My favorite book of all time.
“Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
41–50 of 168 posts
Re: “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
Damaged race relations more than centuries of slavery and systematic discrimination by our country's leaders did?
Damage is cumulative. Arguing over who did the most damage is not likely to bring about anything but hatred, resentment and more damage. That is essentially what X did. King offered unity, healing and a better future.
You don't politely ask your oppressors to give you the rights they have taken away from you.
Re: “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do know that, but most of his public output was spent on vitriol that damaged race relations further. hence the part where I felt it was a shame.
Damaged race relations more than centuries of slavery and systematic discrimination by our country's leaders did?
You're comparing 1960s America to colonial (and later) America. It's certainly possible that the damage done later on was greater, as there was a greater disbursement of knowledge, media, and information during a time in which the country was known as the land of opportunity, the melting pot.
A speech calling for violence in the time of newspapers and television is surely more damaging than that same speech given in an auditorium in the early 1800s to a select group..
I am not attempting to put a 'value' on the whole of slave trade, that's impossible. I'd merely like to point out the 'apples vs. oranges' nature of your comparison.
Re: “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
#44"You couldn’t have gotten me out of books with a wedge...my reading of books, months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life." I'll pair that quote with this, please consider giving yourself: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/readingrainbow/bring-re...
Looks like there are some better recommendations for book-related charities: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/05/... Charities rated highly on Charity Navigator: http://www.firstbook.org/ http://www.cliontheweb.org/
Consider reading the comments on that article. A lot of good points are made about why Reading Rainbow is worthwhile.
Re: “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
#45Everyone should really just read the entire Autobiography. http://www.amazon.com/The-Autobiography-Malcolm-Told-Haley/d... Also, they should spell "Malcolm" correctly. :)
Is it still worth reading for somebody who despise the man? Both what he was (a robber) and what he became?
If you haven't read the book, how can you even begin to have formed a judgment of him?
Re: “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
Another way to put it: Malcolm X was authentic in everything he did, and that was something this country needed. He was able to articulate more clearly than anyone else the implications of being black in America: that the only way to succeed in any way was by trying to act white. Thanks in large part to his activism, that is far less true today.
What does it mean to act white or to act black for that matter?
Conking is one example.
Re: “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it still worth reading for somebody who despise the man? Both what he was (a robber) and what he became?
If you haven't read the book, how can you even begin to have formed a judgment of him?
Now, I'll admit that I personally don't know enough about Malcolm X to form an educated opinion of him, but you seem to be making the assertion that this biography is the only existing source of information on the man. That's pretty ridiculous. Perhaps tomjen learned about him from another source?
Re: “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
#48what a shame that his intellect ended up wasted on reactionary racism. understandable in a sense, given time and place, but still... a waste.
Black people can't be racist in any way that really counts. Racism only matters if the attitude had some sort of negative effect on the group you're racist towards. Since blacks have no real power as a whole, they can't be racist. If blacks were in the majority in terms of power, then and only then could they be racist. The ideas of Malcolm and the NOI, the panthers, etc were a perfectly sensible response to the racism of the white power structure.
Re: “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Would love to see a citation for what you mean by "reactionary racism" - especially from the period in Malcolm's life after he split with the NOI in favor of Sunni Islam. It is true that there are many reactionary elements of NOI ideology and I'm sure you can find all sorts of snippets of quotes from when Malcolm was with them, but not only did he walk away from them, he ultimately gave his life in part because of hi…
Klansmen and corrupt police from the 60s were racist. So was Malcolm X. "Usually the black racist has been produced by the white racist. In most cases where you see it, it is the reaction to white racism, and if you analyze it closely, it's not really black racism... If we react to white racism with a violent reaction, to me that's not black racism. If you come to put a rope around my neck and I hang you for it, to m…
>There are better civil leaders to look up to -- some don't even require you to skim past their evil past.
>He's was never an angel, he just improved with age.
This is actually precisely what I find interesting and relevant about Malcolm X. I read his story not just as a man that people followed, but also as a man continuously undergoing a transformation. By virtue of his intellectual integrity in the face of his life experiences "El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz" manages to appear as a completely different person than "Malcolm Little". I am in agreement with you that the much of the activities of the NOI, and even things that Malcolm X was involved with on behalf of them, are absolutely not things to look up to. But again, that is why I think his story affects me, in that I see a man who has attained a degree of enlightenment by inspection of his own self. I find it easier to follow such a person than a saint.
Re: “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X
#50Everyone should really just read the entire Autobiography. http://www.amazon.com/The-Autobiography-Malcolm-Told-Haley/d... Also, they should spell "Malcolm" correctly. :)
Is it still worth reading for somebody who despise the man? Both what he was (a robber) and what he became?
Malcolm X was one of the very rare individuals who charted his own course through life. Most deviate only the tiniest fraction from what is dictated by their background and mentors. Not Malcolm X. At the same time, he seemed to tragically lurch from one master to the next, although always seeking a more benign one. I like to think he would have rebelled against organized religion next, if he'd had time to do so. Many would disagree with me on that last point though, with good cause.
As an agnostic "white devil", I doubt Malcolm X and I would have been able to tolerate each other, even very late in his life. However, I'm still fascinated by the story of a man who continually and successfully struggled to grow beyond his influences. He had a great mind. It's interesting to ponder what he could have done had he come from a different background.
Even if you have no patience for reading his autobiography, at least watch the Spike Lee flick based on it. It's a great watch.