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Learning To Read Martin Luther King Jr Analysis

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Two solutions, one goal
Being opressed is the state of receiving unjust treatment or control; for african americans this had been a state that they had to deal with for hundreds of years. Until the 1960s when some light was shed upon them, when two of the greatest civil right leaders proposed a solution to their problems. King and X both being african americans wanted to see an end to this oppression and wanted action to be taken. Whether it was a choice of violence or nonviolence the only immediate goal that they had in mind was for oppression and injustice to come to an end for their people. In the essay “ three ways to meeting oppression “ by Martin Luther King jr, he talks about how oppressed people deal with oppression. According to …show more content…

Orphaned at a young age, X dropped out of school in the 8th grade. This caused him to become a very troubled young man and he then eventually ended up in jail at the age of 20. When in jail X became jealous of a fellow inmate's "stock of knowledge," (X page 120) and noticed how powerless his words really were so he got motivated and decided to self-educate himself in prison. He began by just reading random books which was no help because he didn't end up understanding anything, he then found himself reading and copying the dictionary from cover to cover. After copying the dictionary, he began to understand things much better. The teachings of Elijah Muhammad intrigued him to learn more about the history of his people. X came across many great readings that helped him understand and gave him an insight of the history, struggles, and oppression of African americans and minorities; he noticed that this was all because of the white man. X said that “ book after book showed me how the white man had brought upon the world’s black, brown, red, yellow peoples every variety of the sufferings of exploitation” (X page 124). Through these finding X realized that there was something to be done and he began fighting for not only the civil rights of the black man but also for the human

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In the Epilogue written by Alex Haley for The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Haley describes a note that Malcom X had written during an interview that read “‘My life has always been one of changes’”, and this was proven to be true throughout the course of the narrative (410). In the chapter “Minister Malcolm X”, Malcolm X writes about the joy he received by talking about Elijah Muhammad, helping him, and simply being around him. To demonstrate this he writes, “I believed that he had been divinely send to our people by Allah Himself.” (218). He is then dealt a “Major blow” when Elijah Muhammad begins to oust him from the Nation of Islam (312).

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“An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad”, “Black Nationalism: A Search for Identity in America”, and “The Black Muslims in America” are some books that go into very descriptive detail to portray the person Elijah Muhammad was and how he used his religion, The Nation of Islam, to deliver his messages and gain followers as well as traction in his movements. These books proceed to enlighten the reader of the plight of African-Americans in the 20th century and how Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam was a sign of strength and fortitude which encouraged those within its reach to better themselves and their communities. Although the Nation of Islam helped a lot of African-Americans, its message also helped limit its reach from a lot of African-Americans, which is described in these books. In the 1st book, “An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad” written by Claude Clegg, Historian Claude Clegg proposes that Elijah Muhammad was one of the most influential black men of the 20th century.

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As noted by Malcolm X in his essay Learning to Read, self-education can help bring awareness to the United States’ appalling history of oppression effectuated against African-Americans. In relation to the reading, Malcolm X assimilated prominent examples of oppression through personal anecdotes that descriptively stated what the “evil white men with whips and clubs and chains and guns” did (193). Correspondingly, the negative consequences society has put into place can be stemmed back to the history of European colonization.

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“We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights”(17). Dr.King explains why African Americans have the right to be impatient. He wants his white readers to understand why being given equal rights is such a important matter. The writer,a civil rights leader and pastor, is Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.

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Malcolm X wanted freedom instead of oppression, and so did Islam, as interpreted and preached by Elijah

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“I have a dream today!” Was once said by Martin Luther King Jr. In my opinion while some might not say I say Martin Luther King Jr is effective in his speech because his use of analogies, parallelism, and his restatement to persuade his audience. Firstly, Martin Luther King Jr is persuasive with his analogies.

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“America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem,” remarked Malcolm X in this Letter from Mecca in April of 1964 (“Malcolm, X” 1). For the longest time, Malcolm X believed that there was no way White Americans and African Americans could get along as one. He was against everything Martin Luther King Jr. would preach as a civil rights leader. This letter showed an unbelievable change in the man he was and had been previous to his pilgrimage to the Holy city of Mecca. Everything he once believed had completely been wiped away.

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Malcolm X became one the most crucial world wide speaker for the Black Muslims. His debating abilities against white and black rivals helped spread the organization's message. He uses his strong and violent talks to remind black people that they should not be following the white man’s footsteps because they were already abandoned by the white man and that they should not be discouraged by them. He believes that black people are blinded by the supremacy of the white man and that they (Africans) believe that the color white is greater or higher than the color black. Malcolm X is a prominent figure in history.

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Since he missed so many years of education, he spent all his time in jail reading books and studying at the prison library. While in jail, he was visited by his siblings who had joined the Nation of Islam - a group of black muslims who embraced the black nationality, and worked together to obtain freedom, justice and equality. One day, he decided to join the Nation of Islam too. 6 years later (1952), he was released from prison. He met Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam, and received the legendary “X” as his last name, since “Little” was his slave name, and “X” signifies his tribal name.

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believed that the struggle for equality needed to be recognized at the state level; and called for a transformation of social structures and institutions. In doing so he advocated for peaceful protests, grassroots organizing and more. However, through his liberal individual thinking, Martin Luther King Jr. at the same time believed that individual transformation needs to happen. With this, individuals needed to be able to be able to sit with and engage in internal struggle to overcome the own biases and misconceptions of race that were prevalent. Martin Luther King Jr states that, “Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever.

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Later, King wrote that “It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.” In other words, King pointed out the seriousness of the harm caused by the injustice in society. After King demonstrated the situations and issues in society, he provided four steps of nonviolent solutions: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. In this case, King masterly applied the structure that pointed out the issues and provided the arguments as

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In particular, he answers two general criticisms, making the response to each critique one premise to the argument that these protests are informed. He primarily addresses the idea the clergymen had, that it is useless to do direction action as opposed to negotiation. King counters this by explaining that without direct action, no negotiations will be made. Previously, the community had refused to engage in negotiation. The only solution the African American community could find is direction action through sit- ins and marches, which creates a tension that forces the community to face the issue.

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African-American becoming to America with the new approach of wanted more than what the old Negros wanted. I never realized that William Edward Burghardt known as “W.E.B.” Du Bois had a huge contribution on inspiring artists and social thinkers of his time. He was a leading African-American sociologist, writer and activist. Educated at Harvard University and other top schools. W.E.B. Du Bois outlined the history of African-Americans throughout time, were held in high regard by Du Bois whom felt that Pageants could be utilized best as a form of educational theatre or as an instructional tool to teach African Americans.

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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.

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There has been a multitude of famous individuals that have changed the course of human history over the years. With their work being the source of inspiration of many to simply having a likeable, repeatable demeanor, there is no doubt that to be regarded in that special collective of individuals. One of the most famous civil rights leader that advocated for 13 years, Martin Luther King Jr., discertation called, “The Purpose of Education,” that brings awareness to the importance of education and its overall relevance in tepid year of 1947. Dr. King brings clarity to his opinion in the beginning of his paragraph stating, “It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and

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