Shabazz, Ilyasah & Jackson, Tiffany D. The Awakening of Malcolm X, Jan. 2021. 336p. Macmillan/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17.99. (9780374313296). Grades 6-12.
Written by one of his daughters, Ilyasah Shabazz, and the author Tiffany D. Jackson, The Awakening of Malcolm X is a young adult fiction novel about the life of Malcolm X during his time in prison. In the 1940’s, a young Malcolm is sentenced to eight to ten years in prison after stealing a watch. In prison, he experiences firsthand the violence of the prison industrial complex. Readers follow Malcolm in the first-person in his early years as an incarcerated Black man, and on his journey of self-education and self-rediscovery despite these obstacles.
This time in Malcolm’s life is made accessible to the young adult reader, with themes that are relevant to their lives including the question of identity, belonging, worth, and purpose. Shabazz depicts Malcolm’s distrust and anger and his jaded attitude toward all religions and his future at the start of the novel. Readers will relate to the conflicting societal messages Malcolm receives, and reflect on issues of race and inequity that continue to present day. As the story moves forward, Malcolm is transferred to another prison, where he is empowered and motivated to find his truth through books and self-reflection. The violent experiences in prison are not sugar coated: like the way prisoners are kept in solitary confinement for extended periods of time, prison guards using slurs and physical violence, and the description of the inhumane cells the prisoners stay in.
As the story is set in prison, most of the characters around Malcolm are prisoners as well, and are predominantly Black. His family is featured prominently in the story, with his siblings and parents interweaving in the narrative with flashbacks from his life as a child. It is the Black characters that have a positive effect on his life. There is a range of personalities that are well-developed and multi-dimensional, even when the characters that appear only for a short time. White characters are mostly authority figures, with some white prisoners who appear later in the book. Though many white characters are primarily depicted negatively, their representation is not overdone; instead, the descriptions of these characters is an accurate portrayal of how Malcolm may have experienced his interactions with whites throughout his time in prison. As the work seeks to accurately capture racism and Malcolm’s experiences, the n-word is used openly throughout the book.
A significant part of Malcolm’s identity, and large part of his change seen in the novel, comes from his introduction to the religion of Islam and the Nation of Islam (NOI) in particular. Shabazz does not go into much detail about the tenets of the NOI; she just includes basic religious principles and beliefs that provide necessary context for the reader. The inclusion of religion, and Malcolm’s understanding of it, never becomes preachy. It serves only to bring to life Malcolm’s evolution, and the NOI’s role in that time of his life. The foreshadowing of possible conflict of the NOI in Malcolm’s life is also there, but no outright criticism.
Overall, The Awakening of Malcolm X is an essential read for those looking to learn about Malcolm’s story and the important voices of the Civil Rights Movement in an accessible way. Readers are provided with an inspirational yet truthful presentation of how circumstances, support, and self-motivation may push us out of feelings of darkness or being lost.