malcolm x essay learning to read

Malcolm X Learning To Read Summary

When Malcolm X was in prison, he decided to educate himself. He started by teaching himself how to read. Learning to read was a difficult process for Malcolm X, as he had never received any formal education. However, he persevered and eventually became an accomplished reader.

Malcolm X’s experience of learning to read is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it highlights the importance of education. Secondly, it demonstrates the ability of black people to overcome the disadvantages imposed on them by slavery and racism. Finally, it shows that Malcolm X was a self-motivated individual who was willing to work hard to achieve his goals.

In “Learning to Read,” an excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which is included in Reading From the Inside Out, author Malcolm X laments his illiteracy while incarcerated for fighting against white people. When he was on the street, Malcolm realized that he wasn’t the most fluent hustler any more because he used to be.

Facing a long jail sentence, he decided to educate himself in order to gain power and knowledge. Learning how to read and write was his way of gaining power over the white man who had oppressed him and his people for so long.

Malcolm X grew up during a time when black people were treated like slaves. They were denied basic rights and were forced to work in terrible conditions. Malcolm X’s family was no exception. His father was killed by white supremacists, and his mother was sent to a mental hospital. Malcolm X was sent to live with different relatives, but none of them could provide him with the stability or love he needed. As a result, he turned to a life of crime.

In prison, Malcolm X realized that he needed to change his life if he ever wanted to be free. He started reading everything he could get his hands on, and he quickly realized that education was the key to success. Learning to read and write gave him the power to communicate his ideas and reach people who might not have otherwise listened to him.

Malcolm X’s story is an inspiration to black people everywhere. He showed that it is never too late to learn, and that education can be the key to freedom. Learning to read allowed him to gain the knowledge and power he needed to fight for equal rights for all black people. Black people today continue to face many of the same challenges that Malcolm X did, but his story reminds us that we have the power to change our lives and make a difference in the world. Learning to read is just the first step.

Bimbi was chosen as a result of his wide vocabulary and knowledge gained from reading, therefore he took over conversations. Malcolm was both impressed and aspiring to be as intelligent. “Bimbi made me envious of his enormous store of information,” says Malcolm. When he began serving time, the highest degree that he had achieved up to that point in his life was eighth grade. So Malcolm begins reading in order to acquire the same elegant speech that Bimbi does, but there’s a snag:

The dictionary is written in standard English, a language Malcolm wasn’t familiar with. So he uses a technique where he would sound out the word then break it down into smaller pieces. He also reads the dictionary from front to back. Learning how to read was a turning point for Malcolm X because now he could gain knowledge that was previously inaccessible to him. It allowed him to connect with people and engage in intellectual conversations.

Not only did reading improve his speaking abilities, but it also broadened his perspective. He became interested in history, particularly African American history, and began to see the world differently. This newfound knowledge led him to become an activist and spokesperson for the black community. Learning to read was instrumental in shaping Malcolm X into the leader he became.

Malcolm X was born in 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the fourth of seven children born to Louise Little and Earl Little. His father was a Baptist minister and active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Malcolm’s parents worked to instill pride in their children for their African heritage. Unfortunately, the family faced racism and violence from white supremacists.

When Malcolm was six years old, his father’s body was found lying across trolley tracks after being hit by a streetcar. The coroner ruled it an accident, but Malcolm’s mother believed that Earl had been murdered by white racists. Two years later, Louise had a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized. The children were then split up and sent to different foster homes.

At the age of thirteen, Malcolm was living in a white foster home in Michigan. He was a good student and had dreams of becoming a lawyer. However, his aspirations were dashed when he was accused of breaking into a neighbor’s home. He was then sentenced to ten years in prison.

It was while he was incarcerated that Malcolm began to educate himself. He started by reading books from the prison library, including biographies of famous African Americans such as Frederick Douglass and Marcus Garvey. He also tutored other inmates who were struggling with reading. It was through these experiences that Malcolm realized the importance of education.

After serving six years in prison, Malcolm was released on parole in 1952. He moved to New York City, where he became involved in criminal activity. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to jail for larceny. It was during this time that Malcolm had a life-changing encounter with a fellow inmate named Bimbi. Bimbi was well-educated and spoke eloquently. He would often take over conversations, impressing Malcolm with his vast knowledge.

