Pulitzer Prize Biography Winner
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
by Les Payne and Tamara Payne
Summary
The Paynes spent decades interviewing people who knew Malcolm X to build a detailed account of the civil rights leader from his childhood through his assassination. The book reconstructs his transformation from street life to the Nation of Islam and finally to an independent global vision. It draws on firsthand testimony to challenge myths and fill gaps in the record of his life.
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Historical Context & Significance
Les Payne died in 2018 before finishing the project, and his daughter Tamara Payne completed the book over nearly thirty years of research.