Soul On Ice, by Eldridge Cleaver is a collection of essays which includes the author’s thoughts and feelings on a variety of social issues. It covers his journey from rapist, to a Black Muslim, to one of this nations most eloquent writers and social critics. In reading this book I was surprised to discover how useful Cleaver’s perceptions in 1968 are when analyzing race relations today.

Eldridge Cleaver’s book opens with the first chapter, “Letters From Prison.” In this chapter he describes his place in society as a Black man and a prisoner. In my opinion, the most shocking aspect of his personality he reveals in this chapter is that he discovered that he was motivated to rape white as an “insurrectionary act...defying and trampling upon the white man’s law, upon his system of values, and...defiling his women.” He described his acts of rape as revenge upon the white man by sending fear through the white community. I believe his acts of rape cannot be excused by their motives of anger and frustration, but it is very important to recognize the abyss of hopelessness he must have felt being a Black man at this time in America’s history. I think this was a very important turning point in Mr. Cleaver’s life because he realized, after he was sent to prison, “...that it is easier to do evil than it is to do good.” This is the reason he began to write. He used writing to find out exactly who he was in an effort to save himself from himself.

The essay, “Initial Reactions on the Assassination of Malcolm X,” touched me because I just finished reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X for the second time and I still feel angry about the murder of Malcolm X. Malcolm X’s murder was a very important turning point in the life of Eldridge Cleaver because it prompted him to leave the Nation of Islam. This liberated Cleaver from the hatred he had towards whites, which was encouraged and nurtured by the Black Muslims. Cleaver, much like Malcolm X, came to the assumption that not all whites were “devils.”

Chapter 2, which was called “Blood of the Beast,” probably had the greatest affect on me. The section of this chapter that I found to be most important to me was “The White Race and Its Heroes.” Eldridge Cleaver explains in this essay how young whites of the 60’s lost many of their heroes through finding out the truth about the white man's exploitation of oppressed people around the globe. At this time in history the American youth were growing away from their elders, in an effort to mend the mistakes their forefathers had made. He described the events taking place at this time as a “revolution.” I find it interesting how he describes this “revolution” as an outsider in his book, but
would later become one of the most influential members of the Black Panther Party, who were on the front lines of the “revolution.” This essay is so important to me because I see myself in the same place as the white youth of the 60’s in that I am now discovering at this time in my years as a college student that many of my forefathers who were portrayed as heroes in many history books, from which I learned, were really perpetrators of oppression, greed and thievery. One thing that I do not understand is why after 30 some odd years history books are still printed with the same outrageous lies that the youth of the 60’s fought to rid our schools of.

The essays contained in the final two chapters of Soul On Ice, were not as interesting to me personally as those at the beginning, but are still of great importance. Chapter 3, “Prelude to Love--Three Letters,” contains the correspondence that Eldridge Cleaver had with his lawyer, Beverly Axelrod. The letters illustrate Cleaver and his lawyer getting to know one another through the constraints of censored letters. In these letters one sees a romance between the two begin to spark. I view this chapter as important because Ms. Axelrod seems to view Cleaver as the intelligent reformed prisoner that he has become.

“White Woman, Black Man,” which is the last chapter of the book, Cleaver explains that Black men covet white women because of their hatred for the white man’s injustice against them. He explains that the Black man’s lust for white women is due to the self-hate of black skin which the white man has instilled in the Black men of America. Cleaver also explains that he feared Black women because in seeing their strength he was forced to see his own faults.

I found this book to be an insightful journey through the deepest depths of one African-American man's soul. It is quite evident that Eldridge Cleaver gained much from his exploration of heart and soul and in doing so he has blessed those who read this book with the knowledge that he has achieved in his years on this earth. I learned a great deal from reading this book and taking all that it had to offer me. Though this book was published in 1968, it contains disturbing parallels to race relations in this country today.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone, whether you interested in African-American Studies or not. It offers a brutally honest perspective from one African-American man's point of view. For those of you who enjoy this book, I would also recommend "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" Alex Haley, "To Die For The People" by Huey P. Newton, Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton and "Seize The Time" by Bobby Seale.

© 2000 Theodore Yeager

Recommended: Yes