In Learning to Read, Malcolm X, one of the most articulate and powerful leaders of black America during the 1960s, describes his struggle of self-education while being incarcerated. Malcolm X composed his journey of self-in order to convey the message that the reader should strive to look for more than what is taught to them by the public school system, to, in a way, look outside the box.…
While in Norfolk Prison he checked out a dictionary, tablets and pencils from the Norfolk Prison Colony School. After months of crash course memorizations of the dictionary, books start to reveal stories, meanings, and to teach history. As his new found knowledge increased from reading every book he could get his hands on, so did his disgust for the whitened world in which he lived. His education started with the teachings of Mr. Muhammad who stressed “how history had been whitened” meaning when the history books were written by white men, the black man was simply left out. This bothered Malcolm and because of this he hunted down any book in that library that had any information at all about black history. Books like The Wonders of the World and Negro History taught him about black empires before black slavery and the early Negro’s struggle for freedom. He also came across some bound pamphlets of the Abolitionism…
Malcolm X, Detroit Red, Satan, and El Hajji Malik El-Shabazz. Although, Malcolm was the main character throughout the autobiography. These were the various names used by the prominent African-American civil rights activist, Malcolm X, during the various stages throughout his life. Malcolm Little, officially known as Malcolm X, was the son Louise Helen Little and Earl Little and was born on May 19, 1925. He was the fourth out of seven children and also had the brightest skin complexion out of all the children so as a child that led him to believe that he was treated better by his father, and evaded many of the beatings suffered by his siblings daily. Despite his bright skin complexion, Malcolm still encountered…
3.) “Philbert was placed with another family in Lansing, a Mrs. Hackett, while Reginald and Wesley went to live with a family called Williams, who were friends of my mother’s. And Yvonne and Robert went to live with a West Indian Family named McGuire.”…
First, Malcolm X was born in May 19, 1925 in Omaha NE. Next, He was an African American leader who spokesman for the nation of Islam epitomized. Also Malcolm X was influenced by Elijah Muhammad, Frantz Fanon, Marcus Garvey, Oswald Spengler. He fought for the leaders of Islam. He also had 7 kids and their names are Qubilah Shabazz, Ilyasah Shabazz, Attallah Shabazz, Malaak Shabazz, Gamilah Lumumba Shabazz, Malikah Shabazz. In 1946, they were arrested and convicted on burglary charges, and Malcolm was sentenced to 10 years in prison although he was granted parole after serving seven years.…
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.…
In "A Homemade Education", Malcolm X admits his frustration about his inability to express himself the way he'd like to. It can be said that Malcolm X was discouraged as he mentioned that he "wasn’t even functional" (Malcolm X 134) and though he did feel this way he turned the negative feelings into something to strive for. In the Charlestown prison Malcolm X was in there was another inmate named Bimbi who he envied because of his ability to use words and his knowledge. Malcolm X's envy of Bimbi drove and inspired him to seek and ultimately further his own education in a sense in deciding to read and copy out of the dictionary. Malcolm X gained a hunger for the knowledge he was obtaining as exemplified in the following quotation: " I could for the first time pick up a book and read and now begin to understand what the book was saying... in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading in my bunk... In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life." (Malcolm X 135). Malcolm X used his time as way to learn everything he possibly could so that he wouldn’t have to be envious of the knowledge someone else possessed. In Maya Angelou's "Graduation", Angelou also showed her discouragement by the words of Edward Donleavy at her graduation who told the congregation of how many more opportunities whites had over blacks. Angelou's graduation was an occasion that had so many excited because they had worked so hard to accomplish the feat of gaining an education and they were also excited for what their future had in store for them; however, many of them including Angelou felt in the moment that those hopes and…
1. What is the meaning of the title? Does it have a surface or deeper meaning?…
Malcolm X was a brave, ambitious civil rights leader. He fought against racism and brought hope to African-Americans. Malcolm X changed African-Americans by giving them hope and freedom.…
What motivated Malcolm X to educate himself was his inability to express himself in an appropriated way. In the streets, Malcolm X was someone important, someone who could express himself without problem “In the streets, I had been the most articulate hustler out there- I had commanded attention when I said something” (X 189). Nevertheless, during his time in Charlestown Prison, trying to write a letter for Mr. Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X comprehended that he was not able to explain his thoughts or feelings clearly in words without using the language of the streets. Malcolm X realized that his language skills as writing, reading and speaking were unskilled “But now, trying to write simple English, I not only wasn’t articulate, I wasn’t even…
The life of Malcolm Little, and the hardships he was born into and had to deal with is the purpose of “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”. The text is very beautiful and powerful due to the way the author structures each scenario to the point where the reader becomes greatly involved. Throughout the story, the author allows the reader to understand everything by describing every event and confrontation vividly. (Alex Haley, Page. 1) “When my mother was pregnant with me, she told me later, a party of hooded Ku Klux Klan riders galloped up to our home in Omaha, Nebraska, one night”, this statement he recalls from what happened before he was even born shows how Malcolm’s intention in this story is to not leave any detail out.…
In today’s society, what can we do about the beliefs Malcolm X had towards knowledge in reading. One of the main questions will be the way this knowledge in books will change our attitudes in the culture will live on. At the end of the day do books change the overall spectrum of knowledge for anyone trying to become educated by themselves with no source of education background. The main point we have to make in the lives of any individual with a sense of trying to become educated they must have read a book of some source, in which has helped them realize changing their way of thinking into making important decisions. The main function we can do as an individual to prevent ignorance and spread vital information to those who are less educated a group which can help themselves grow intellectually in a…
Nonetheless, he ends up at a similar conclusion: Knowledge will give him the ability to assume control of a situation and to influence others with his words—not only spoken, but written as well. It is a fellow prison inmate, Bimbi, who first inspires Malcolm X. “It had really begun . . . when Bimbi first made me feel envy of his stock of knowledge,” Malcolm X expresses. “Bimbi had always taken charge of any conversations he was in . . .” (1). Through Bimbi, by failing to imitate what the inmate did, Malcolm X finds his motivation to become literate. “As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally…
There’s a saying that “Experiences builds the character”.... or maybe it isn’t a common saying. However, it is a saying that is proven to be true. In a sense as this, looking at historical figures, experiences made them of whom they were or are. Looking at one specifically, Malcolm X, a activist for social, economic and political rights whose experiences transformed him to an ‘’altered’’ person from time to time. Upon reading the book ‘’The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley’’ Malcolm X, as explaining before, make these baffling transformations in different points of time in his life. His anti white views may be daunting of how which he expresses his opinions about these so called ‘’devil race’’[Whites]. However, an ‘’aesthetic…
After reading Malcolm x’s “Learning to Read” essay, I remember when I overcame my challenge through hard work and sticking to my Goal. It was when I first came to America I was in 6th grade. I didn’t really know English very well at that time, so it was hard for me to read and comprehend certain things taught…