Malcolm X and Alex Haley collaborated on 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' in June 1963, meeting late at night in New York. Haley adapted notes from their discussions into a manuscript, capturing Malcolm's voice. The book had a lasting cultural impact, inspiring protests and feeding into various art forms globally. However, historians criticize Haley’s influence, claiming he exaggerated and even invented portions of Malcolm's life. The book’s creation was complex, with elements reflective of both men, and emerged amid the key events of the civil rights movement, including the Civil Rights Act debates.
The arrangement was simple. Malcolm usually arrived at Haley's New York apartment at nine in the evening, exhausted after a day's work. The two men then talked late into the night, discussing politics, religion and race over an endless stream of cheap coffee.
This success gave the Autobiography a lasting cultural impact. Malcolm's words have inspired protests and political campaigns across the world, and been incorporated into music and artworks from New York to Nairobi.
As Malcolm's career began to move in unexpected directions, Haley even turned to plagiarism and invention to fill gaps in the narrative. The result is a memoir that is neither entirely Malcolm's, nor entirely Haley's.
The Autobiography emerged from one of the most dramatic moments of the civil rights struggle. In June 1963, as Malcolm and Haley sat down in New York, Congress was debating the first draft of the Civil Rights Act.
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