Malcom X's A Homemade Education
Malcom X's "A Homemade Education" tells a story of how he gained knowledge by himself and how it guided his thoughts and ideas. Reading also molded his political views. Although Malcom X is a very outspoken person about racism in America, and throughout the world, I find that he has a right to be angry, but goes a little overboard on blaming whites.
The story begins when Malcom is in jail and is given a book that he cannot understand because he can't read. This angered him a little and sparked a fire inside of him to learn how to read and write. Soon thereafter he went to the library in the jail and checked out a dictionary. He began to copy the whole dictionary learning word after word that he
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79) After becoming quite educated, Malcom became interested political views of blacks and wanted to change people's minds. He usually became angry because white authors and Europeans "bleached" whatever they wrote to make it sound better in their behalf.
Another thing that really affected him was slavery. He hated slavery more than anything on the face of the world. Over 115 million African American blacks-close to the 1930s population of the United States-were murdered or enslaved during the slave trade. And I read how when the slave market was glutted, the cannibalistic white powers of Europe carved up next, as their colonies, the richest areas of the black continent. And Europe's chancelleries for the next century played a chess game of naked exploration and power from Cape Horn to Cairo. (Malcom X p.81)
This excerpt tells why he was so angry at most whites during the time of slavery. He disliked the way Europeans devoured parts of the world for pure exploration and raw power. The way he learned of this travesty was from books. Without books Malcom X would not be the man that we know today. I felt very strongly towards his views concerning most everything. It made me feel bad for being a white person hearing everything he said about the treatment of blacks by whites. His "homemade education" made him a very great man of his time, but was hated by most whites because of
During the essay, Malcom X explains how he had developed his literacy. He argues that he became bothered because he was not able to express what he desired to impress in letters that he had written. “In this move, the author sets the context for his or her research, providing necessary background on the topic” (Swales CARS). He claims that the people who actually see him on media or read something that he had written, would believe that he had studied more that eighth grade, and he thanks that to the prison where he was. X states that the books available in the prison were only about general subject; some the amazing books that he had read in prison were from Parkhurst’s willingness. He explains that he felt extremely sad when, during his readings,
In this speech, Malcom shows how dedicated he is about making an improvement in the black community. Throughout the speech Malcolm talk about how the black community gets degraded then he goes and say as I quote him saying “usually, when people are sad, they just cry over their condition but when they get angry they bring about a change{ –Malcolm x December,10,1963 page 2] . This is example how x try to encourage people to stand for what they believe in and also to fight for justice and to be proud to speak up about the black congregation and to make a difference. Malcolm x also made his own protest according to history.com x didn’t just believe in just talking to the congregation he believe in getting out and doing something about it, also x partner up with Dr. Martin Luther king plenty of times. According to cnn. Com king and x both had different ways to handling the justice for the black community but they still both mange to achieve the same goal. Although you might think he was just a civil right
Malcom thought Martin was taking the easy way and it would never work. Martin wanted to solve things with peace and words, but Malcom wanted to fight and to go the hard way around. In "Malcom X: By Any Means Necessary" the author also says," He attacked racism with the biting tone of the absolute cynic, vowing to attain freedom by any means necessary" and that differs from Martin Luther King Jr. because in an interview, "Martin Luther King Malcom X the debate", he said,"Were in non violence means that you do resist in a very strong and determined matter." He wanted every person to love every other person and he new that violence wouldn't get that. Malcom thought peace was weak compared to Martin who thought violence was a dangerously bad ideas. They both would end up at the same solution but getting there they lacked of friendship and
Malcom gave this speech on April 12, 1964 during the civil rights movement. He had been invited to the King Solomon Baptist Church by Reverend Cleage, Milton and Richard Henley. His audience was mostly black people in Michigan and several white people who supported the civil rights movement (Campbell, Huxman, and Burkholder 54). The main aim of this speech was to enlighten African Americans to rise and empower themselves rather than keep relying on the white men who were continually oppressing them. Malcom was against the idea of integration and nonviolence. Though he never directly called for black people to take to arms, he challenged them to create their own political, economic and social systems and communities and assist one another as the black community. Malcom was trying to influence the black community to cease being passive and docile and instead be proactive in order for them to get their human
His experience as a former slave enabled him to gain sympathy for his cause, and he was very influential in the attainment of rights for African Americans. The message in his bibliography sent to Americans was a turning point in American history. His brilliance served as evidence that both black and white were born with equal intellectual potential and were capable of equal achievement. His speeches, compositions, and general display of intellect played a crucial role in the emancipation of the slaves and the way Black people were viewed in
hate and that it was a non-ending spiral that leads to nowhere(Doc 8). Malcolm X believed the exact opposite of Martin Luther King Jr. He wanted the Negroes to fight back. He said that he believes that the Blacks should protect themselves by any means necessary when they are attacked by racists (Doc 9 ). This would only increase the bloodshed and casualties on both sides, which was bad for the growing nation in the 1960’s.