Inspired by Bimbi, Malcolm began teaching himself how to read. He started with the dictionary, sounding out words and breaking them down into smaller pieces. He also read books from the prison library, including history books about African Americans. Through reading, Malcolm broadened his perspective and gained a better understanding of the world around him.

When he was released from prison, Malcolm moved to Boston and became involved in the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist organization. He quickly rose through the ranks and became one of the organization’s most prominent leaders. He changed his name to Malcolm X and began preaching about black pride and self-defense.

In 1963, he broke with the Nation of Islam and founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. He also helped establish the Organization of Afro-American Unity. As a leader of the black community, Malcolm X advocated for blacks to gain equality through any means necessary, including violence if necessary.

Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965 while giving a speech in New York City. He was shot by three members of the Nation of Islam. At the time of his death, he was 39 years old.

Malcolm X was a significant figure in the civil rights movement. He was a passionate and eloquent speaker who inspired many black Americans to fight for their rights. Learning to read transformed Malcolm from a criminal to a leader. It opened his eyes to the injustices faced by blacks and motivated him to fight for change. Malcolm’s story is an inspiring example of the power of education.

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Malcolm X: "Learning to Read" - Self-Education, Determination, Understanding

600 words - short analytical review of the 3-page long "Learning to Read" extract from Malcolm X's Autobiography

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4. Literary Nonfiction

Malcolm x, how i learned to read.

http://accounts.smccd.edu/bellr/readerlearningtoread.htm

“Malcolm X” by JBrazito is licensed under CC BY 2.0

• Malcolm X, How I Learned to Read. Authored by : Malcolm X, Alex Haley. Provided by : San Mateo County Community College District. Located at : http://accounts.smccd.edu/bellr/readerlearningtoread.htm . Project : Reading African American Literature. License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : CC-BY-SA

Malcolm X’s “Learning to Read” During Imprisonment Essay

Introduction, works cited.

To many people, prison is the place where freedom is lost and all hope abandoned. However, to some people, prison can be the turning point, where the individual comes to his moment of truth. There are a number of things about prison that may lead to an individual stumbling into a turning point. One of the things is the fact that the person will have too much time because unlike free people, an imprisoned person does not have appointments and deadlines to meet.

The other thing is that this person does not just have a lot of time, but he or she is also closely monitored. Prison will give the prisoner time and space to think and meditate on the most important issues of life and the philosophies of life. Once this person reaches a point where his inner being is seeking to answer the important questions of life, it will be time for the person to look for an alternative reality or to look for something to distract him from his predicament. This is the reason why it is said that the body can be imprisoned, but the mind cannot be imprisoned, at least not in a conventional physical prison.

A good example is Malcolm X, who after being incarcerated; he found the love for books and literature. When he realized that he could not read efficiently because his vocabulary was poor, he started mastering the vocabulary of the English language until he was very good at it. The work that Malcolm did in an attempt to master the vocabulary without the aid of a teacher, was amazing and incredible. After he had mastered enough vocabulary, he started reading books, usually the enlightening type. Reading made his vocabulary even better, and he had a better way to improve his vocabulary as time went on.

The mind of an imprisoned person will want to free itself in spite of the fact that it is tightly coupled to the body of the person. As a result, the inner person of an incarcerated individual will try to look for ways to escape from the imprisonment. This is the reason why most imprisoned people become very good in what they do. One person may decide to take a technical course such as masonry or carpentry, and will seem to have the right motivation to make this an area of expertise.

The motivation behind the reason why the person will want to excel in whatever he or she chooses may be different. Some will be doing that because they see it as a second chance to life, and that they cannot manage to waste it. However, for another person, the person may be motivated by the fact that he has been pushed to the philosophical points by the challenges that the prison life brings.

It is not by coincidence that many people who go to prison are those who in one way or the other, had certain aspects of their lives that were so colorful, that prison life will not be able to satisfy them. When such a person goes to prison, he will have to adjust his attitudes and feelings in order to help in compensating for this lack.

