The World of X

CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS

American history, social studies, English, creative writing

MATERIALS

  • Handouts
  • Images
  • Large chart paper or notepad
  • Sticky notes
  • Synopsis
  • Computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone (optional)
  • Pre-curated research packets (optional) Speaker and playlist (optional)

COMMON CORE

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7
Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

CORE ARTS

TH:Cn11.1.5.a

Investigate historical, global and social issues expressed in drama/theatre work.

TH:Cn11.2.6.b
Investigate the time period and place of a drama/theatre work to better understand performance and design choices.

View Handouts

Introduction

Robert O’Hara’s Afrofuturist reimagining of Anthony Davis’s X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X is otherworldly—the production begins with a space shuttle crashing into the Metropolitan Opera House—but the plot of the opera remains tied to real historical events and settings. Part of the brilliance and challenge of X is to address the transcendence of its themes while acknowledging the specificity of its framing.

In this activity, students will complete a range of exercises to help them gain broader understanding of the social, cultural, and political movements that gave shape to Malcolm X’s world. By working in groups to research primary and secondary historical sources and presenting findings to their peers, they will be able to imagine in greater detail the lives and legacies of those who underwent the turbulence of 20th-century America.

Steps

STEP 1. EXPLORE

Begin the lesson by having students do a gallery walk. Display the images included with this guide and made available online around the classroom. You may choose a selection from the provided images and/or add your own. You should decide whether these images are appropriate for your students and provide necessary framing to ensure students are well equipped for the exercise.

In the center of the display, place a large notepad or piece of blank chart paper and distribute a small stack of sticky notes to each student. As they walk through the gallery, students should write down one word that comes to mind for each image and then place each of their stickies on the large notepad. (You can also use a blackboard or whiteboard to collect all the sticky notes.) While students study the photographs, feel free to play music from the era, including some of the jazz greats Malcolm X met and admired: Billie Holiday, Jimmy Rushing, Lester “Prez” Young, Don Byas, Ray Nance, Sonny Greer, Sy Oliver, Charles Melvin “Cootie” Williams, Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Dinah Washington, Duke Ellington, Dakota Staton, and Thelonious Monk, among many others.

Once all students have placed their words on the chart/board, distribute the synopsis of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X included in this guide. Have them read the synopsis silently while the music continues to play. Ask:

  • What words, phrases, orc oncepts are repeated? What might this repetition indicate about important moments and themes in the opera
  • Based on the gallery images, what can we infer about life during the period of American history covered by the opera?
  • Do you notice any similarities or differences among the terms placed on the board? Are there any words that surprise you, or any that you disagree with? Why?
  • Are there any images you didn’t understand or were unfamiliar to you

STEP 2. INVESTIGATE

Next, divide the class into six small groups. Each group will be tasked with finding six relevant facts about one of the following historical movements:

  • The Great Migration (1910–70)
  • The Harlem Renaissance (1915–35)
  • The Ku Klux Klan (1915–69)
  • The Nation of Islam (1930–75)
  • The Universal Negro Improvement Association (1914–27)
  • The Civil Rights Movement (1954–68)

*Note: These dates are approximate and indicate how particular movements intersected with Malcolm X’s trajectory. Some groups, like the Ku Klux Klan and Nation of Islam, are still in operation.

You can allow students to use any Wi-Fi enabled devices or school computers to complete their research. If you are working with younger students or don’t have access to enough devices, you can prepare simple, pre-curated research packets with facts and images relating to each of the six topics.

Give students enough time to examine research materials and discuss in their groups. When everyone has finished, return to a large group discussion and have each team share their six facts. This part of the exercise may require additional attention to time management since you should encourage questions and group discussion while giving each team adequate time to present.

STEP 3. INTEGRATE

Now, students are prepared to dive back into X. On a large notepad, blank piece of chart paper, or blackboard/whiteboard, write a large “X” and draw a circle around it. Ask students to name the people who most directly or immediately affected (or were affected by) Malcolm X. Which figures or characters in the opera would occupy his closest sphere of influence? Students might mention Malcolm’s family, friends, and mentors. Record these responses inside the first circle.

Then, draw another larger circle around the “X” and ask students to name the people who might occupy this second, more distant circle of influence. Students might mention other fellow Muslims, activists, allies, and politicians. Record these responses inside the second circle.

Finally, draw a third circle around the perimeter of the two smaller circles and repeat the exercise. Encourage students to consider characters in the opera as well as everyday people who Malcolm might have known and met that don’t appear in the opera (e.g., gangsters, drug addicts, prisoners, police, mailmen, business owners, secretaries, shoe shiners, etc.).

STEP 4. IMAGINE

To conclude the exercise, ask each student to imagine a character based on one of the people listed in the third sphere of influence on the class chart. Multiple students can pick the same person. Have students use the included handout to fill out personal details about their character. Encourage them to consider and incorporate the historical details they learned at the beginning of the lesson. If you have time, you can also ask students to volunteer to share with the class when they have completed the handout.

Diving Deeper

As a homework assignment or follow-up activity, ask students use the included template to compose a letter to the editor of the Amsterdam News—an influential Black newspaper based in New York City—from the perspective of their character. They may also write a short essay explaining why they were interested in that particular character, which aspects of their life they hoped to emphasize in their letter, and which historical details learned in class were most interesting or informative for completing the exercise.