The controversy of how he can side with the common mans rights, and yet be a slave-owner is justified by his belief that African people did not know how to survive without the white man, their differences of culture and lack of independence would make living in Americas white society difficult, and because he treated his slaves in a humane manner, he felt he was giving them an acceptable existence in our country. (planetpapers.com)
In the documentation of his early life, his views on slavery are not directly expressed. I think this is in part because he was too young to know any different. While his early life did not offer much opinion on his part, it did start the foundation for his opposition to slavery. All that he was ever exposed to. Slavery was his reality at this time and because it was
He was a firm believer in the abolition of the slave trade, which he thought would eventually lead to the failure of slavery. Ever since writing The Declaration of Independence, until his death, he pushed for the plan of “gradual emancipation”: The plan was to start by ending the transatlantic slave trade. Then over time improve slave conditions mainly their living situations, and lessening physical punishment. Then eventually any slave born after a certain date would be free. Lastly complete abolition. Unfortunately after his death the plan died with him, and all it really accomplished was slave owners treating their slaves better. This plan was not just a plan to end slavery, but to humanize slaves, and make them into free men. He undoubtedly practiced what he preached, and would probably have found it insulting if one made the argument that owning slaves invalidates everything he fought
These events were a great influence on him and can be said to have contributed to his interest in campaigns against the racially discriminatory Jim Crow laws during his teenage years and the civil rights as well as LGBT rights later on in life.
He studied hard to get high grades and he was even elected as the class president. He was doing his best, until his teacher went up to him and told him that his dream to be a lawyer, is not possible all because he is black. Instead, he insisted him to become a carpenter. From then, something started to changed within him. Malcolm sees the limit to the white acceptance, and the inevitable truth of what life awaits for the colored. He starts believing that in the white society he was living in, there is no success nor future. Spike Lee never really focused on Malcolm's childhood in the film, except for this particular part. He chose this moment to highlight, because this scene single handedly explains why he hated whites, why he became a hustler, and why he became a civil rights activists. It was the hatred against the whites. From then, he stopped accepting the whites. This was the moment when Malcolm's view on integration between whites and blacks became possible, to impossible. The historical figure of Malcolm X’s philosophy started here, with the hatred of his enemy. Malcolm X in his speech, preached that the black man should have their own power, by separating themselves completely from the white society, similar to what his father was preaching. His childhood tragedy gave him the reason to fight for, and the belief for uniting the black race for separating them from the cruelty. Malcolm X we all know of, would have never existed without
Both Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass fought against racism with their education. In his early years, Malcolm X was at the top of his class yet he did not receive the same encouragements as his caucasian counterparts. In his autobiography, he depicted a scene where in his English teacher, Mr Ostrowski, said, “ Malcolm, one of life’s first needs is for us to be realistic. Don’t misunderstand me, now. We all here like, you know that. But you’ve got to be realistic about being [an African American]. A lawyer -- that’s no realistic goal for [an African American],” (X 38). While Mr Ostrowski said these things to Malcolm, he encouraged all the other children to pursue their passions. He also suggested for Malcolm to be a carpenter
Spike Lee used racial theatrics that liberated the audience to procure feelings of interest, and at the same time he used fundamental features that were significant to portraying the true story and reclamation that brought Malcolm Little to Malcom X. He expressed an emotional anger that was shared by most Black Americans who endured a similar experience. Malcolm could establish a strong audience among blacks who perceived passive resistance as an insufficient capture for dismantling institutional racism. Malcolm saw no place for himself in white America of Jews and Christians. In the movie he stated that before there was such a person as a Republican or Democrat or even American he has always been black that is his message which was amazing and politically correct among the least. Throughout the movie, Malcolm encountered a profusion of conflict within himself. Malcolm says, “All of us were
Throughout history there are many great people who dedicated their life to the advancement of the African American race. Few of these people created as much controversy during the 1960’s then the man who would be known as Malcolm X. Unlike many of the civil rights leaders of the time who promoted non violence, Malcolm X believed in the use of aggressive tactics in his battle for equality.
Unlike King, Malcolm X encouraged his followers to rebel against whites. Malcolm X, for the most part, believed that non-violence and integration was a trick by the whites to keep African Americans oppressed. “Don’t you run around here trying to make friends with somebody who’s depriving you of your rights” (X 1964). He was furious at white racism and encouraged his followers through his speeches to rise up and protest against their white enemies. “They’re not your friends, no, they are your enemy. Treat them like that and fight them”(X 1964). He encouraged African Americans to stand up against the white America that oppressed them.