Malcom x learning to read free essay sample

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925. He was one of the most articulate and powerful leaders of black America during the 60s. Malcolm X dropped out of school after 8th grade. Shortly after this he got involved in criminal activity and eventually ended up in prison. Prison motivated him to further his reading and become literate. He wrote letters to Mr. Elijah Muhammad of the Islam Nation, about the rarely told story of the â€Å"black man† in history. Some of his literacy sponsors were prison, the Nation of Islam, and injustices of the â€Å"white man† throughout history and the incorrect views. During the civil rights movement, he emerged as the leading spokesman for black separatism, a philosophy that urged black Americans to cut political, social, and economic ties with the white community. Malcolm X convinced the readers to obtain achievement though self-education. He started out not knowing anything but how to survive as a street hustler. We will write a custom essay sample on Malcom x learning to read or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then later on checking out books from the prison library and underlining and highlighting words he was not familiar with which ended up helping him expand his once none existent vocabulary. While reading books by Elijah Muhammad, the founder of the Nation of Islam, he discovered the truth behind what was written in history books. The book showed him how history had been covered up by the whites, â€Å"Book after book showed me how the white man had bought upon the world’s black, brown, red and yellow peoples every variety of the sufferings of exploitation. † Malcolm X took his ability to read and his new outlook on life to educate black people in an effort to change the world. He tries to inspire his audience; if he can teach himself with an 8th grade education then others can too. He was inspired by the minister Elijah Muhammad and he impacted his life because Elijah Muhammad was the main reason he wanted learn how to write and read and not just stumble over words he didn’t know. During this time African Americans were working toward gaining political and economic rights. More than ever the African American community needed some type of leadership and inspiration to guide them through such a grueling stage in history. Malcolm X was one of the most influential voices of the civil rights movement. The topic â€Å"Learning to read† was to inform us how Malcolm X learned to read and write and his strong passion for knowledge. There is some talk about how the white man has done evil deeds to nonwhites and Malcolm X does show his unfortunate dislike towards the white man because of history. Overall, Malcolm X focuses on how time has given him the opportunity to learn more than many people can ever hope to learn. Malcolm X being in jail all those years was well needed, because if he was out in the streets hustling then he would have never gained that thrive and excitement for knowledge that he lacked.