Podcast Summary: Patrick Parr, "Malcolm Before X" (New Books Network, Oct 26, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this episode of New Books Network, host Chelsea Harris interviews Patrick Parr, the author of Malcolm Before X (University of Massachusetts Press, 2024). The book dives deep into Malcolm X’s prison years, drawing from an unprecedented trove of nearly 2,000 pages of prison records, interviews, and other primary sources. Parr discusses how these overlooked formative years shaped Malcolm X’s journey from Malcolm Little into the activist known to history. The conversation highlights research challenges, family dynamics, the transformative power of education in prison, and the lasting impact of Malcolm’s religious and intellectual awakening.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Parr’s Path to Malcolm X and Biographical Writing

[02:37–05:06]

• Parr’s interest in pivotal years of historical figures began in 2012, focusing on age 22 as a crossroads in the lives of iconic personalities.
• Difficulty finding sufficient material on Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.'s formative years led Parr to delve deeper, first writing about King before turning to Malcolm.
• The realization that Malcolm’s transformation largely occurred in prison was foundational to Parr’s research focus.

“I wanted to know a lot about historical figures in the past… but when I was putting the book together, there were two people I couldn’t really create a portrait for… Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. There was very little… about their formative years.” — Patrick Parr [03:21]

2. Unique Contribution of Malcolm Before X

[05:06–07:08]

• Previous major biographies (by Manning Marable and the Paynes) touched only briefly on Malcolm’s prison period.
• Parr’s book positions readers physically and emotionally beside Malcolm during incarceration, offering unprecedented depth.
• Emphasis on transformation: how even at life’s lowest points, individuals can inspire themselves to change.

“For me, I wanted Malcolm Before X to be, you are going to go to prison and you're going to stand next to Malcolm… as he begins to transform into the person he wants to be.” — Patrick Parr [06:15]

3. The Research Process: Navigating Prison Records

[07:08–10:15]

• Accessing records was both physically and mentally challenging; many files were difficult to read and required creative reconstruction.
• Some files were accessed digitally (especially during quarantine), while others were sent as physical, massive bundles that Parr scanned and organized.
• The records enabled Parr to reconstruct Malcolm’s daily life, track routines, and visualize the prison environment.

“Those prison files have given me new eyeglasses… every page brought a new angle to Malcolm’s day to day life.” — Patrick Parr [07:25]

4. Narrative Structure and Intent

[10:15–12:36]

• The book intentionally opens with the break-ins that landed Malcolm in prison, then rewinds to his childhood before focusing on the prison years.
• The structure is meant to immerse readers in Malcolm’s reality, encouraging them to weigh the justice of his sentence and see the human consequences of his crimes.
• Parr strove to humanize all parties involved—victims and perpetrators—by tracking down names and details painstakingly.

“I wanted people to see what he stole… I wanted them to see that there was a human consequence… and I also wanted them to see that there was a bias to his crimes compared to… someone who is white who did the same thing.” — Patrick Parr [11:09]

5. Family Dynamics: The Influence of Ella

[12:36–14:38]

• Malcolm’s sister Ella provided essential support but was also complex—often bending social and legal rules to survive.
• Her strength, independence, and at times questionable behavior provided Malcolm both an example and a source of conflict.
• Family perspectives on Ella vary, but Parr leans toward assessing her influence as positive and formative.

“Ella’s a person who doesn’t mind breaking the rules to get what she needs or breaking the law… I’d go more positive than negative. There was a strength there…” — Patrick Parr [13:22]

6. The Transformative Power of Prison Education

[14:38–17:13]

• Malcolm credited his oratorical and intellectual growth almost entirely to his prison studies.
• The Norfolk prison library was exceptional, providing unparalleled access to books thanks to philanthropist Lewis Parkhurst, whose personal loss fueled his contributions.
• The environment at Norfolk promoted debate and self-education, catalyzing Malcolm’s transformation.

“Once he saw that prison library, a lot of stuff in his life… just slid off a bit like snow that comes off of a sloped roof. He was deep into the books…” — Patrick Parr [15:09]
“An actual public library would have been jealous to have that library outside the prison walls.” — Patrick Parr [15:35]

7. Surveillance and Paranoia: The FBI After Release

[17:13–20:46]

• Malcolm was immediately surveilled by the FBI following his release, especially after affiliating publicly with the Nation of Islam.
• Parr clarifies that Malcolm’s surveillance began the moment he emerged as a charismatic public figure—a detail neglected or glossed over in earlier accounts.
• The book intentionally ends here, demarcating the private, formative Malcolm from the public Malcolm X.

