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Reflective Essay: A Homemade Education

852 Words4 Pages

Sophia Ivanov
Diane Ireland
English 101-1073
18 September 2016

The role education should serve in society today is to help develop students into unique individuals. As I read “A Homemade Education” by Malcolm X, I grasped a better understanding of racism in America and felt fired up to continue fighting the unequal system we live in. Throughout my high school career, I read many different books about the history of racism and articles regarding modern day racism. I quickly found interest in the Black Lives Matter movement and I will continue to stand by it for the rest of my life. It is vital for young people to take in the information they read at school and to apply it to real world problems they can possibly help concur. My interest in the Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013 following the death of Trayvon Martin when his murderer, George Zimmerman, was let off without conviction. I was 15 years old and starting my sophomore year in high school with little prior knowledge of the racism prevalent in our modern day society. Since then, I focused a majority of my research papers and projects on racism and other social injustices in America and I now label myself as a “social justice warrior”. My readings were primarily done online but some of my favorite books I read were “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “The Help” and …show more content…

Self educating and being in school helps students find what their interests are and what they are passionate about. I am happy I read this article and feel inspired by Malcolm’s desire to consistently learn what he was curious about. It is up to the youth in America to continue researching the injustices towards black Americans and to make their voices be heard. Malcolm X is a perfect example of someone who did everything in his power to expand his mind and later became a well known spokesman and a black nationalist

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