This study guide was written in 1989 by Abdul Alkalimat as part of the practice of Peoples College to develop popular educational materials for the Black liberation movement and Black Studies. This followed the important 1985 issue of the Black Liberation Month News that focused on Malcolm X. Both were newsprint publications and were widely distributed. 50,000 copies of the Malcolm X BLM News were distributed, and 25,000 copies of the study guide were as well. Thus, we have given away free over 100,000 copies of educational materials on Malcolm X.

The study guide was used to build the important 1990 New York Conference on Malcolm X: Radical Tradition and Legacy of Struggle. Writers and Readers published a second revised edition of the study guide as part of their "For Beginners" series. Pathfinder Press sued to protect their ownership of Malcolm's words. They alleged to be acting in the interest of Betty Shabazz. They charged unfair use of quotes even though the quotes used did not in any case exceed more than one paragraph. Writers and Readers and Abdul Alkalimat were forced to back down and withdraw the remaining copies of the book. Writers and Readers then dumped the plan to prepare a new revolutionary activist oriented book for a reformist oriented narrative.

Two questions remain. What is the radical Black tradition? Who owns the radical Black tradition?

References to History of Study Guide