Micro-Activity # 3: Malcolm X

Quote 1: “Fortunately, right outside my door was a corridor light that cast a glow into my room. The glow was enough to read by, once my eyes adjusted to it. So when “lights out” came, I would sit on the floor where I could continue reading in that glow.”

Response: This quotes speaks to me because as Malcolm X was teaching himself to become a better reader in prison that could come with many obstacles such as access to books and reading conditions. However, he did not let the fact that the lights when out at “ten P.M.” stop him from achieving his goal of becoming a better reader.

Quote 2: “In my own case, once I heard of the “glorious history of the black man,” I took special pains to hunt in the library for books that would inform me on details about black history.”

Response: This quote demonstrates how learning to read opened doors to Malcolm X to explore more about the history of black people as well as him becoming a Muslim. He followed the teaching of Mr. Muhammad and that led him to wanting to read and learn more about his religion and black history.

Quote 3: “In fact, prison enabled me to study far more intensively than I would have if my life had gone differently and I had attended some college. I imagine that one of the biggest troubles with colleges is there are too many distractions, too much panty-raiding, fraternities, and boola-boola and all of that.”

Response: This quote is very meaningful in a sense that it shows the conditions the Malcolm X had to be in that motivated him to reading and studying. College would have provided to many distractions for him even though college would have been the ideal place for someone to go and learn something. However, he found himself motivated while sitting in a prison cell.