Education is Power The Civil Rights Movement took place during the mid-1950s and late 1960s where African Americans protested against the injustice of not receiving the same civil liberties as white Americans. Activists who took part in the Civil Rights Movement, used a non-violent approach to protesting such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Greensboro sit-ins, and the march from Selma to Montgomery in order to bring about equality. African Americans began to receive equality as shown by the implementation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. In Malcolm X’s, “Learning to Read”, he encourages his audience to learn from his mistakes through stories of his background that reflect his beliefs that under-educated people need to become aware of the less than positive history of the oppression of African Americans if they plan on attaining their freedom. Malcolm X is more adversarial towards the white community through his vivid descriptions of the brutal history of oppression black Americans face, in order to empower his audience to follow …show more content…
He believes that education is essential if the black community wants to fight against the injustice and take a stand for equality of their civil liberties. His assumption that he is speaking to a group comprised of under-educated black Americans is what allows Malcolm X to inspire this audience to go against the white community and fight for equality. This is still relevant today as showcased by members of the Black Lives Matter movement who are still fighting for justice and equality for black Americans and are protesting for an end to discrimination and racism as more and more unarmed black Americans are being shot and killed by the police all around the United
King shows this social power white control by detailing how the white race does not want justice, they want to maintain order. The order during this time period is having control and power over all other races. The white moderate does not care for justice of the black race, but only for the discipline of these individuals that fight back because it may affect the power that they currently
Malcolm’s Family was refused aid because they were black, Malcolm was put into this situation because he was black, Malcolm was being oppressed on every front because he was black. Malcolm was systemically oppressed from whites in generally and his very own government, which started of the Autobiography with a very blunt and apparent idea of systemic oppression.
Malcolm X ’s childhood growing up in Michigan shows the most compelling examples of racial injustice through the extreme prejudice that he experiences while attending middle school. One afternoon in class, Malcolm is asked by his teacher, Mr .Ostrowski, about what career he might want to go into as he gets older. “Mr. Ostrowski looked surprised... that’s no realistic goal for a nigger” (Page 38).
Within his theory of black nationalism, Malcolm hoped to create an environment solely comprised of black individuals that focused on black issues politically, socially, and economically. And for many, this was a problem. His exclusion of the white male was as highly radical. In his speeches, and works, statements such as these were reason to believe Malcolm was radical, he said things such as “all of us have suffered here, in this country, political oppression at the hands of the white man, economic exploitation at the hands of the white man, and social degradation at the hands of the white man” (The Ballot or The Bullet 341), but within the same statement would go on to further state, “now in speaking like this, it doesn't mean that we're anti-white, but it does mean we're anti-exploitation, we're anti-degradation, we're anti-oppression. And if the white man doesn't want us to be anti-him, let him stop oppressing and exploiting and degrading us” (The Ballot or The Bullet 341).
Malcolm X’s main motives for black rage were because of his adherent love for a race he viewed as devalued by all of society at this time, a race who was constantly degraded despite their astonishing characteristics, intelligence, and beauty.
In” Discovering the Power of Language”, a selection taken from The Autobiography of Malcom X, published in 1964, Malcolm X notes that the power of words is great. Malcolm X implies that the proper vocabulary helps to express emotions. Malcolm X develops his thesis by sharing with his readers his personal experience in prison, how he managed to self-educate himself by reading the dictionary and how he elevated himself from a common criminal to a civil rights activist. The author's purpose is to explain how important is your language in order to be heard. Finally, Malcolm X shares with his readers that being able to read a book and understand what the author is saying made him feel such a freedom that he never felt before.
