Reflection On The Autobiography Of Malcolm X

One of the largest takeaway’s I was able to acquire from Malcolm X’s autobiography however, was how he emerged from the experience with new and greater insight. After meeting with and experiencing the genuine hospitality and kindness of Dr. Omar Azzam, Malcolm X was able to expand his own personal boundaries, allowing himself to question his stance on the demonization of the white man. By putting himself into an environment that made him feel uncomfortable and surrounding himself with by a race he has been conditioned to distrust, Malcolm X was able to come to a truer comprehension of the world around him, realizing that brotherhood can exist between men of different colors. This change was only able to occur because he travelled outside of his primary context, temporarily removing him from his familiar “’power base’” of the Nation of Islam (Malcolm X 283).
Through an analysis of this past experience, I understand that by primarily traveling with a group that I felt comfortable with, I failed to reach the full extent of my potential development. Looking back, I think it is imperative that I visit Korea once again, but this time without the protections of the collective. As Charles Johnson, would say, I must “live without a safety net” even if the situation is causes distress, for it will allow for the interrogation of my spirit that is necessary to reach a higher state of enlightenment (Johnson 8). Ultimately, the only way to reconcile my two dueling identities is to emerge from the veil and push back against the limits of my current