FYS 100 First Year Seminar
Malcolm X: Prophet of Reality
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Instructor: Dr. Ivory L. Lyons
Meeting Times: M, W, F 8:45 – 9:50
Meeting Place: Bracy 6
Home: 2333 S. Arch Ave., Alliance
Office: Keener House 1
Office Phone: (330) 823-2469
Home Phone: (330) 823-6773
Email: lyonsil@mountunion.edu, ivory_lyons@yahoo.com
Course Description
There is probably no other American in recent times who is more misunderstood than
Malcolm X. For many his name conjures up an image of an angry, violent black man full
of contempt for white people. For others he was an intelligent but misguided religious
fanatic; the truth, of course lies somewhere in the middle. We will examine the Malcolm
X in an attempt to find out who he really was. We will study his words, his deeds and his
impact at various stages of his intellectual, social and religious development. We will
look at Malcolm X as he develops as a black man struggling to make sense of world,
which according to him was full of discrimination and hypocrisy.
Office Hours
Office Hours: Mondays thru Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 in my office and on Fridays in
Campus Grounds. You can also make an appointment to meet with me or you can drop
by my office anytime.
Note: If you are a student with a documented disability who will require
accommodations in this course, please register with the Karen Saracusa, Director of
Student Accessibility Services, in Room 88 Hoover-Price Campus Center, ext. 7372, for
assistance in developing a plan to address your academic needs.
Text:
The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X, Ballantine Books
publisher.
Malcolm X: The Last Speeches edited by Bruce Perry.
Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary by Walter Dean Myers
Keys for Writers by Ann Raines and Maria Jerskey
Assignments:
Chapter presentation – Each student will be required to lead a discussion on one of
the chapters of Malcolm’s autobiography. The student is to place the chapter in the
timeline of Malcolm’s life and highlight some of the significant aspects of the chapter.
This assignment is worth 10 points.
Short Formal Essay – The student will be required to write a short formal essay. The
topic of the essay will be “Malcolm X as Liberal Arts Example.” The essay is to be
500 words long, double spaced, 11 or 12 pitch font. The student is to cite all sources
using MLA, APA or Chicago style. This assignment is worth 20 points.
Site Visit – The student will be required to visit an Islamic culture center or masjid or an
African American museum or church. The student will be required to write a 1000
word paper on the experience. This assignment constitutes the second and longer
formal essay and it is worth 100 points.
Malcolm X Journal Reflection – The student will be required to keep a weekly journal on
the readings, audio and visual recordings on thoughts, ideas and reflections related
to Malcolm X. This amounts to about 12 journal entries. One of the journal entries
must be on MLK day activities. This assignment is worth 120 points.
Background Presentation – Each student will be required to make one presentation on
the background on one of the chapters of the Autobiography. This presentation is to
be no more than 7 minutes and briefly covers important aspects of Malcolm’s life as
discussed in the book By Any Means Necessary. This assignment is worth 40 points.
Presentation Critique – This is a written assignment where the student writes a 250
word critique on her background presentation. This assignment is worth 10 points.
Student presentation – The student will be required to make a final presentation to the
class on any aspect of the life of Malcolm X. The student can work with in groups for
this presentation. More information will be provided as the course develops. This
assignment is worth 100 points.
Submission: All of the assignments, unless otherwise stated, will be put in a drop box
in ANGEL in Microsoft Word, RTF, ODT or Text format on or before the due date.
Papers put in the drop box after the date may or may not be accepted. If they are
graded they will be reduced by one full letter grade.
Grade Range Percentages minimum:
A 94
A- 90
B+ 87
B 84
B- 80
C+ 77
C 74
C- 70
D+ 67
D 63
F < 63
January 14 – Who is Malcolm X? Why Malcolm X?
Video: The Real Malcolm X (beginning to 2:35)
Malcolm X (Bro. Johnson scene, no. 28)
Reading: Autobiography, Forward
By Any Means Necessary, Preface
January 23 – Marcus Garvey
Reading: Autobiography, chapter 1
BAMN, Inro.
