In The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley, the book documented the amazing life and transformation of one the 20th century’s most provocative, significant, and misunderstood people, and also provided keen insight into the impact of institutional racism in the United States during the period of 1925-1965.
Malcolm X (birth name Malcolm Little), was born in Omaha, NE in 1925, and from the time of his birth until the end of his life, race and racism would play a central role in how he lived and died, and how he viewed the world and how it viewed him.
Malcolm’s childhood was difficult and clouded with tragedy, conflict and pain. Malcolm was born into a two parent union where his father was quite dark and his mother was quite light. Malcolm, who took on more of his mother’s skin color believed that he avoided beatings, or at least, severe beatings because of his lighter skin. So even as a young child, Malcolm’s views on race and color were being shaped as he learned that certain privileges were associated pigmentation, even within the black race and within one’s own family.
Malcolm’s father was an outspoken man and was an activist in his own right. He
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It is easy to see why Malcolm held the views he held, such as all whites being inherently evil because that was his life’s experience, over, over and over again. But the beauty of this story is one of transformation through education. Malcolm was allowed to educate himself, and once having been educated, he knew he had the intellect to do anything, and compete with anyone. Education was his expressway to freedom and served as a expressway for many others during this period. Interestingly, some 50 years later, education remains the most important path to freedom, success and stability of the African American