Who owns identity? Malcolm X, representation, and the struggle over meaning

Abstract

This paper examines the powerful signifying force that Malcolm X continues to possess a generation after his death by assassination. The case of Malcolm X is used to explore how ideological battles are fought in the arenas of representation and claims of truth about identity. This struggle over meaning is examined through a rhetorical analysis of the dialogical relationship between Malcolm X's autobiography and Perry's (1991) controversial biography.