Through his use of such radical ideas and solutions to the civil rights problems of his day, Malcolm X captivates his black audience. Malcolm X completely shatters his listeners' beliefs, using a roundabout form of rhetoric: he uses harsh language that seems to degrade his audience, while, at the same time, he increases their self-confidence subconsciously through their emotions. In successfully convincing his audience that identifying with the white population is not conducive to the eventual liberation of the black people, he is able to say to his fellow
Malcolm X began his speech by urging African Americans to submerge their differences and realize that they all have a common problem - political oppression, economic exploitation, and social degradation at the hands of the white man. Malcolm X was one of the most dynamic, dramatic and influential figures of the civil rights era. He was an apostle of black nationalism, self respect, and uncompromising resistance to white oppression. Malcolm X was a polarizing figure who both energized and divided African Americans, while frightening and alienating many whites.
Malcolm X's "Literacy Behind Bars" is about the expansion of his world that provokes a burning passion within himself through the world of reading. While incarcerated, the author meets a man named Bimbi who leads the discussion with his stock of knowledge, prompting Malcolm X to further his skills in literacy. Taking small steps, he first broadens his vocabulary by reading alphabetically in the dictionary and copying pages. He reads aloud to himself until the words begin to stick with him. Not long after moves onto books, devouring them at a relentless pace, Malcolm X became so engrossed with reading that he begins breaking curfew rules just to continue reading by using the light outside of his cell.
In America at the time The Ballot or the Bullet was given, segregation was still occurring. Malcolm X was a fighter for civil rights. In 1964 there was going to be a presidential election. Malcolm X was a civil rights leader and part of The Nation of Islam. He gave this speech on April third in order to talk about both the election and how African-American people should proceed in order to benefit from the election.
The Story of Malcolm X Malcolm X was a Black rights activist during the 1960’s, he was regarded as a powerful speaker and a highly intelligent person. He was averse to blacks and white living in harmony, and spearheaded the black separatist movement. Malcolm X was not always the man that is taught to the public in history classes however, “Learning to read”, and excerpt from Malcolm X’s autobiography, recounts the tale of who Malcolm X was before he was well read, and how a prison’s library shaped views during the civil rights movement, and started fanning the flames for his racism.
Over the course of Malcolm X’s life, his perspective of identity changed, particularly before and after he went to Mecca. In the speech By Any Means Necessary Malcolm stated, “The time for you and me to allow ourselves to be brutalized non-violently is passe….Be non-violent only with those who are non-violent to you”(Malcolm X). Essentially, Malcolm X is implying that we should have the rights to defend ourselves from those who cause harm to us. Before Malcolm x went to Mecca, he believed that white supremacy could not be conquered through love, but only through vigorous self-defence (“By Any Means Necessary”) .
a. Explain the process by which the author improved his reading and writing abilities. The process by which the author improved his reading and writing abilities begins when he is in prison. At first, he studied in prison under the teaching of Mr. Elijah Muhammad, and he wrote letters to people, whom he knows in the outside world. After these letters were sent, he found out that it was difficult for him to express his feelings because of the lack of vocabulary.
Dr. King organizes his thoughts about education being a culture, is beyond the need for education to be more efficient. America is one of the most richest countries in the world, but build schools that never allocated enough resources. As he knew, one of the major roadblocks to equality in this country is equal access to education and its benefits. Dr. King wanted what every culture would be in their education, whether Native American, Asian, Hispanic, or African, system that promotes the values, traditions, and beliefs. Dr. King expresses how we are prone to let our lives be invaded with propaganda, legions of half truths, and how the press is pursuing an agenda that the viewers are fed half truths.
African american rights were the main concern of many people, along with government corruption and the unwillingness to help. Malcolm X was no banal man he was a extravagant civil rights speaker, he showed the truth on how coming together can put the end to African American indifference. Due to the lack of government the dichotomy between african americans and the white men was still a major problem ; as African americans needed to put and end to the separation and earn civil rights. Malcolm speaks out to all who are willing to obtain their civil rights. ”In Ballot or Bullet” Malcolm X uses Anaphora, Antithesis, Ethical Appeal, Word choice, and Rhetorical question to show the lack of support from government and how coming together can help fight back.