Malcolm X Free Essays

Ralph Ellison began his 1952 novel with the sentence; â€Å"I am an invisible man.† (Ellison 3) These five words summed up the way in which the majority of Black Americans felt about their place in society at the time. The Civil Rights Movement was still years away, and the caste of American society had placed the Black American near the bottom. We will write a custom essay sample on Malcolm X or any similar topic only for you Order Now The application of the minority movement in the 1960’s and after in American has affected my life.   It is through the struggle of Malcolm X and his lingering affects on public policies and social awareness that I feel his life has affected mine, and my understanding of the minority situation in politics. The self-awareness of the Black American was limited to only what the white establishment would allow – and in the majority of the country, that was very little, as I have seen on a daily basis through being discriminated against. However, the essence for the change that would occur had already been born. The awakening, in the late 1950s, of the Black American would take place in religion, politics, self-awareness and literature. This would become exemplified by the manner in which women in the black communities were treated. The rise of domestic violence was an issue, even in 1950s America – and in both the homes of blacks and whites. There would be, though, differences in which this awakening would manifest itself. For some, like those who would march with Martin Luther King, non-violence and pacifism would be the dominate tool to their awakening. For others, the awakening would come in the form of a religious rebirth, and strong assertion of their place in society.   It is through the goal oriented life of Malcolm X that I have personally found strength in my own endeavors, through working relationships with others as well as with education opportunities, and on a more personal note, through relationships.   The dynamic which Malcolm X achieved through his lectures, and active protests has aided me in being more direct in my own situations of discrimination. Those who would come to admire Malcolm X would see him as a visionary, a warrior, and a martyr to the cause of equality. Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. His early life would be marred with violence at the hand of racist attacks on his family. One such event, as Malcolm himself would chronicle in his autobiography took place when he was four years old. Two white men set fire to his home in the dead of night. â€Å"Our home was burning around us†; he recounted. (X 3) His father, a minister, would give chase and shoot at the two men, but they would escape. The investigation into the incident would see more attention placed on the gun which his father used to defend his family, than on the two attackers who nearly killed them. While his father was a large and strong man, Malcolm recounted that it was his mother who enforced the discipline in the family. â€Å"I’ve said that my mother was the one who whipped me†, Malcolm X wrote. (7) This early distinction about the roles of authority would affect his adulthood. There would be a vast change in the life of Malcolm X in his early adulthood. Just before he was to turn twenty-one, Malcolm would be sent to prison for grand theft. His time in prison would see him lose all faith in God, and be called Satan by his fellow inmates. (154) His last years of prison life would be spent, at the direction of Elijah Muhammad, reading and educating himself about history, culture and the ways of the world. As Malcolm X educated himself, so have I educated myself, not only through religion, but through literature.   Malcolm X was a true inspiration through me pursuing an education beyond middle school, or high school, it was through his strength against adversity that I too found a means to gain acceptance to the future I had planned out for me, although not high and mighty as Malcolm’s, it is a future that required knowledge, skill, patience, and a world which denied me most of those things. This education into the history of the Black Culture, and the ways in which it had been subdued by the dominant white traders, would prepare him for his eventual induction into the Muslim faith. The changes that over took Malcolm X would manifest themselves in a way the enabled him the confidence, drive and self-worth to become a minister for the Nation of Islam. The importance of removing the damage done to the Black man, by the white establishment was paramount to the rebirth of Black culture and the rise of Islamic traditions in the United States. The problems that plagued the Black population, according to the views of Islam were the fact that â€Å"the white man has brainwashed us black people to fasten our gaze upon a blond-haired, blue-eyed Jesus!† (222) This brainwashing came to create the rift between the black members of society, and between the man and women of that culture. â€Å"The black man needs to start today to shelter and protect and respect his black women!† (223) This quote from one of X’s early sermons illustrated to important issues in the black culture. Firstly, that there was a responsibility being neglected in the role of the black male to uphold his place of caregiver to his wife and family – as well as to the community as a whole. This was an important issue to realize, as the teachings of Islam would tell. â€Å"The white man wants black men to stay immoral, unclean, an ignorant†. (223) This would lead the strict code of conduct that was as the heart of daily life in the Nation of Islam. However the second issue that this concept created was the hierarchy within the Nation of Islam. As with the white Christian faith, the men of the faith were formally of a higher order than that of the women. While the faith would preach protection of women to men, it would not teach the women to stand for their rights as strongly. Though the Nation of Islam would not teach the subjugation of the women of the nation, they would not be inspired to achieve the levels of strength or power as the men were. The other side of the awakening is illustrated from the point of view of Maya Angelou. From early in her childhood, as she would recount in I know why the caged bird sings, there were vast differences in the ways that girls and boys were seen – even within the black culture. One early example of this came when she and her brother were moved to their grandmother’s home in Stamps, Arkansas. â€Å"When I was described by our playmates as shit color [her brother Bailey] was lauded for his velvet-black skin.† (Angelou 23) I also have been called names by the public.   