In the case of Malcolm X, he says in his article that it was the command that he used to have in the streets, which he now did not have, especially due to the fact that the only channel of communication for him in prison was writing. Though well informed, he was unable to write well, and he couldn’t write in slang. Malcolm (1) says, “How would I sound writing in slang, the way 1 would say it, something such as, “Look, daddy, let me pull your coat about a cat, Elijah Muhammad—””

The other factor that will change the way a prisoner will see the world and react to it is the way the prisoner will regard the cause of the imprisonment. Some will accept the imprisonment and accept that it was their fault. However, if the prisoner regards the imprisonment as harassment and that he is innocent; he will have a different perspective. Malcolm X did not just have a great desire to read and enlighten his mind, but he did it because he was seeking to understand the history of the black people and the history of all races.

He was raged and concerned about the unfairness of the white people towards the rest of the world races, and this led him to studying any material he could find on the subject. Malcolm (6) admits: “The Oriental philosophers were the ones I came to prefer; finally, my impression was that most Occidental philosophy had largely been borrowed from the Oriental thinkers”. In other words, he had come to find purpose in understanding the place of the other races in the world history, and this impressed him the most. This is so with almost every other prisoner, because they will come to have a sense of direction which they will follow.

Malcolm even confesses in his article that he could not have managed to learn as much in college as he did in prison. As Malcolm (6) says, “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”.

Malcolm X, Little. Learning to Read . Smccd, 2012. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2020, November 27). Malcolm X's "Learning to Read" During Imprisonment. https://ivypanda.com/essays/malcolm-xs-learning-to-read-during-imprisonment/

"Malcolm X's "Learning to Read" During Imprisonment." IvyPanda , 27 Nov. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/malcolm-xs-learning-to-read-during-imprisonment/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Malcolm X's "Learning to Read" During Imprisonment'. 27 November.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Malcolm X's "Learning to Read" During Imprisonment." November 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/malcolm-xs-learning-to-read-during-imprisonment/.

1. IvyPanda . "Malcolm X's "Learning to Read" During Imprisonment." November 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/malcolm-xs-learning-to-read-during-imprisonment/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Malcolm X's "Learning to Read" During Imprisonment." November 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/malcolm-xs-learning-to-read-during-imprisonment/.

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Jason Crighton

September 27, 2004, malcolm x - learning to read.

The essay Learning To Read by Malcolm X is a great example of how each person is responsible for their own education. No matter how hard a teacher or tutor (or even a parent or mentor) tries to teach a student something, if the student is not willing to learn then the material can not be taught. This brings me to my agenda item. Why is it that Malcolm X was so motivated to learn to read at write fluently when most Americans would rather improve upon their vast resources of useless knowledge? I know that most people would say that a person has a lot of free time while in prison. If you have ever seen the show Oz on HBO, however, you could note that there is very little time that a person can spend learning to read and write. For example, there are many stone cold killers that are in jail and if you get in their way, you might be on their "hit list." That can be defined in two different ways....I understand that there is little time to watch T.V. or do any other sensless task in prison; Therefore a person in prison would have more motivation to read than the average American. But that still does not explain why he was so motivated to learn to read and write fluently when he already possesed enough knowledge to have good "street cred." The answer is that he and only he motivated himself to achieve what most people would never try to achieve. The person that motivates himself will go farther than anyone else in life. This solidifies my theory that there are very few bad teachers; There are more bad students.

That response was for you Caroline!

I completely agree with you, and education is something you have to want. No one can make you learn if you aren't willing. That said, there ARE bad teachers. As I have told you, this teacher I had seriously had no clue as to what was going on. Now I know I could have gone above and beyond and done massive research to teach myself in that class, but it was a subject I didn't care for, so to be frank, I just did what she said to do, which had no relevance to the class. I know you still won't believe me, but teachers are responsible for providing you with assignments and material to aid you in your learning, and when they don't do that, it's not completely the student's fault. I'm sorry that we don't agree on this, but you are never going to convince me that there are no bad teachers anywhere.

ok, now after two years did any of you change their opinion about teachers? in my own opppinion. i think that people now in days are becaming teachers just because its a easy job to find. they dont really want to teach. i had a couple of those......i just wonder ow they feel ......... if i was them i would feel right !!!! ..... anyway i just hope to hear from you two. see if you guys still tinking the same way.

