Alex Haley's early original typed manuscript for his 1963 Playboy Magazine interview with Malcolm X, 45 pages (numbered to "Page 40," with several numbers duplicated), 8.5 x 11, circa January–February 1963, hand-corrected throughout in blue ballpoint by Malcolm X, with corrections in other hands in ballpoint and pencil. Malcolm X signs in full at the bottom of three different pages, "Malcom X," indicating his approval of the content, and also signs his initials in the margins, "MX," five times.
Malcolm X's own revisions offer tremendous insight into his views of himself, his movement, and Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. In one instance, he adds "for our people" to the end of the sentence: "Mr. Muhammad is reaching that until we have some land of our own, we can never bring freedom, justice and equality into existence for our people." In another—"The white man knows that separated black men will grow independent"—he changes the typed word "freed" to "separated," emphasizing the separatist nature of the movement. He also changes "him" to "the white man" in the following line, "Mr. Muhammad teaches that as soon as we separate from the white man, we will learn that we can do without the white man just as he can do without us."
Referring to Elijah Muhammad, he modifies "the Prophet" to be "Messenger" or "Man of God" on multiple occasions, and adds some clarifying remarks to his commentary on Elijah Muhammad. Further, he writes out a line about his early views of white people—"I thought they were gods and goddesses"—and adds a note to a passage about his conversion, writing: "after becoming a Muslim." In overall fine condition. Accompanied by the original May 1963 issue of Playboy in which the interview appeared, worn at the spine.
Playboy's May 1963 interview with Malcolm X was one of the most famous of Haley’s career and gave most readers their first in-depth look at Malcolm X’s teachings and personality. Supporters and critics viewed the Muslim minister in very different terms. Admirers saw him as a courageous advocate for the rights of African-Americans and condemned crimes against black Americans; detractors accused him of preaching racism, black supremacy, and violence. Nevertheless, he has been described as one of the greatest and most influential African-American leaders in history. Within a year of granting this interview, with America still gripped by ever-growing racial tension, the once-combative black nationalist Malcolm X had repudiated almost every stance published. He had broken with the Nation of Islam movement, fallen out with its leader, Elijah Muhammad, renounced black supremacy, and embraced racial equality and human rights. He was assassinated in Harlem in 1965.
