I heard of Manning Marable's death over the weekend and was both shocked and saddened.  I had the privilege and pleasure of knowing Manning  from the 1970s on, although I have not seen him too much for a long time.

Manning was always a peoples scholar.  His work on African-American politics and history was always for  a larger audience, both white and black.  And he was always of the left, a left that was both theoretical and practical, questioning all conventional beliefs, including many held by the left.

And he was  rooted in the experience and struggles of the African-American people and that made him both a scholar and an activist in the best sense. 

Finally, he was a warm and friendly person, supportive of those around him.

Sadly, Manning's biography of Malcolm X, whom who had studied for a very long time, is to be published today.  He wrote many books and articles of  great value. and that is his legacy. I would recommend Race, Reform, and Rebellion a history of the African-American people after WWII as an introduction to both his thinking  and to a history that is central to understanding general U.S. history in the period.

Today we need many Manning Marables and hopefully his work and legacy will help produce many Manning Marables in the near future.