“...as soon as Malcolm stands up in that moment, there’s an FBI special agent in that crowd... that’s the first domino that leads to this 13 year following.” — Patrick Parr [18:32]

8. Religion, Purpose, and Identity

[20:46–22:40]

• Prison for Malcolm—and for many—triggered an existential search for purpose; religion provided him both personal meaning and a path back into society.
• The Nation of Islam gave Malcolm not just faith but an organizational structure and mission.
• This renewal extended beyond self-redemption to a mission of uplifting others still oppressed or ostracized.

“All of them [other prison memoirists] have a commonality and that’s purpose. I think Malcolm was truly deeply…wondering what he was doing on this rock.” — Patrick Parr [21:10]
“...the Nation of Islam… gave him purpose and an apparatus to get back into society without being harmed too much by how society had hurt him in the first place.” — Patrick Parr [21:44]

9. Memorable Research Moments—The Boxing Revelation

[22:40–24:47]

• Parr shares a “turn every page” moment inspired by Robert Caro: the discovery of a rare round-by-round account of Malcolm’s boxing match in prison.
• This unexpected find, after grueling research, encapsulated the joys and surprises of biographical scholarship.

“But then there it was, little versus Johnson… I couldn’t believe that right there they had a round by round analysis of Malcolm boxing in prison. I remember getting up from the chair and I just… made a sound.” — Patrick Parr [23:47]

Notable Quotes

• On Biographical Focus:
  “There was very little… about their formative years.” — Patrick Parr [03:21]
• On the Book’s Unique Lens:
  “You are going to go to prison and you’re going to stand next to Malcolm X or Malcolm Little at that time as he begins to transform into the person he wants to be.” — Patrick Parr [06:15]
• On Sister Ella’s Influence:
  “Ella’s a person who doesn’t mind breaking the rules… I’d go more positive than negative. There was a strength there.” — Patrick Parr [13:22]
• On Prison Education:
  “Once he saw that prison library, a lot of stuff in his life from the past… just slid off a bit like snow…” — Patrick Parr [15:09]
• On FBI Surveillance:
  “That’s the domino effect right there. That’s the first domino that leads to this 13-year following. So that needed to be the beginning of that story.” — Patrick Parr [18:32]
• On Malcolm’s Search for Purpose:
  “All of them have a commonality and that’s purpose. I think Malcolm was truly deeply, with every fiber of his being, wondering what he was doing on this rock.” — Patrick Parr [21:10]
• On Research Discoveries:
  “This is why I do this stuff. Because when you find these treasures, these discoveries… that makes it worth it.” — Patrick Parr [24:10]

Key Timestamps

• 02:37 — Parr describes his origins as a biographer and interest in the age of 22.
• 05:19 — Differences between Malcolm Before X and previous Malcolm X biographies.
• 07:25 — The value and challenges of working with prison records.
• 10:35 — Structural choices in opening with the break-ins episode.
• 12:46 — Ella’s influence on Malcolm’s outlook and behavior.
• 15:06 — Malcolm’s intellectual self-education and its lifelong impact.
• 17:32 — FBI surveillance stemming from Malcolm’s first public Nation of Islam appearance.
• 21:10 — The importance of religious purpose for Malcolm and other inmates.
• 23:47 — Parr's discovery of Malcolm’s boxing match records in archive research.

Memorable Moments

• Parr’s enthusiastic story about finding the boxing record, feeling both the exhaustion and exhilaration typical of primary-source historical research ([23:45–24:47]).
• The open call for scholars to write a full biography on Ella, underlining the richness of secondary characters in Malcolm’s life ([14:20]; [25:21]).
• Honest discussion of the challenges in researching elusive aspects of Malcolm’s early life, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the biographer’s process.

Conclusion

Patrick Parr’s Malcolm Before X provides a richly detailed, humanizing account of Malcolm X’s transformative prison years—an era often glossed over in other biographies. Through meticulous research and narrative innovation, Parr offers fresh insights into the people, environments, and inner drives that fueled Malcolm’s evolution. This episode is essential listening for scholars of Malcolm X, lovers of biography, and anyone interested in the interplay between adversity, education, and personal transformation.

For further information or to contact Patrick Parr, visit patrickparr.com.