I still think there are more bad students than bad teachers. I am currently studying to become a teacher and I sort of resent your statement that teachers teach just because it is an easy job to find (tell that to the thousands of substitute teachers that are waiting for job openings). The resason that many teachers seem "burnt out" is because students drive them to this state. I know of atleast 5 people who have graduated wanting to teach and have left teaching within 5 years because the students were too much. They got burnt out because the students REFUSED to learn. A good teacher can help a average student soar above any previous goals. However, you have to realize that if someone doesn't want to learn something, no one in our education system can force them to learn the material. It's unfortunate, but true. If your still interested in my views read my note called "Seven Lessons of a Teacher."

yeah yeah sure -- but i think there is a nice balance of both bad students and bad teachers in our society

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• Human Rights

learning to read by Malcolm X

Updated 22 April 2021

Subject Human Rights ,  Islam

Downloads 46

Category Religion ,  Social Issues ,  Sociology

Topic Activism ,  Malcolm X ,  Muslim

Introduction

Before the adoption of the letter X to signify the lack of his African tribal identity, Malcolm X was known as Malcolm Little. He was born in 1925 in Nebraska, and his political activity started with his conversion to Islam. Learning to Read was based on interviews gathered shortly before his death. It is, in reality, an extract from Malcolm's autobiography written by Alex Haley in 1965. Learning to Read is a detailed commentary that describes how X became enlightened and thought for himself while incarcerated. Malcolm's philosophy of white men's evils is also described in Learning to Read. Below is a critical analysis of Learning to Read. It will identify the audience and the purpose of the text. It will further analyze the rhetorical language and appeals of the text.

The audience of the text was meant for the whole world and any person who wants to seek inspiration. However, the message was closely meant for all the minority groups. Even among the minority group, Malcolm X was primarily the activist of the people of color. Malcolm was moving around the globe to spread his philosophies of the black oppression by the white man. As the commentary was written during his struggles in prison, his message also resounds well with the prisoners, especially the young black ones.

X was a school drop-out at grade 8. At a young age, he was taken as a prisoner, for criminal activity. For a person faced with myriads of challenges and tremendous obstacles, he is considered an epitome of great success. He took his personal story and the challenging times into the world of literature. He used the hard time in prison to read in their library and advance his knowledge. This time did not only lead him to his success in the world of academics but also made him a famous human right activist and an influential African-American minister and spokesperson for the Islamic nations. Learning to Read informs the people of the hardships he endured and his inspiring journey to a literate. It educates people of his education which forms an important and significant portion of his life. It is his education that transformed Malcolm into what the people know him today. Learning to Read also spreads the message of hope to all the people that are imprisoned (especially the incarcerated African-Americans). Apart from encouraging people to learn and be educated, the essay also spreads his philosophies and persuades readers to be on his side. Without the power of learning, X eyes’ would not have “…opened, gradually, then wider and wider, to how the whole world’s white man has indeed acted like devils…” (Malcolm,262).