Maya Angelou’s tie in with Malcolm X is their shared struggle, and their overcoming of prejudices, and the lives they changed through their own actions.   I think that Maya Angelou and Malcolm X are both mentors of mine because their revelations and descriptions of discrimination are vivid and relatable.   For me, Maya Angelou’s work touched upon relative imagery from my own childhood, and being called names from society. The things that I have learned from Maya Angelou and more succinctly with Malcolm X is that society always has a way of discriminating against a person, no matter what their skin color, or personal background.   I have had trouble in my past that is similar to Malcolm’s criminal background, so that I’m not only discriminated against for my color but often times when someone knows what I’ve done in the past, they never let me grow out of it.   Malcolm X taught me that strength comes from learning from one’s mistakes and making one’s life better because of those mistakes. Through Malcolm X’s strength and his fighting I have found my own ground to stand upon for my education, livelihood, and future happiness.   Malcolm X began his adult life in prison, and his final position as a spiritual leader has in turned inspired me to change my life for the better.   I believe that Malcolm X had an epiphany in prison, and thus began his self-education.   I too had an epiphany a few years ago, during some rough spots in my life, and that vision told me that I was supposed to go to college, and get a real education.   It is in this fact alone, that Malcolm X is a mentor of mine, albeit, posthumously. WORKS CITED Ellison, Ralph. The Invisible Man. Random House Inc. New York. 1952. Angelou, Maya. I Know Why The Caged Birds Sings. Chivers Press. Random House Inc. New York. 1969. Malcolm X. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Grove Press. Parallax Publishing Co. Vermont. 1965. How to cite Malcolm X, Essay examples Malcolm X Free Essays Malcolm X used literacy as the main tool to gain knowledge. If Malcolm X were alive today he would have been just as likely to have needed and valued literacy. Writing can be used as a means of increasing understanding of complex subjects. We will write a custom essay sample on Malcolm X or any similar topic only for you Order Now Technology can prove to be too distracting for cognitive learning. Malcolm X used writing as a way to memorize and better understand words. While imprisoned in the Charleston Prison he began to copy the dictionary from beginning to end. In doing so Malcolm started thinking about the words he had written down and even remembering their meanings. In today[‘]s era of TV and video Malcolm X would have surely valued literacy equally as he did in his time. The act of writing helps the writer better understand complex subjects. In the case of Malcolm X the copying of the dictionary helped him broaden his vocabulary and gave him a better understanding of written works. [During his prison studies Malcolm X realizes a connection between writing and cognitive learning. â€Å" I woke the next morning, thinking about those words immensely proud to realize that not only had I written so much at one, time but id written words that I never knew were in the world. Moreover, with little effort, I also could remember what many of these words meant. †] As Malcolm continued to learn new words, he was able to pick up a book for the first time, read it and understand what the book was saying. There is good evidence that writing things down might in fact help the writer remember things better. While Malcolm X was re writing the dictionary he was absorbing more than if he was to watch a video or television. [deleted]Malcolm X compares the dictionary to a miniature encyclopedia. [ â€Å"with every succeeding page, I also learned of people and events from history. Actually the dictionary is like a miniature encyclopedia. †] As he proceeded to re write the dictionary he found himself learning about people, places and events from history. In todays era of technology television programs and videos can be too distracting for cognitive learning. The overwhelming amount of entertaining media can prove distracting when using television or movies as a learning tool. One must be able to differentiate the educational programs from entertaining fictional programs. The dictionary [,]however[,] is filled with factual knowledge and is a more effective learning tool. Malcolm X accredits most of his knowledge to the time he spent imprisoned. In his time in jail he had [few] distractions, which allowed him to better absorb knowledge. In today’s technologically driven world there are many more distractions than in the past. With distractions such as television, movies and video games one can be content with just passing time rather than learning and further increasing their knowledge. Malcolm X emphasizes the harm of distractions on cognitive learning. Had he lived in today[‘]s technologically driven world he would have had many more distractions to worry about. If Malcolm X had lived in today’s era of television and video he would have needed and valued literacy all the same. Malcolm’s desire to learn would have pushed him away from the distractions of television and videos. Even in today[‘] world Malcolm would have valued the dictionary as his main source of knowledge. Motivated to learn as much as he could he would have used writing as his major tool in cognitive learning. Only by copying the dictionary was Malcolm X able to absorb as much knowledge as he did. How to cite Malcolm X, Papers Malcolm X Free Essays How is it that a man who was completely illiterate, a criminal and even worse he was black, in a time that meant you were less than a dog, could go on to lead a nation of black people towards freedom? Malcolm X is the classical story of tenacity, adversity, and determination and his end result was triumph. To Malcolm X reading was the most important thing in the world to him, and no matter how hard it would be he wanted nothing more than to learn. He knew that if he were to change his life around and make something of himself, he had to begin with the smallest of aspect which as learning how to read. We will write a custom essay sample on Malcolm X or any similar topic only for you Order Now His persistence did not Just help him become the man he wanted to be, but it propelled him into the history books and he will forever remain a figure for many because he simply chose to take advantage of one of the most basic educational tools which is reading. Showing the world that every man deserved to be treated equally and that no matter how big or small your goals are if you