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Essay on malcolm x autobiography
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Autobiography of Malcolm X takes place during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and illustrates the life of an African American man spent majority of his life fighting for equal rights. Throughout the book, Malcolm X expresses his negative perspective toward white supremacy and actively speaks on behalf of his people for equality. One of the most life changing event in his life was when he converted to Islam. Religion played an important role in his awakening because it removed the blindness from his eyes and showed him that white people were the reason African Americans are suffering on a day to day basis. This essay investigates how Malcolm X’s autobiography puts into perspective how race is extremely complex race that no one can truly …show more content…
However, it is impossible to capture something so complex within books or essays. Therefore, in Omi and Winant’s Racial Formation, they do not show how crime is linked to racial projects, and in Fanon’s “The Fact of Blackness”, he claims that “the burden of representation” is fixed, but he does not take into account how history can alter stereotypes as well. When Malcolm X explains that he wanted to become a lawyer, his teacher’s response shows the audience that Malcolm X was living in a time where jobs were racially categorized as well. Since people of color could not get the high paying jobs, white people often see them as inferior criminals. Additionally, Malcolm X’s experience in the college shows that stereotypes are not fixed because he was able to speak in front of group of white students that were open minded. Instead of forbidding him from actively criticizing white people, they give him a certain level of respect that enables Malcolm X to speak on behalf of his entire race. This shows that people of color were slowly being recognized as humans rather than inferior objects as time passes and it is not “fixed” as Fanon claimed before. Race is co complex that no one can fully explain what it is; therefore, it is important to note that race is not something biological or a mere illusion, but rather race is something that is never constant that plays a large role on how society is formed
Anderson chronicles Malcolm’s intense drive for knowledge and truth, as he serves time in prison to emerge as Malcolm X, a minister in the Nation of Islam, his metamorphosis from Malcolm Little, and his eventual leadership role in the fight against American racism.
This paper is written to give my personal reflection on a book entitled The Autobiography of Malcolm X. It is one of the assignments for EDC3360 Course, Social Work for Community Service. We were asked to read this book because the content of this book has relation with the course we are taken for the current semester.
Malcolm X is an important figure in human history because he was a human rights activist and fought for equality among people. He was a proficient public speaker who spoke for minorities, mostly African Americans. By reading Malcolm X’s story, I visualize on how a man suffered from the effects of prejudice and his whole disposition was formed from it. I see how a very angry man stayed angry at the "white devils" f...
When comparing and contrasting movies and books, the majority of the time the book presents more of a detailed atmosphere and illustration of events. However, in this case I think the book, "Autobiography of Malcolm X” and the movie, “Malcolm X” quoin side with one another.
This paper will discuss the different stages of thought processes the former Nation of Islam minister, Malcolm X went through during his lifetime in terms of how he viewed white people, but more specifically “the white man” in America. The reason the focus is on White Americans is because these were the people outside of the Nation of Islam that shaped his life good or bad and put him on the path where he eventually transformed from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X who was one of the most polarizing and controversial figures during his lifetime and even nearly 50 years after his death the name Malcolm X causes certain people to shudder. Malcolm X became a well-known figure during the 50’s and 60’s during the civil rights movement which involved figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. This was a pivotal era in American history because for the first time that there was major push towards full rights for African Americans. When Malcolm X came on the scene he put fear into White people because they weren’t used to hearing the truth about race relations in America and many of them felt that things were just fine because they themselves were living life high on the hog while at the same time exploiting Blacks. Because this type of talk from a black person was new to them they misinterpreted his views as “hate speech” and accused him of trying to incite violence when he was simply trying wake his people up to properly deal with what was happening to them.
Malcolm X Malcolm was born on May 19, 1925 in an Omaha hospital. He was born into a world of hatred and violence toward his kind, and from he was little, he knew that he would die in a similar manner. Malcolm’s father who was a large black man was a Baptist Minister. Though he and his family on many occasions were threatened by members of the Black legion and the Ku Klux Klan, that if he did not stop starting preaching of Marcus Garvey, that they would kill him. Malcolm’s father was not a scared man, and he continued to preach. Ever since Malcolm was little, he never had much respect for the Christian religion or the followers of it. One of Malcolm’s earliest memories was an afternoon in 1921 when he had seen his mother and father fighting. In a fit of rage Earl stormed off, and was never seen alive by the members of the Little family again. Members of the Black Legion murdered him. Malcolm’s mother was a strong woman, and refused to give up her children, and though they were poor, she attempted to support the large fatherless family without the charity of others. Because a white man rapped Malcolm’s mother’s mother, Malcolm’s mother had a Very light complexion that was easily mistaken for white. Though Malcolm’s mother hated every drop of white blood in her, she was thankful that it made it that much easier to get jobs doing things Negroes normally wouldn’t be trusted to do.
Malcolm X was a great Civil Rights leader that was ahead of his time, dealing with the inequalities and the black struggle of the 1960's. The 1960's was an era that defined the black race as a lower status than the white race merely based on color. Malcolm X defined race through his Muslim religion believing that blacks would one day reign supreme if only they accepted Allah as God, took Islam as their only religion, and followed the honorable Elijah Muhammad as their messenger. He also believed that the White race was ungodly and they were doomed for their unjust rule unable to accept Allah because of there evil nature. Clearly X's definition of race was that the Black race was "good" and "godly", and the White race was wrong and evil. This idea of race was taken from author David Howard Pitney's book, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and the Struggle of the 1950s and the 1960s A Brief History with Documents. The main source document of these ideas is based on one of "Malcolm's classic, fiery denunciations, as spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, of white America and the Western word" (Pitney113). Called "From God's Judgments of White America". The strengths of Malcolm X s approach towards his definition of race appealed to Black America by giving hope to the struggle of the civil rights movement. However, the weakness of his approach was one-sided alienating the white race, non-violent black people taking part in the Civil Rights struggle, and all other religions besides Islam. Malcolm X's intended audience for his views on race were the American people of the 1960's during the civil rights movement and all future generations of America. Malcolm X's views both fit into and countered the views of the time.
