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When the Word is Given...: A Report on Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, and the Black Muslim World

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Louis E. Lomax (1922-1970) was an African-American journalist and author. He was also the first African-American television journalist.

He writes in the Introduction to this 1963 book, "In reality, Western man is on trial in this book. Without the failings of Western society, the Black Muslims could not have come into being; without the continued failings of our society, the Black Muslim cannot endure. Here, then, Western white man, is a bitter pill. Do with it as you see fit."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"In reality, Malcolm is not interested in any white people, Moslem or not. These Persians could no more get in a Black Muslim temple than Governor Faubus could." (Pg. 58)

"Asked what he thought of the events at Birmingham, Malcolm said, "Martin Luther King is a chump, not a champ. Any man who puts his women and children on the front lines is a chump, not a champ." (Pg. 74)

"The tragedy of this is that Black Muslim leaders, including Elijah Muhammad, have said they know such a (separatist) state will never come into being... I am engaged by the fact that the Black Muslims continue to urge Negroes to back the demands for such a state rather than act to better their plight in the nation as it now is." (Pg. 79)

(Malcolm X) "Your thirst for integration makes the white man think you want only to marry his daughter. We (Muslims) who follow Mr. Muhammad don't think God ever intended for black men to marry white women. Mr. Muhammad and his followers are violently opposed to intermarriage." (Pg. 133)

(Malcolm X) "This causes many people to say we are not teaching the orthodox form of Islam.' Minister Malcolm continued, "This is not true. We are teaching the true Islamic faith but we are making it applicable to the peculiar conditions of the American black man." (Pg. 148)