Gaining One’s Definition: The (De)Christianization of Malcolm X’s Life and Legacy

Since his untimely death fifty years ago, there has been considerable cognitive dissonance surrounding Malcolm X in the collective consciousness. This tension is fueled by the way Malcolm X’s life and legacy has been refracted through the prism of Christocentric analytic frameworks. A critical question is what corrective measures can be taken within Malcolm X studies to compensate for such methodological and theoretical biases and enable us to better understand his religious worldview within the context of his own complex subjectivity. This article explores three key areas of Malcolm X’s life and legacy that are deeply significant for Christians and Christianity: the writing of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, the iconic use of Malcolm X’s image, and Malcolm X’s conversion to Sunni Islam following his pilgrimage to Mecca.