Micro-Activity # 3: Malcolm X

Quote 1: “We were empty bank accounts, and it was our teachers’ responsibility to deposit facts.”

Response: The author uses the quote to communicate to his audience that his educational path was up to perception. It resonates with students everywhere because the way we learn our history is going to depend on who is giving us that information and where we are  getting from. The purpose behind this quote was to let us know about the authors choices and also to spark an idea in the audience allowing them to feel more connected to the author.

Quote 2: “Writing shifted my relationship to education and power. After I started writing, I stopped being interested in models of education that didn’t consider me an active participant.”

Response: At this point in his writing, Jose is showing when he comes to realizations about his place in education and literature. The tone he uses shifted from being lost to illuminated. Jose tells his audience that he made a place for himself where history wouldn’t see fit. This is fitting to an audience of young adults because we question so much of our futures and a large part of understanding where we fit is knowing our history. Jose shows how very possible that was for him which gives him credibility.

Quote 3: “When we sit in workshop together, we are all students. We are all trying to learn and grow.”

Response: Jose continues on to share the passion he has for poetry and how he got there. There was a large lack of representation and Jose attempted to pave a way to allow comfort for those in the future. History and literature is a large part of our education and everyone should be able to be represented properly in that. To expand and grow even whilst setting those boundries.