Malcolm X Literacy In Prison

794 Words4 Pages
January 29, 2012 ENC1101 Literacy In Prison: Malcolm X Few people have heard the name Malcolm Little, but know the name Malcolm X. Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. Malcolm X was never able to finish the eighth grade, but was able to become a very intelligent individual. Malcolm was imprisoned and that is where he found interest in learning and wanting to expand his knowledge. When Malcolm was in prison he met a man who went by the name Bimbi. Bimbi was who Malcolm got the inspiration from to learn to read and write. Malcolm X was enthralled with the way Bimbi managed to control conversations and get the attention of the people he was speaking to. Malcolm had decided that he was going to start teaching himself…show more content…
He graduated from junior high at the top of his class. However, when a favorite teacher told Malcolm his dream of becoming a lawyer was "no realistic goal for a nigger," Malcolm lost interest in school. With his teacher successfully putting an end to his dreams of a rightful career, Malcolm decided to forgo the continuance of education and began his criminal ways that ultimately resulted in his incarceration. If Malcolm X was alive today it would have been easier for him to teach himself to read and write with all the advancements in technology. TV and images from magazines and newspapers may be more inspiration to learn than just Bimbi’s ability to converse with a high level of intellect. Not only would the advancements in technology be more of an inspiration but, with all the different genres of books, uses of the internet, and the vast amount of ways to obtain books; Malcolm may have been able to learn more complex words, and better ways to get his thoughts put into…show more content…
Thus making the membership increase much faster than it would have in the 1950’ and 60’s. Malcolm may have been able to increase the membership by two or three times the amount, than he did between 1952 and 1960. For someone who didn’t finish a rather extensive amount of school, Malcolm X was a very intelligent individual. Malcolm’s drive to educate himself is what made him the person he was. Even though he never finished very much school, and was incarcerated; he was able to overcome obstacles and achieve a higher purpose in

More about Malcolm X Literacy In Prison

Open Document