Before It Was History Someone Had to Live It: An Assesment of Malcolm X's Impact on Today's College Students

Abstract

There is a common assertion and consensus among scholars that Malcolm X was the voice of Black Americans during the 1960s and a key leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Not as much scholarly attention has been paid to other components of his World view such as: 1) his goal of uniting all people of African descent using Pan Africanism as the guiding tool; 2) the shared political identity of Black Americans and Africans; and 3) the political, economic, and social potential for Black Nationalism in both the United States and Africa. In particular, very little research has been conducted on the significance of Malcolm X's perspectives in these three areas for present-day college students. The purpose of this research is therefore to examine the magnitude of Malcolm X's impact on present-day college students' political awareness about, and related perceptions of: Pan-Africanism; shared Black and African political identities; and Black Nationalism. It can be argued that surely a man playing such a key leadership role has affected subsequent generations - either directly or indirectly. For this investigation, focus groups based on a convenience sample of college students, age 18 to 27, were conducted. Using a pre-test/post-test experimental and control group design, students were exposed to the speeches and beliefs of Malcolm X. Changes in students' knowledge and perceptions about the three topics listed above were assessed. From these analyses, the actual and potential influence of Malcolm X on today's college students can American society and attempting to place his contributions in context, this research on the effects of his ideas on college students can be instrumental and informative. be better understood. For scholars continuing to examine the impact of Malcolm X on American society and attempting to place his contributions in context, this research on the effects of his ideas on college students can be instrumental and informative.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2007

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Jungblut, Bernadette

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Degree Program

Political Science

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences; Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0022176

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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