Description
First edition, second printing of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, previously owned by two New York civil rights activists.
Octavo, xvi, 455pp, [1]. Black cloth, title printed in gold on spine. Stated “second printing” on copyright page. Solid text block, wear to corners of covers and edges of spine. Faint toning to endpapers, small damp stain to top corner of leaves. In the publisher’s near fine dust jacket, $7.50 on front flap, chips and wear along edges. Small loss to bottom corner of front panel. A few short closed tears reinforced with archival tissue on verso.
(Brignano 163) (Blockson 2235)
Previous ownership inscriptions of Peggy Cooper (Davis) on front free endpaper and her husband, Gordon J. Davis, on rear free endpaper.
Peggy Cooper Davis, Gordon’s wife, graduated Harvard Law in 1968. She practiced law for a decade, then served as judge of the Family Court of the State of New York for three years. Since 1983, Davis has taught at NYU Law. Her research and publications, including “Neglected Stories: The Constitution and Family Values,” focus on antislavery and civil rights traditions.
Gordon J. Davis (b. 1941), Peggy’s husband, graduated from Harvard Law in 1967, founding the Harvard Law Black Law Students Association during his studies. Davis was Mayor Ed Koch’s first appointee as New York City Parks Commissioner, promoting usage of urban park rangers, reviving Bryant Park, and founding the Central Park Conservancy. Following his public service, Davis made partner at Venable LLP and was appointed by President Obama in 2010 to a six-year term as a trustee of the Kennedy Center.
