of the People’s College Malcolm X Study Guide
Access and download the study guide here:
This study guide was written in 1989 by Abdul Alkalimat as part of the practice of Peoples College to develop popular educational materials for the Black liberation movement and Black Studies. This followed the important 1985 issue of the Black Liberation Month News that focused on Malcolm X. Both were newsprint publications and were widely distributed. 50,000 copies of the Malcolm X BLM News were distributed, and 25,000 copies of the study guide were as well. Thus, we have given away over 100,000 free copies of educational materials on Malcolm X.
The study guide was used to build the important 1990 New York Conference on Malcolm X: Radical Tradition and Legacy of Struggle. Writers and Readers published a second revised edition of the study guide as part of their “For Beginners” series. Pathfinder Press sued to protect their ownership of Malcolm’s words. They alleged to be acting in the interest of Betty Shabazz. They charged unfair use of quotes even though the quotes used did not in any case exceed more than one paragraph. Writers and Readers and Abdul Alkalimat were forced to back down and withdraw the remaining copies of the book. Writers and Readers then dumped the plan to prepare a new revolutionary activist oriented book for a reformist oriented narrative.
Two questions remain. What is the radical Black tradition? Who owns the radical Black tradition?
–Abdul Alkalimat, People’s College 1991
context
In November 1990 [1-4], more than 3,000 people from 25 countries attended the Malcolm X: Radical Tradition and a Legacy of Struggle conference held in New York City. More than 100 speakers led 24 sessions that deeply explored, contextualized, and situated El Hajj Malik El Shabazz in the genealogy of Black radical internationalism as a Pan Africanist.
Sessions at the 1990 Conference included an exploration of Malcolm X in Ghana [Vikki Garvin]; Theoretical Perspectives on Malcolm [Lou Turner & Bro Abdul Alkalimat]; Malcolm in New York [Yuri Kochiyama]; new Research on Malcolm [James Cone & William Sales]; Black Liberation and Social Revolution [Abdul Rahman Muhammad Babu]; Does the Southern Struggle Still Exist? [Saladin Muhammad]; Black Women and Black Liberation: Fighting Oppression and Building Unity [Barara Ransby & Fran Beale]; Black Workers Unity and Resistance to Economic Barbarism [General Baker & Ashaki Binta].
Questions that animated the discussions included, but not, limited to:
Has the quality of life changed for Black workers since the days of Malcolm X?; Have computers and robots impacted the lives of Black workers?; Are trade unions active contributors to the fight for Black liberation?; What is the role of Black organizations like: Black Workers for Justice? League of Revolutionary Black Workers? Black Workers Congress? Coalition of Black Trade Unionists?; Discuss the case of Assata Shakur and why she is forced to live in exile in Cuba?; Discuss the nature of triple oppression faced by Black women: race, class, and gender; What is the role of Feminism in the Black liberation movement?
In 1990, many grassroots-based activists and youth in search of institutionalizing a moral righteousness were looking to return to a more militant movement. Many had never stopped learning from the thought of Malcolm X. Each generation since the 1960’s when facing the problems of their moment and circumstance would rediscover Malcolm X as his voice has proven to have a high degree of sustainability. He has been sustained by the love and respect of his people and freedom loving people of all nations and classes. The study guide was produced from the synergy of intellectual and practice of those who attended.
extensions
There is an argument that can be made that El Haj Mailk El Shabazz is an archetype of a critical Africana human rights consciousness. His praxis, the intellectual production and Black radical and revolutionary practice that it produced, is in fact a critique of and expansion on dominant human rights theory and practice. El Hajj Malik El Shabazz understood this clearly. When we turn attention to his evolution as an internationalist activist-theoretician, we can begin to truly grasp the breadth, depth and the rhythms of the various manifestations of Africana peoples struggle for freedom.
This study guide, as reprinted by BMB, was developed to provide context for us to extend the work of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz. It is our duty to study, practice, assess, and repeat [SPAR].
25th Anniversary Reprint of the People’s College Malcolm X Study Guide by Black Men Build
In November 1990, more than 3,000 people from 25 countries attended the Malcolm X: Radical Tradition and a Legacy of Struggle conference held in New York City…
In 1990, many grassroots-based activists and youth were looking to return to a more militant movement. Many had never stopped learning from the thought of Malcolm X. Each generation since the 1960’s when facing the problems of their moment and circumstance would rediscover Malcolm X as his voice has been proven to sustain radical thought. Likewise, Brother Malcolm’s legacy has been sustained by the love and respect of his people and freedom loving people of all nations and classes. The study guide was produced from the synergy of scholarship and activism of those who attended the conference.
This study guide, as reprinted by BMB, was developed to provide context for us to extend the work of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz. It is our duty to study, practice, assess, and repeat [SPAR].
–Prof. james pope, Africa World Now Project [2025]