Malcolm X was a highly controversial figure in his time, often viewed as a racist who advocated hate and violence against whites; his positions and Pan-Africanism were often misunderstood or distorted. This is the first in a series of articles I intend to write about Malcolm X - seeking to connect his thinking to today's issues.
This article will begin with education, and this quote,
Once the slave has his master’s education, the slave wants to be like his master, wants to share his master’s property, and even wants to exercise the same privileges as his master even while he is yet in his master’s house. This is the core of America’s troubles today; and there will be no peace for America as long as 20 million so-called Negroes are here begging for the rights which America knows she will never grant us.
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Muhammad teaches us that we must have some land of our own. - Malcolm X at Harvard Law School Forum (March 24, 1961)
Although this speech didn't necessarily focus on education, Malcolm X saw education as a key to black independence and empowerment. Education is also where we find the truth that exists in what he believed would happen if African Americans looked to the same government that enslaved their ancestors to protect them. I want to be clear from the start, this post isn't going to end with an argument for segregation. What it will do is point out that despite all the marches, hand holding and lip service both political parties have given to the issue, segregation still