Rhetorical analysis

The rough childhood, adolescence and ten years of imprisonment for burglary opened his eyes to be what X became to be. Even though the most vocal gangster, Malcolm was a nobody in prison. That moment was awakening and ignited his ambition to learn. The excerpt represents this awakening. He did not have any qualification regarding education, and therefore, the readers do not expect a good utilization of the rhetorical feature of ethos. However, Malcolm utilizes kairotic moment and the features of logos and pathos to lay bare the white man’s oppression and his prison’s reading. One can interpret that X was persuading people to join his course for civil rights. The goal of Malcolm was to correct all the evil things and harm the white men did to all the people of color and his ancestors. During that time, the civil rights movements were active and powerful and therefore, he was able to speak freely. Malcolm’s conversion to Islam was a rhetoric moment for him so that he could communicate with Elijah Muhammad. His position in the Nation of Islam gave him the much-needed fame and publicity. He had strong views on the subject matter of civil rights. The only way he would convey these views is through letters to Muhammad. Therefore, the only way all he could achieve this goal was to become literate. It is the desire for literary that made him began to write and learn more words. While in the Nation of Islam, X had a strong opinion that the white man was the incarnation of the devil. He had more radical views when compared to famous activities such as Martin Luther King. Even in Learning to Read, which just forms a small proportion of his autobiography, the hatred of the white term is evident. Further, living in that time was hard as any attempt to oppose the powerful Caucasians was received by punitive actions. The only way he could speak vehemently against their harshness was if he understood the language. It was only through literacy that he could convince his supporters. While in prison, Malcolm became a competent writer and developed the art of rhetoric through wide readership and extensive use of the dictionary. He states that “I was lucky enough to reason also that I should try to improve my penmanship……it was sad. I could not even write in a straight line” (Malcolm,354). Here, he is seeking sympathy from the readers and blaming the white people for denying him the power to read and learn. That was a powerful way of convincing his followers to oppose to the white men. He vividly describes the evils committed by the whites again the people of color during slavery. “…black slave women tied up and flogged with whips …evil white men with whips and clubs and chains and guns” (Malcolm,357). Such descriptions were not only to seek sympathy from his readers; it also makes them angry for knowing how even children and women were harmed during slavery. He not uses specific diction such as “atrocities” but also repeats them through words such as “whips and guns” to give them more emphasis. He does not merely list the evils; he uses the literary device of repetition to persuade the readers. He further uses logos as another strong rhetorical strategy to persuade the readers. The excerpt has clear usage of logos. They are probably the most convincing strategy in writing. All readers of any particular piece would like to see some facts. Malcolm X uses Learning to Read to provide factual information. He does not only provide the facts but also gives them in a specific way to direct the audience in a certain direction. The direction is to join him to loathe the white man. Any young person of color would have wanted to know the history of the black people during the rise of civil rights movement. Malcolm says that he was no different. He gives the book that he had read to learn about his people. He read the origin of human race and books that deal with cruelty the people of color that endured throughout history. He states facts such as while in his seventh grade and studying history class in a school that was predominantly white, the history of the black man was only covered in a single paragraph” (Wardle and Downs, 356). Such is a factual first-hand experience that one cannot dispute. He continues brilliantly highlighting certain facts. He alludes to Gregor Mendel’s findings in human genetics. He states that "...if you started with a black man, a white man could be produced; but starting with a white man, you could never produce a black man because the white gene is recessive" (Wardle and Downs, 357). The statement is not explained further, and the reader is left to make his judgment. It is thought-provoking and inflicts some emotion in any reader who of color.

Learning to Read is an excerpt from Malcolm’s autobiography. The story covers his time of imprisonment during which he developed his literary skills. The main target audience of the story is the young person of color especially those that are incarcerated. However, any person who wishes to drive inspiration can enjoy the reading. It is purposed to encourage people to learn and encourage prisoners. He also uses the story to spread his philosophy of the oppression of the black persons by the whites. The article is highly persuasive. Although Malcolm did not have any formal educational qualification, he was able to use rhetoric strategies to convince his readers. He had kairotic moment during the conversion to Islam. The use of logos and pathos as rhetoric strategies are evident to convince the readers.

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Works Cited

Malcolm, X. (2000). Learning to Read. 50 Essays, A Portable Anthology, 245-254. Wardle, E., & Downs, D. (2014). Writing about writing: A college reader. Macmillan Higher Education.

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“Learning to Read” Malcom X (Response) Linneth M

Reading “Learning to Read” from Malcom X touched my heart in ways that no other reading has. The fact that he used his time to grow as a person in an environment full of toxicity, violence and delinquency is inspiring. Going through this essay made me interested in the life of this character and his trajectory as a writer and as an activist, making me burst into tears plenty of times when reading about his life, struggles and especially his discoverings in black history. Malcom X went through so much and never stopped working on himself and inspiring others to do so, his grid and capacity to self-teach himself how to read and the path he took to achieve this is something that makes me admire him in a way I can’t even describe. This reading is an autobiography full of history and interesting facts about the black community and their struggles, and about the efforts he made to understand literature and discover what he was truly passionate about,making it easy for us “young writers” to understand, relate and appreciate literature a little more, making us inspired to follow his steps and just study the dictionary a little bit more often. The authors we have studied as a class have the same passion for what they do and  they all had to struggle to get to the place they are (or were) coming from segregated and judged communities, and setting aside their own prejudices and just wrote for anyone who wanted to read and inspired anyone that related to them.

Malcolm X Reading , Reading Response

October 17, 2020 at 10:28 am

Dear Linneth,

I love how inspirational you found this piece. I also really like the connection you made among all of the authors we have read.

Rebekah Coleman

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