are tenacious enough then you will reach them. Malcolm X played a major role in African American history. He was a Civil Rights leader and was very powerful to many people f his time and even now. He enforced the idea that all people were created equal and that the way of life should remain that way. Malcolm has influenced much of society today. He changed the world’s direction and shape in many ways. He inspired many African Americans to fight racism continuously and proactively. He offered an alternative to martin Luther kings argument to non-violence and pacifism. He also showed that African Americans could also be articulate and highly intellectual. While in prison, Malcolm is tried to make great use for his time. He ran across a man named Bimbo, whom he became very Jealous of, because Bimbo seemed to have it all together. Malcolm envied Bimbo, Elijah Muhammad, and had great respect for him even though he did not know him. Malcolm loved the way that Bimbo always was in the topic of discussion in many conversations people were having, and to Malcolm, Bimbo’s vocabulary was flawless. He felt as if he knew exactly what he was talking about and that he was an all-around amazing person. After watching Bimbo in amazement he began to read books. Books in which he could barely understand. Saying, â€Å"They might as well have been in Chinese. † Soon after, he went to the Norfolk Prison and began trying reading more and more. He requested a dictionary, a tablet, and some pencils from the prison, and once they were granted to him he began copying pages from the dictionary, Just reading it back to himself over and over. He was self teaching himself to read, write and understand all at once. He took it one step at a time, one day at a time and his strategy was to start with copying the first page in the dictionary of As, and then he read them back to himself continuously. He eke up the next day thinking about the previous words he had written and was shocked and proud to have written that many words. This is what began to mold Malcolm X into an amazing man, he was able to teach himself to understand the fundamentals of reading and writing and then went on to make a monumental movement in African American history. All it took was some dedication and belief in himself. Malcolm used many different dictionaries while imprisoned. He was so fascinated with his learning the dictionary so quickly that he went on the next day and began writing the second page. He explains in the article, â€Å"l studied the next page and the same experience came when I studied that (X 16). † The more pages he wrote in the dictionary the more he would explain that he would learn more about people, places and events in history. Soon after the As section had filled a full tablet he moved onto the B section of the dictionary. â€Å"That was the way I started copying what had eventually became the entire dictionary (X 16). † He was extremely successful while in prison, how many men are sent to prison and then teach themselves to read? He took it upon himself to take a bad situation and turning it into time for him to reflect and prepare himself to become great, which speaks volumes of his character and determination. It was Civil Rights leaders like Malcolm X who have helped to ensure no one has to struggle to obtain the ability to read and write. He made it his purpose to educate everyone in future generations so that it would help lead too brighter, wiser America. It was during the time of self-enlightenment that Malcolm brother, Shorts, visited him and Jail talked about his recent conversations with the Muslim Religions Organization of the Nation of Islam. After liking to his brother he explained to him, Malcolm decided to study the Nation of Islam. He came across the leader of the nation, Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad preached that white society constantly worked to keep African Americans from empowering themselves and achieving political, economic and social success. Among other goals, the Nation of Islam fought for a state of their own, one separate from state inhabited by the white people. Malcolm was named the minister at the No’s Boston mosque, Temple No. 11. The following year he also became the minister at Temple No. 2 (Philadelphia) and Temple No. (New York). In the sass’s he was invited to participate in numerous debates and television shows. In 1963, the New York Times reported that Malcolm X was the second most sought after speaker in the United States. This is when Malcolm X began to become a household name and began to affect people’s lives on a completely different level. Even though Malcolm X was seen a s a great man and one of the greatest leaders to ever walk the face of this Earth, he was scrutinized by so many people as well. Unlike Martin Luther King Jar, who was equally as important to the Civil Rights movement in America, Malcolm X as a physical, demanding and aggressive person. He didn’t choose to have sit ins, protests and marches, he made it his purpose to get his message across loud and clear. He viewed protests as futile, while they served their purpose, most of the time people do not like to acknowledge there is a problem until people began to get hurt. This is also led to some criticism from his own race about the way he did things, but still he stood by his beliefs and knew in his heart that what he was doing was for the good of his people. Even though his views weren’t always agreed with by everyone hey were very effective and no one ever denied how intelligent and how caring he was. For the times Malcolm X was the worst nightmare for the typical suburban, middle class White American. He was aggressive, persistent, intelligent and didn’t wait for result but demanded them. Ever since he realized how much he wanted to be someone, he made it his agenda to change everything about his old self. He learned how to read and never stopped educating himself, adopted the Islamic faith, and even changed his name from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X. He saw it more important than anything else to lead his people. He was tired of Blacks being unable to read the most basic things such as a daily newspaper, he was unhappy with the way Blacks were being treated and took it upon himself to change all of that by changing himself and then showing the world that if you want something in life you have to take it. Even today many people are still adopting the principles that Malcolm X brought forth to us, all of which started from a man wanting to make something of himself because he was tired of seeing himself, and more importantly, seeing his people struggle. How to cite Malcolm X, Papers