Malcolm X- “Learning To Read”

Malcolm X wrote this to show that even at your lowest points, you still have the same values as when you are at your highest. Malcolm X showed readers that he was able to learn how to read write in prison to convey his support for Elijah Muhammed and the Muslim religion. If he was able to do this, so can any other normal person. Malcolm X says in the text “Many who today hear me…This impression is due entirely to my prison studies.” This quote shows how he conveyed a higher worth of a man than what societal standards would categorize him as because of the fact that he didn’t make it past the eighth grade. Malcolm X was also fascinated by the dictionary, and the broad array of words alongside definitions that when put together create positive and powerful ideas and messages. Malcolm X’s story is similar to Tan and Vargas’s because they all had conflicts that they had to overcome, some more serious than others, but no matter the severity, they all sought ways to overcome their issues. I thought the piece was excellent, Malcolm X was a brilliant man, who had unique views and important knowledge. In the text Malcolm X says “The teachings ring true-to every Negro.” He explains how Elijah Muhammed taught people about the racism that was occuring in the U.S., and how important it was to know the situation and make changes to correct these problems. With horror stories of how white people made Black people suffer, Malcolm X shares with his audience the brutal reality of what it is like living in America, while sharing his experience of how he rose up from illiteracy, to becoming one of history’s most recognizable figures.