Black Nationalism vs. Integrationists
January 28 – Early Life
Audio: Malcolm X IHOW - Africa
Reading: Autobiography, chapter 2
BAMN, chapters 1, 2
February 4 – The World of Malcolm Little
Audio: Malcolm X IHOW – Lives of Crime
Reading: Autobiography, chs. 3 & 4
BAMN, chapters 3, 4
Trip to Masjid (2/8)
February 11 – Detroit Red
Audio: Excerpts Great Speeches – No. 2 “You Got What’s . . .”
Reading: Autobiography, chs. 5 & 6 (student discussion leads)
BAMN, chapters 5, 6
February 18 – The Hustler
Audio: Excerpts Great Speeches – No. 7 “. . . By Any Means . . .”
Reading: Autobiography, chs. 7 & 8 (student discussion leads)
BAMN, chapters 7, 8
February 25 – Satan
Audio: Wisdom of Malcolm X – Disc 1 “White Man’s Law”
Reading: Autobiography, chs. 9 & 10 (student discussion leads)
BAMN, chapters 9, 10
Malcolm X CSI – 1960-1965 text, Interviews, Bayard Rustin Meets Malcolm X
Trip to Olivet Institutional Baptist Church (3/3)
March 4 – Reformed
Audio: Wisdom of Malcolm X – Disc 2 “Unwed Mothers”
Malcolm X CSI – Audio no. 4 Debate with Bayard Rustin
Reading: Autobiography, chs. 11 & 12 (student discussion leads)
BAMN, chapters 11, 12
March 9 – 17 Spring Break
March 18 – Minister Malcolm
Audio: Malcolm X CSI – Audio no. 11 Debate with James Baldwin
Reading: Autobiography, chs. 13 & 14 (student discussion leads)
BAMN, chapters 13, 14
March 25 – Messenger for NOI
Audio: Wisdom of Malcolm X – Disc 2 “Nation Within Nation”
Reading: Autobiography, chs. 15 & 16 (student discussion leads)
Last Speeches, Twenty million black people in prison
BAMN, 15, 16
April 1 – Eyes Opened Wide
Audio: Malcolm X IHOW – “Violence and Bloodshed”
Reading: Autobiography, chapter 17 (student discussion lead)
Last Speeches, “America’s gravest crisis since the Civil War”
BAMN, 17, 18
April 8 – Pilgrimage to Mecca
Reading: Autobiography, chapter 18 (student discussion lead)
Malcolm X CSI, 1960-1965 text, Speeches, “Letter from Mecca”
Last Speeches, “Whatever is necessary to protect ourselves”
BAMN, chapters 19
April 15 – Working Class
Audio: Excerpts Great Speeches – No. 5 “I’m A Field Negro”
Reading: Autobiography, chapter 19 (student discussion lead)
Last Speeches, “Our people identify with Africa . . .”
April 22 - Embraces Orthodox Islam
Audio: Malcolm X CSI – Audio Last Speech
Reading: Last Speeches, “Not just an American problem . . .”
Audio: Malcolm X CSI – Audio no. 21 Worldwide Revolution
Reading: Autobiography, Epilogue (student discussion lead)
Last Speeches, “There’s a worldwide . . .”
April 29 – Embraces Humanity and Conversion to conclusion
Site Visit paper due (4.29)
Final Exam
Thursday, May 2, 8 - 11 am
Here are some topics that the students have presented in the past
Presentations
Possible Topics
Muslim Culture and Religion of Islam
Fashions and Style
Black Separatist Movement
Comparing Tupac to Malcolm
Black Panthers in Relation to Malcolm
German View & Reception of Malcolm
Shorty and Malcolm
Mecca and Transformation
Malcolm’s Conversion to Islam
Black Arts Movement
Muslim Culture
Comparing Malcolm to MLK
Pan-Africanism
Death and Conspiracies
[Note: This is a preliminary syllabi and used as a guide. It is subject to change as the
course becomes more focused and developed.]