Learning To Read Malcolm X Analysis

The Story of Malcolm X

Malcolm X was a Black rights activist during the 1960’s, he was regarded as a powerful speaker and a highly intelligent person. He was averse to blacks and white living in harmony, and spearheaded the black separatist movement. Malcolm X was not always the man that is taught to the public in history classes however, “Learning to read”, and excerpt from Malcolm X’s autobiography, recounts the tale of who Malcolm X was before he was well read, and how a prison’s library shaped views during the civil rights movement, and started fanning the flames for his racism.

Malcolm X was sentenced to prison for armed robbery, and he made the most of his time in the institution. He felt ashamed that he could not read as well as some of his cellmates, and wished to be able to write intelligently to Elijah Muhammed, the leader of the nation of Islam. He rented out a dictionary from the prison’s library and copied every page word for word. He states that he would read all hours of the day, and even at night. He recounts

In this biography he explains how teaching himself to read allowed him to realize the truth about how his race was belittled in most history books, and these views inspired him to start his public speaking campaign to inform the general public of these wrongdoings. He states “Book after book showed me how the white man had brought upon the world’s black, brown, red, and yellow people every variety of suffering and exploitation.” Once the atrocities the white man had committed against other races and allowed him to start his black separatist movement using claims that would resonate with the poorer minorities of the United States. Explaining to them how they were not given the same standards of living as their white counterparts allowed him to inspire them to step up and take their rights