Bio by Walter Dean Myers Captures the Beautiful Struggle of Malcolm X’s Life
By Nosakhere Griffin-EL, Ph.D.
Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly by Walter Dean Myers is a powerful biography. This book captures the full story of Malcolm X from boyhood to adulthood. With each turn of the page, the reader will learn the following:
How he was:
- Impacted by the life and death of his mother and father,
2. Discouraged by his teacher from pursuing his dream of becoming a lawyer,
How he:
3. Loved learning and reading books,
4. Transformed from street gangster to Harlem hero,
5. Spoke to the pain and struggles of people of Black people,
6. Continued to evolve as a human being until his death.
The book creates the potential for readers to develop a deep appreciation of Malcolm and his development. I love this book because Myers is able to capture the complexity of Malcolm’s life in a digestible manner.
The powerful illustrations by Lenard Jenkins allows the reader to walk with Myers as he tells the story of Malcolm’s life. These images also allow the reader to grapple with his or her emotional responses to Malcolm’s pains and triumphs.
For parents and teachers, this book is a tool to assist students in developing an understanding of one the Black community’s greatest heroes. I especially love Myers emphasis on Malcolm as a reader.
This book addresses themes such as racism (both in schools and society), family separation, and other themes related to racial oppression of Black people. Parents and educators should be prepared to have an in-depth conversation with children about the many race related themes covered by Myers. A meaningful conversation about these topics will assist young readers in developing an appreciation of Malcolm’s life and issues that impacted/impacts the Black community. In sum, I highly recommend this book!
Click the link below to read my tribute to Malcolm X
