JY Provocative Question #11: Have you read a memoir that surprised you? In what way?

It seems that this week’s question was influenced by  JY picking up “The Woman In me, “Brittney Spears memoir that was published last month. Yeah, True_George has seen various news reports talking about aspects of the publication. According to those reports it sounds like she is continuing to lash out at those people in her life that were close to her, past and present. Classic behavior for a person who has mental health issues. Let’s hope she can find some sort of peace of mind one day. As far as her memoir True_George won’t be reading it.

Now, True_George has read quite a few memoirs of well-known figures that have piqued my interest in some way or another. But, out of all the memoirs the two that I ranked has been the most surprising was “Philosophies and Opinions of Marcus Garvey” and “Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Alex Haley.

Marcus Garvey is known as being the father of black nationalism, and for the Rastafarians he is a prophet. He created an organization that had the support of millions of followers. During the height of segregation managed to create business ventures that were profitable. Also, creating the world’s first and maybe the only American Black Shipping company.

The Autobiography of Malcom X written by Alex Haley who was the famed author of “Roots” in which he told the memoirs of his family’s history that were told from generation to generation, beginning with his enslaved ancestor who came to America on a slave ship.

Malcolm X dictated his memoir to Haley, who then turned those notes into publication. The book was published a few months after Malcolm X was assassinated.

Both publications will open your eyes on many things when it comes to politics and the black experience in America.