What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Dead Are Arising
Les Payne, Tamara Payne · Book · 2020
If you loved The Dead Are Arising, start with Who Killed Malcolm X? (Phil Bertelsen, 2019) — a series on the same thread. Below: 1 film, 1 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Dead Are Arising across media.
You appreciated how The Dead Are Arising meticulously re-examined historical narratives to uncover the complex, buried truths of Black leadership.
Films on the same thread
Malcolm X
Spike Lee · Film · 1992
Shares a thread with The Dead Are Arising: Civil Rights Movement.
Like The Dead Are Arising, this film offers a profound exploration of Malcolm X’s personal transformation and his pivotal role in the struggle for liberation and racial identity.
Series on the same thread
Who Killed Malcolm X?
Phil Bertelsen · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with The Dead Are Arising: Civil Rights Movement.
This investigative series mirrors the journalistic rigor found in The Dead Are Arising by challenging established accounts and seeking the truth behind the assassination of a civil rights icon.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Shares a thread with The Dead Are Arising: systemic racism.
Much like the investigative depth of The Dead Are Arising, this podcast reframes American history by centering the systemic impact of slavery on the nation’s foundational social identity.
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe · Podcast · 2026
Explores: untold historical anecdotes, curiosity-driven learning, American cultural history.
If you valued the commitment to uncovering obscure historical details in The Dead Are Arising, you will appreciate this podcast’s dedication to sharing untold stories from the American past.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Dead Are Arising based on original research?
Yes, The Dead Are Arising is the result of a nearly thirty-year-long quest by investigative journalist Les Payne. The book draws on hundreds of hours of personal interviews to create a portrait of Malcolm X that separates fact from fiction and rewrites much of the known narrative.
Who wrote The Dead Are Arising?
The Dead Are Arising was written by the Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist Les Payne and his daughter, Tamara Payne. Les Payne began the project in 1990, conducting extensive interviews to provide an unprecedented look at the life and history of Malcolm X.
What is the focus of The Dead Are Arising?
The Dead Are Arising is an epic, award-winning biography centered on the life of Malcolm X. It aims to provide an accurate, historical account of his life by utilizing decades of investigative work and interviews to challenge and correct previously established narratives.
How long did it take to complete The Dead Are Arising?
The research and writing process for The Dead Are Arising spanned nearly thirty years. Les Payne embarked on this investigative quest in 1990, dedicating decades to gathering personal interviews and historical data to ensure the biography provided an unprecedented and factual portrait of Malcolm X.