Martin and Malcolm and America: A Dream or a Nightmare.Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or a Nightmare by James H. Cone; Orbis Books, Maryknoll Maryknoll, headquarters of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, near Ossining, N.Y. A Roman Catholic community of priests (the "Maryknoll Fathers") are there especially trained for foreign missionary work. The community was established in 1911 and sent out its first missionaries in 1918. At first the territory assigned was East Asia, especially China and Korea., N.Y., $22.95 Simple and direct. That's the phrase this book brings to mind. As Cone, a black liberation theologian, explores the formative influences and experiences, the philosophies and the strengths and weaknesses of King and Malcolm X Malcolm X, 1925–65, militant black leader in the United States, also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, b. Malcolm Little in Omaha, Neb. He was introduced to the Black Muslims while serving a prison term and became a Muslim minister upon his release in 1952. He quickly became very prominent in the movement with a following perhaps equaling that of its leader, Elijah Muhammad.. He offers intriguing portraits of these two giants. At the same time, he sheds light on the history of the resistance strategies of integrationism and nationalism. The beauty of the book is that it's a labor of love, not a mere intellectual exercise. It is also an impassioned plea that readers focus not on Martin and Malcolm's differences but on the ties that bind and build on both their legacies. It is Cone's contention that "together Martin, a Christian integrationist, and Malcolm, a Muslim nationalist, would have been a powerful force against racial injustice." His support of this thesis may well bring you to tears over thoughts of what might have been saved from the assassins' bullets. |
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