Between the World and Me

by

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Malcolm X Character Analysis

Although Malcolm X does not play an active role in the narrative, he is undoubtedly the most important historical figure in the book. Coates discovers Malcolm X’s work as a teenager, and it is the experience of reading about Malcolm’s life and beliefs that awakens Coates to the reality of racial injustice in America. Born Malcolm Little in 1925, Malcolm became a member of the Nation of Islam during a period of incarceration. Malcolm went on to become a key figure in the black power movement, refusing to acquiesce to the strategy of nonviolent resistance advocated by some members of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1964 Malcolm broke ties with the Nation of Islam, and the following year he was assassinated by three of its members at the age of 39.

Malcolm X Quotes in Between the World and Me

The Between the World and Me quotes below are all either spoken by Malcolm X or refer to Malcolm X. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
African-American Family and Heritage Theme Icon
).
Part 1 Quotes

Perhaps I too might live free. Perhaps I too might wield the same old power that animated the ancestors, that lived in Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, Nanny, Cudjoe, Malcolm X, and speak––no, act––as though my body were my own.

Related Characters: Ta-Nehisi Coates (speaker), Malcolm X
Page Number: 37
Explanation and Analysis:
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Malcolm X Quotes in Between the World and Me

The Between the World and Me quotes below are all either spoken by Malcolm X or refer to Malcolm X. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
African-American Family and Heritage Theme Icon
).
Part 1 Quotes

Perhaps I too might live free. Perhaps I too might wield the same old power that animated the ancestors, that lived in Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, Nanny, Cudjoe, Malcolm X, and speak––no, act––as though my body were my own.

Related Characters: Ta-Nehisi Coates (speaker), Malcolm X
Page Number: 37
Explanation and Analysis: