In "Learning to Read," an excerpt found in The Autobiography of Malcolm X, author Malcolm X attacks his illiteracy while imprisoned for battling the white man. Malcolm in his conversations with other prisoners realized he wasn’t the most articulate hustler any more as he used to be in the street. Bimbi a fellow prisoner in Charlestown Prison would take over conversations because of his vast vocabulary and knowledge from reading. Malcolm was not only impressed but aspired to be as intelligent. Malcolm explains “Bimbi made me feel envy of his stock of knowledge.” When he started his sentence the highest education he had was at an eighth grade level he received as a child. So Malcolm begins reading to acquire the same eloquent speech, but he comes across a problem. Malcolm couldn’t understand but every few words in such sophisticated books as Bimbi read. Malcolm became frustrated because he could only read the words he knew but in the end had no understanding of what he just read. Malcolm felt as though he was reading another language, such as Chinese.…
Unfortunately, I am finding it surprisingly difficult to respond to Malcolm X’s “Learning to Read” excerpt. This, however, is not because I am an inarticulate writer, nor is it due to a lack of provocation from the piece. In truth, I believe that I am experiencing complications with my response because I find myself torn between two separate topics brought up by Malcolm X. On one hand, he discusses the massive importance of literacy and his own journey to self-obtain said literacy; however, on the other hand, it is mentioned that he advocated for implementation of black separation, and his harsh criticism of the white race is rather prominent. Malcolm X’s dedication to becoming an educated man despite enduring a multitude of oppressing struggles…
As I read Malcolm X’s story I was very fascinated. It taught me that it took him much determination and ambition to accomplish what he had. It really amazed me how he could rise from being so illiterate to become one of the most articulate and powerful black leaders in America. It made me say to myself, “If he could do great maybe I can do wonderful.” One of his methods for motivation was his envy for ”Bimbi” (Malcolm X 86). His envy for Bimbi must have been so great if it kept him from being able to pursue his goals and his future accomplishments (Malcolm X 86). I truly wonder if I would be as patient as he was. Lets look at the facts. First off, his handwriting was so poor that he could not even write in a straight line, I could only imagine how discouraging that must have been. Reading wasn’t his strength either so he had to start as any other person started to learn to read, from the basics. He did this by himself. I honestly give him so much credit because if I personally had to teach myself to read and write, I don’t know if I’d be able to patiently accept all the failures and slow progression I would make. I’d be beyond frustrated to the point where I might give up. Then, something else that strikes me…
In Malcolm X’s “Learning to Read,” he talks about his time in prison and how he decided to teach himself about things he never learned in school. While Malcolm X was in jail he decided to improve his vocabulary by reading the dictionary and copying all of the definitions. This helped him become more eloquent of a writer and paved the way for him to be able to read more difficult books. When Malcolm X began to read seriously he discovered a violent past that most people tended to avoid mentioning; the history of the white man. He read about how white people conquered lands, enslaved countless numbers of people, and tricked trusting people.…
Journal Entry #1 - Witness to the Assassination of Malcolm X February 21, 1965 Today, as the world we have lost a legacy. Since, Malcolm X was on of the ultimate and influential African American the world has even known and will. Malcolm X ensure considerably to make African American appreciation of the understanding of the African American heritage. He would voice his opinion about the things we were too afraid present ourselves.…
Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X were remarkably resourceful and self-reliant during their journey towards literacy. They were diligent in that they used whatever time they had to learn more. Slaveholders deliberately withheld education from slaves as a means of suppression, “for it is an almost unpardonable offence to teach slaves to read…”(Douglass 146). His mistress was unaware of this practice, teaching him the alphabet before her husband could stop the lessons. After this he then would bribe or trick local white boys to teach him more or used shipyard timber and stolen copy-books. Malcolm X was also resourceful. He entered jail with an eighth grade education, but after copying the entire dictionary by hand, and studying it “like a miniature encyclopedia” (X 283), he was able to “...pick up a book...and now begin to understand what the book was saying” (X 283). These remarkably self-motivated men learned to read and write almost entirely independently.…
Moreover, Malcolm X’s socioeconomic disparity affected his interactions with others. Malcolm X often talked in slang language, but slang language was not as effective at communicating ideas in writing than in speech. Malcolm recalls that, “[He] became increasingly frustrated at not being able to express what [he] wanted to convey in letters that [he] wrote.trying to write simple English.[he] wasn’t even functional,” (Malcolm X). His poor education caused by his socioeconomic disparity caused him to be unable to properly interact with others. Altogether, Malcolm X’s socioeconomic disparity was caused by him being imprisoned, which affected his education.…
lollipop from a black child, at which point the black child stops crying and goes out to fight the white boy), and they will then proceed to keep rising up against those white people until they have absolutely nothing, and have learned a lesson to never mess with any black people ever again (in the article, the black child beats the white child to “within an inch of his ass-cracker life”). This exaggerates Malcolm X’s real words, which were more to the effect of “By any means necessary”, in order to achieve humour. However, the article does not only make fun of Malcolm X. The final paragraph is supposed to be a quote of what the FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover at the time of the event said about the speech: “…it would appear that, after four centuries of abuse, broken promises and subjugation, American negroes are not only dissatisfied; they’re starting to get really angry.” This statement accuses white Americans of being ignorant towards the struggle for racial equality between them and African-Americans, as well as to why they are rising up.…
Overall, this was a very insightful perception by Malcolm X. I never suspected that some culture of people would unknowingly change their entire appearance to appeal or identify with the white race of people. Though conking being equate to self-denial may seem a bit extreme to some individuals, the theory absolutely makes sense. Ultimately, these beauty standards society has put in place have destroyed us and that is very unfortunate; however, there is a change that has occurred. Many black people, as well as other ethnicities, are embracing their physical features, which is absolutely essential on the journey of self-love and awareness. It does not really matter if people choose to straighten their hair or not; however, one should not…
Summary: In "A Homemade Education" by Malcolm X, Malcolm X describes how his life in prison changed his outlook on his any many peoples lives. While in prison, Malcolm X taugh himself from dictionaries and books how to become literate. This literacy prompted Malcolm X to find an interest in history, but not just history, the history "white men" left out. He became further interested in this topic, and found himself dig deeper and deeper. His interest was never slowed, even years later, and he gives all the credit to the homemade education he gave himself in prison.…
When Malcolm was in middle school, he was a great student, and excelled in his studies. However, in school, he was the only black child, and felt like a “class pet”. When one of his teachers asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said that he wanted to be a lawyer. His teacher’s reaction was somewhat baffled, telling him that he should pursue something along the lines of construction or carpentry. Later on, Malcolm moved to Boston to live with his sister, giving up on education.…
Malcolm wrote, “Right there, in prison, debating, speaking to a crowd, was as exhilarating to me as the discovery of knowledge through reading” (Marable 91). During his term in prison, Malcolm underwent a process of self-improvement. Throughout his participation in the prison education debate program along with his self-directed study including his exploration of Islam, Malcolm X’s intellectual growth and development prepared him for a career at the NOI. At the Norfolk debate program, the prisoners would engage in weekly exchanges on a variety of issues. He possessed an excellent tenor voice, which helped him attract listeners (Marable 90-91). Malcolm used the public forum of debating to introduce Islam to the African American inmates, which paved the way for their religious conversion. It was these experiences in prison that helped him become a minister of the Nation of Islam. After becoming a member, Malcolm X preached about the vision of the NOI and adhered to the organization's adaptation of Garvey's philosophy of Black Nationalism emphasizing group empowerment and that a self-sustainable, all black capitalist economy was possible through social…
and Malcolm X creates time for them to examine the actions of white people and needed justice; this showing persistency as King Jr. expresses his reasoning for his activism in a letter and Malcolm X acknowledges the intense maltreatment the colored race is exposed to throughout history by whites. Martin Luther King Jr. fights for what he believes is morally correct, this is displayed in his writing: “We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber” (King Jr. 418). In King Jr.’s experience, he has devoted his time to campaign and spread his words on the lack of fairness given to the colored race. His isolation in jail is dedicated to his attempts at bettering his community and producing unification. This unethical decision made by local white officials is unlawful. Despite the inequitable situation, King Jr. strives through his position and acts on his beliefs. On the other hand, Malcolm X’s experience is dedicated towards advancing his literacy to better convey his messages to his leader Mr. Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X’s influence is shown in this statement: “The teachings of Mr. Muhammad stressed how history had been “whitened”—when white men had written history books, the black man had simply been left out”…
Born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebr., he was one of eight children. The family moved to Lansing, Mich,.in 1929. His father, a Baptist preacher and activist who supported Marcus Garvey’s separatist “back to Africa” movement, was run over by a streetcar in 1931, in what many believed was a murder by white supremacists. With his mother institutionalized after an emotional breakdown, Malcolm lived in foster care; he eventually left school, took up odd jobs, and became involved in drugs and street crime. Convicted of burglary at the age of 20, he became attracted to the Black Muslim Nation of Islam movement while in jail. After he was released in 1952, he met the Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad and studied his teachings, which emphasized black pride, opposed integration, and portrayed white people as evil. Taking the name Malcolm X, he adopted the group’s tight discipline and soon became its best-known spokesperson, as he traveled widely and helped establish mosques in various cities. His fiery rhetoric caused him to be regarded by many as a fanatic, and he was not embraced by black civil rights leaders. After 1958, when he married Betty Sanders (1936–97; later, Betty Shabbaz), he…
Malcolm X was a black activist speaker in his time. He fought for equality for all races and was role model for the black community in this time in history. He was born May 19th 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska. (“MALCOLM X OFFICIAL WEBSITE 1”) He was very smart, his dad was killed in a supposed accident but most historians believe the K.K.K. murdered his father while Malcolm was at the age of six. His mother shortly after had an emotional breakdown and was admitted to a mental hospital. This forced Malcolm and his 8 siblings to orphanages. (“MALCOLM X OFFICIAL WEBSITE 2”) Even though he went through all of this he was still a good student and dreamed of being a lawyer until his teacher told him that an African American would…