Cop Quote by Manning Marable
“The NYPD was ubiquitous. They were always around Malcolm X. Whenever Malcolm spoke, there would be one or two dozen cops all over the place.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable, 2011
The quote highlights the pervasive police presence around Malcolm X, suggesting surveillance and intimidation.
In simple terms: Police constantly surrounded Malcolm X.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how surveillance shapes activism.
Themes
surveillance
authority
civil rights
Mood
critical
historical
Type
political
historical
When to use this quote
- historical protest
- law enforcement tactics
- civil liberties
Key Concepts
police power
racial tension
Questions to Reflect On
- How does constant monitoring affect protest strategies?
- Can visibility be a form of protection?
A Different Perspective
Police presence can also protect communities, not just intimidate.
![“They [NYPD] tell you how you can act and what you can do your whole entire life. But they always stayed out of it. I did a little here and there for the police department as far as a crime scene that might have occult overtones - they would call me and I'd look into it. But it was usually minor…” quote by Ralph Sarchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d7b/ralph-sarchie-28977_call-me_they-nypd-tell-you-how-you-can-act-and-w_1505931.jpg)
![“We know from Talmadge Hayer, one of the men who carried out the assassination, who was shot by Ruben X as he tried to flee the Audubon after shooting Malcolm X, we know that Hayer confessed years later to his Imam in prison that there had been a walk-through a week prior to February 21st [1965] at…” quote by Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/645/manning-marable-9023_assassination_we-know-from-talmadge-hayer-one-of-the-m_101701.jpg)
![“There's a hidden history. You see, Malcolm X and [Alex ] Haley collaborated to produce a magnificent narrative about the life of Malcolm X, but the two men had very different motives in coming together.” quote by Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d95/manning-marable-9023_alex_there-s-a-hidden-history-you-see-malcolm_138170.jpg)
![“[Alex Haley] objective was to illustrate that the racial separatism of the N.O.I. was a kind of pathological or a kind of - it was the logical culmination of separatism and racial isolationism and exclusion.” quote by Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/266/manning-marable-9023_alex_alex-haley-objective-was-to-illustrate-t_293482.jpg)
![“I believe that if we could see the chapters that are missing from the book [The Autobiography of Malcolm X], we would gain an understanding as to why perhaps - perhaps - the F.B.I., the C.I.A., the New York Police Department and others in law enforcement greatly feared what Malcolm X was about…” quote by Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/690/manning-marable-9023_ahead-of-time_i-believe-that-if-we-could-see-the-chapt_534619.jpg)
![“Malcolm X had a habit of scribbling notes in small pieces of paper that [Alex] Haley would surreptitiously pick up at the end of their discussions.” quote by Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d68/manning-marable-9023_alex_malcolm-x-had-a-habit-of-scribbling-note_578782.jpg)
![“What is striking is that from almost from the very beginning of certainly by September and October of 1963, as the book was being constructed, that [Alex] Haley was vetting - asking questions to the publisher and to the publisher's attorney regarding many of the things that Malcolm X was saying…” quote by Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1fe/manning-marable-9023_alex_what-is-striking-is-that-from-almost-fro_622399.jpg)
![“I will be known forever as the Puppy who chased a cutpurse and caught fish garbage instead. My descendants will pretend I'm not in their bloodline. No – no one will want to make descendants with me. [from Beka Cooper's journal of her first day as a new Dog i.e. cop]” quote by Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6d5/tamora-pierce-935_beka-cooper_i-will-be-known-forever-as-the-puppy-who_17776.jpg)
