In the fifties through the sixties African Americans fought for there civil rights. Activists such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks, led there people. There actions would pave the way for equality for all. In this essay taken from Malcolm X's autobiography, he takes us on a trip on how he became educated, an education that could not be taught in any university.
Malcolm X's biography was written in a laid back fashion. It seemed very personal; more like was talking to me. He didn't use metaphors or symbolism to express what he felt. His writing was straight to the point; it did not need any poetry to explain what he meant. The experiences that he described were very powerful, and thought provoking. .
He described the life as it was in prison. Inside the prison he stated that the library was filled with books "any college library would have been lucky to get that collection" he affirmed. Also that classed were taught by instructors who came from universities such as Harvard and Boston. Malcolm explained how the prisons were and how the smarter inmates were given more respect.
Malcolm X was one of the most influential leaders of all time. He was both feared and praised by his peers. He described himself as "the most articulate street hustler". The street wasn't the only thing that brought him to power, it was his intelligence. With his street knowledge and homemade education, he would later become rivals with his mentor Elijah Muhammad.
Few people can make good of a bad situation. Malcolm X is one of those people. While he was imprisoned in jail he was able to obtain a homemade education. His main purpose on getting educated was to write letters to the honorable Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm could not convey what he wanted to say to Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm was frustrated "I not only wasn't articulate, I wasn't even functional." he stated. Reading books was a challenge for him; he could read them but not understand the meanings of some words.