James Tyner - The Geography of Malcolm X

James Tyner

Published in 2006 by

Routledge

Taylor & Francis Group

605 Third Avenue New York, NY10017

Published in Great Britain by

Routledge

Taylor & Francis Group

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

2006 by James A. Tyner

Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-415-95122-4 (Hardcover) 0-415-95123-2 (Softcover)

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-415-95122-7 (Hardcover) 978-0-415-95123-4 (Softcover)

DOI: 10.4324/9781315810805

Library of Congress Card Number 2005015708

No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tyner, James A., 1966

The geography of Malcolm X: black radicalism and the remaking of American space / James Tyner.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-415-95122-4 (alk. paper) -- ISBN 0-415-95123-2 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. African Americans--Politics and government. 2. African Americans--Intellectual life. 3. X, Malcolm, 1925-1965--Political and social views. 4. Radicalism--United States. 5. Public spacesPolitical aspects--United States. 6. Geography--Political aspects--United States. 7. African American philosophy. 8. African Americans--Social conditions. 9. Social justice--United States. 10. United States--Race relations. I. Title.

E185.61.T97 2005

305.896'073--dc22

2005015708

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and the Routledge Web site at http://www.routledge-ny.com

To Belinda

To some of my colleagues, this book appears to be a departure from my earlier work. Indeed, on the surface, a book on Malcolm X and black radicalism seems a rather startling diversion from my previous work on labor migration from the Philippines. However, this work actually constitutes a continuation of my broader concern with the disciplining of society through the regulation of space. As such, this present work demonstrates my attempt to understand and challenge the oppressive structures that limit the realization of the human experience. And now, I must find the space to acknowledge my friends and colleagues who have helped me over the years.

First and foremost, I thank Dave McBride at Routledge for his support, guidance, patience, and vision in seeing this book to completion. This book would not have been possible without his efforts. I thank also the many editors and reviewers who have been associated with my work on Malcolm X, both known and anonymous, for their comments, criticisms, and support: Don Mitchell, Rod Bush, Jamie Peck, Adam Tickell, Audrey Kobayashi, John Frazier, and Elizabeth Leppman. Their professionalism is sincerely appreciated.

Thanks go out to the many colleagues who have helped me over the years: Curt Roseman, Michael Dear, Laura Pulido, Stuart Aitken, Gary Peters, Mona Domosh, Richard Wright, Victoria Lawson, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Jennifer Wolch, and Keith Collins. And while many of these people did not directly contribute to the workings of this book, their inspiration and insights on Geography continue to shape my own personal and professional transformations. Over the years I have been fortunate to work with a number of graduate and undergraduate students, all of whom have shaped me as a scholar (for better or for worse): Rob Kruse, Joshua Inwood, Aron Massey, Steve Oluic, Stacy Wicker, Steve Butcher, Donna Houston, Olaf Kuhlke, Gabe Popescue, Sutapa Chattopadhyay, Rob Schwartz, Scott Hutka, Quentin Scott, Patrick Davis, Monika Flaschka, Rachel Oley, Kamaria Wolf. Special thanks are also extended to my chair, Jay Lee.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to present my ideas on Malcolm X and black radical thought at the following conferences and institutions: The 2004 Race, Place, and Ethnicity Conference at Howard University; the 10th Annual Critical Geography Mini-Conference at the University of Illinois; the 2002 Conference of the Southeast Division of the Association of American Geographers; the Soup & Substance Dialogue Series at Kent State University; and the Geography Department at Ball State University.

The following articles have been revised for inclusion here and appear with permission. I am sincerely grateful to the editors and journals: Geography, Ground-Level Reality, and the Epistemology of Malcolm X, Journal of Geography 102 (2003): 16778; Territoriality, Social Justice and Gendered Revolutions in the Speeches of Malcolm X, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers NS 29 (2004): 33043; Defend the Ghetto: Space and the Urban Politics of the Black Panther Party, Annals of the Association of American Geographers (forthcoming).

I thank also my family: Dr. Gerald Tyner, Dr. Judith Tyner, David Tyner, Floris Tyner, Karen Owens, and Bill Owens. Each, in his or her own way, has helped me mature as a person, a father, and a professor. These brief sentences can in no way cover my thanks. As always, heartfelt thanks are extended to Bond (my puppy) and Jamaica (my cat), for their constant companionship. Together, they remind me of what is really important while writing a book: snacks, naps, and scratches behind the ears.

My greatest debt, of course, remains with Belinda, and not for the usual reasonstolerating my absent-mindedness, putting up with the mounting piles of books and papers stacked in all rooms. Rather, it is because of Belinda that I first began this project on Malcolm X. While enrolled in the Pan-African Department at Kent State University, Belinda first raised the connections between Geography and Malcolm X. She may not want to hear it, but she would make a good Geographer. Over the years, Belinda has stood beside me, providing a needed balance of encouragement and criticism. I fondly dedicate this book to her. Maraming salamat; mahal kita.

Throughout the writing of this book, however, one person more than all others occupied my thoughts: Jessica, our daughter. When Malcolm X was killed, he was just thirty-nine years oldthe same age as myself. At the time, he had four daughtersAttallah, Qubilah, Gamilah, Ilyasahwith his twin girls, Malaak and Milikah, yet to be born. I think often of Malcolm X, and the daughters he never knew. As I complete this book, Jessie is almost three years old. She enjoys reading, and we often browse the bookstores looking for new discoveries. Now, her books are filled with characters named Barney, Clifford, and Dora. She doesn't know about Malcolm; she doesn't yet know of the sacrifices that were made in the name of social justice. I hope that this book, in some small way, will help her understand the contested spaces in which we live.

DOI: 10.4324/9781315810805-1