Friday, March 29, 2024

Schomburg Center to Display Never-Before-Seen ‘Lost’ Chapter of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Manuscript and Notes

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*The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will host a public display from October 23 through November 10 of its newly-acquired, never-before-seen manuscripts, notes, and unpublished chapter from The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

The limited-time public display will be open to the public for viewing at the Schomburg Center near the main entrance, and will feature selections of Malcolm X’s autobiographical writing with Alex Haley including:

  • The partial, yet-extensive manuscript of The Autobiography, illustrating the influential text as a work-in-progress, with back-and-forth written dialogue between Malcolm X and Haley on everything from diction to timing and tone
  • Written fragments showing Malcolm X’s reworking of key passages from the final pages of his autobiography
  • The never-before-seen unpublished chapter from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, titled “The Negro,” which was removed from the manuscript during the editing process

New manuscript pages will be displayed weekly through November 10. On November 13, researchers will be able to access the manuscripts by appointment at the Schomburg Center with a New York Public Library card.

On July 27, the Schomburg Center announced acquisition of the Malcolm X Manuscripts, previously held by a private collector, who acquired them at a sale of Alex Haley’s estate in 1992. The acquisition is a critical addition to over 16 linear feet of Malcolm X manuscript material, including a diary, letters, speeches, photographs, and journals currently available at the Schomburg Center.

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“These materials are extremely significant, as they can provide researchers with extensive new insights into the writing process and thoughts of one of the most important and influential figures and books of the 20th Century,” said Schomburg Center Director Kevin Young on the acquisition.The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a monumental work; to actually see how that book took shape through Malcolm X’s handwritten corrections and notes is very powerful. Additionally, the omitted chapter, believed to be removed after Malcolm X’s death, places the work in a new context, and provide an understanding as to why it was excluded from the book in the first place. The possibilities for new revelations are nearly endless, and we are so proud that the Schomburg Center can bring this material to light for the first time.”

Media requests for interviews and coverage of the display and the Malcolm X manuscripts can be made to [email protected].

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About the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. As a research division of The New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections spanning over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global black history, arts, and culture. Learn more at schomburgcenter.org.

About the New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.

 

 

 

source:
Ayofemi Kirby | Manager, Communications and Publicity
 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
[email protected]

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