The autobiography of Malcolm X written by Alex Haley tells a wonderful story of a boy who grew up to be a legendary hero. Malcolm Xs character continuously develops throughout the entire novel, allowing the reader to be engaged in his story. The beginning of the text begins with the story of the past, when his mother was pregnant, and instantly the author brings in violence that include the Ku Klux Klan and the description of fear is already being portrayed. Chapter one is titled "nightmare "in this chapter not only does the reader already acknowledge struggle but there is also a background of his father. Over the course of chapter you see Malcolm Xs character develop mostly because his entire perspective constantly changes due to being around
According to Fanon, the Black man is a creation of the White man. The former internalizes the negative images and character traits White people inscribe on him. Moreover, as the negative image of Blackness is perpetually contrasted with the “purity,” the positive traits that are commonly ascribed to Whiteness, Black people increasingly identify with the aggressor and aspire to become White. Thus, victims of racism suffer from the internalized self-hate and the frustration that grows out of the desire for the unattainable – White people’s recognition. In Fanon’s view, Whites are not able to see past the dehumanizing image that they themselves have created, because they relegate Blacks and other oppressed minorities into a zone of non-being.
Malcolm X was born in 1925 as Malcolm Little in Omaha Nebraska, and one of the many African-American who made a mark to inspire the American history and the world. The unfairness of the society left Malcom X to grow up luck of parental guidance and find ways to survive. Molded with difficult life experience, and belief in creating racial partition is Malcolm’s X goal to better people’s life of colored skin. Under those circumstances, with gained knowledge born the man of self-worth, the man of pride and self-renewed. The man who stand up in the midst of struggles and hatred to educate its fellow men of colored skin to accept; to embrace its own uniqueness; and to be proud of its own beauty and
The Nation of Islam, which Malcolm X was an important member of, is not a religious organization as the name suggests but rather an organization whose goal was to make the lives of African Americans better instead of actually teaching the proper ethics of Islam. One of the main objectives of this organization was Black Nationalism, through which Black leaders can control the areas where there is a majority of African Americans. This cause was greatl...
Now the second most sought-after university lecturer in America, Malcolm X savors the excitement of the intellectual confrontations that follow his speeches at top universities… America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem.” Malcolm affected the world with this. He is putting the Nation of Islam on a pedal stool. Muslims are people who have a strong belief in Islam. As believers, they worship the One God and worship Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as the last messenger of God. Additionally, they also believe in all the prophets which preceded Prophet Muhammad and the holy books which they brought, such as the Psalms, Torah, and the Gospel. Christianity was the white man's religion, declared Fard. It was forced on African Americans during the slave experience. Islam was closer to African roots and identity. Members of the Nation of Islam read the Koran, worship Allah as their God, and accept Muhammad as their chief prophet. Mixed with the religious tenets of Islam were Black Pride and Black Nationalism. The Nation of Islam attracted many followers, especially in prisons, where lost African Americans most looked for guidance. They preached adherence to a strict moral code and reliance on other African
The Autobiography a religious conversion, narrative showcase’s Malcolm X’s activism of black -nationalism, black pride Pan Africanism. The book shows the collective process till Malcolm X’s assassination by the Black Muslims when addressing his Afro-American Unity organization (X, Haley and Sloan)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley is about a man who changed the history of America. Malcolm (Little) X preached what he believed about racism, discrimination, and segregation. He went through many changes in his fight for equality. The three transformations that really changed the way Malcolm thought and preached where his transformation in prison, his transformation into the Islamic religion (following Elijah Muhammad), and the biggest transformation of all, his pilgrimage to Mecca. In all of Malcolm actions, teachings and transformations we learn different points of view and we get a good look at different aspects of events. The life of Malcolm (Little) X as told in his autobiography should be read by all.
James Cone’s Martin & Malcolm & America paints a distinctive portrait of the individual yet complementary lives of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Cone takes an introspective lens and casts imagery of the backgrounds of King and Malcolm; examining their childhood until the moment they reached monumental heights in the face in history. The story of these two heroic men is not a foreign tale, for all have heard of the works of each. Cone does not take this as an opportunity to provide a biography of their lives, he chooses to look deeper into their lives and reflect upon the development of their ideology. This in depth analysis shatters the preconceived notions many uphold regarding King and Malcolm. Both King and Malcolm looked for justice in an unfair and unjust society, but one looked through the eyes of optimism, the other looked through the eyes of an unrelenting truth. Those who have systematically suffered under the guise of others, such as African-Americans have; search for a new sense of reality. They adapt an attitude that yields a sense of well-being and self-worth. This new attitude shields one from fear and deception and gives them a collective voice. These two men, provided that voice. King advocated integration, while Malcolm focused on Black Nationalism. During an era in history that was marked with violence, inequality, hatred, hurt, and pain, an eruption of change was inevitably brewing. Cone shows how this manifested from a Southern as well as Northern perspective. There is often a false sense of equality for northern blacks, but Cone reveals how hatred and racism did not draw a boundary in the sand and say we are not crossing this line. Unfortunately, it existed everywhere. Cone successfully...