James Baldwin and Malcolm X debate
It may not be rare to see intellectuals from academia raring to critique the worthiness of the arguments of one of their own. But it is rare to see one civil rights activist go after another in public.
Indeed, both Baldwin and Malcolm disliked being called civil rights activists. But Baldwin was not a man easily agreeable to Malcolm’s activism.
The 1963 radio debate was actually between Malcolm and another person but it was Baldwin who moderated affairs. Although he understood Malcolm’s angst, Baldwin could not bring himself to accept the logical conclusions of Malcolm’s militarism.
