Malcolm X : The Early Development Of Smuggling To Prisons

He studied hard to get high grades and he was even elected as the class president. He was doing his best, until his teacher went up to him and told him that his dream to be a lawyer, is not possible all because he is black. Instead, he insisted him to become a carpenter. From then, something started to changed within him. Malcolm sees the limit to the white acceptance, and the inevitable truth of what life awaits for the colored. He starts believing that in the white society he was living in, there is no success nor future. Spike Lee never really focused on Malcolm's childhood in the film, except for this particular part. He chose this moment to highlight, because this scene single handedly explains why he hated whites, why he became a hustler, and why he became a civil rights activists. It was the hatred against the whites. From then, he stopped accepting the whites. This was the moment when Malcolm's view on integration between whites and blacks became possible, to impossible. The historical figure of Malcolm X’s philosophy started here, with the hatred of his enemy. Malcolm X in his speech, preached that the black man should have their own power, by separating themselves completely from the white society, similar to what his father was preaching. His childhood tragedy gave him the reason to fight for, and the belief for uniting the black race for separating them from the cruelty. Malcolm X we all know of, would have never existed without

In Norfolk Prison Colony Malcolm X felt free. Malcolm X felt that during his stay in the Norfolk Prison Colony he never felt more truly free. During his sentence, Malcolm X expanded his mind and became motivated to learned things that he most likely wouldn’t have on the streets. He becomes infatuated with reading and he spent his time in the library or in his bunk reading different books. Overtime Malcolm X became more influenced by Elijah Muhammad, a religious leader of the Nation of Islam. After finishing his time in prison, Malcolm X would also become a key leader of the Nation of Islam.

With Malcolm's imprisonment ended the acceptance of the ghetto hustler and gangster life. In prison Malcolm had to find a new place to turn for acceptance. As his father did, Malcolm turned to religion. The religion he turned to, The Nation of Islam or more commonly known as the Black Muslims, were a group of African Americans who believed, among other things, that whites were the roots of evil. Malcolm became immersed in his religion. It seeped into every part of his life. "For the next years I was the nearest thing to a hermit in the Norfolk Prison Colony. I have never been more busy in my life" (173). Malcolm wrote many letters to family and friends about his new found faith and , most importantly, he found the acceptance he longed for with the teachings of Mr. Muhammad. This acceptance gave him purpose and after his release Malcolm became one of the foremost representatives of the Nation of Islam.

He started thinking about the world and the society he lives in. He began to question the way things were, and he realized that a change in his life, and in the society was both possible and necessary. Prior to his imprisonment, Malcolm had been enclosed in the world of the hustler, the player, the pimp, the gangster, the parasite, and he couldn¹t imagine him outside of that world. “Reading exposed Malcolm to new worlds; it allowed him to see that there were alternatives to the lifestyle and values of the social parasite” (Shanna). While in prison, Malcolm began to think, and to read. but only after he had been encouraged to do so by someone that he respected and who had taken an unselfish interest in him. “Malcolm was later motivated by a new sense of self-worth and identity and purpose, as his family introduced him to the religious and political philosophy of Islam, as taught by Elijah Muhammad, and practiced by the Nation of Islam (NOI)” (Estate of Malcolm X). Malcolm X converted to the Nation of Islam while in prison, and upon his release in 1952 he abandoned his surname "Little," which he considered a relic of slavery, in favor of the surname "X" a tribute to the unknown name of his African ancestors.

Malcolm X was orphaned early in life. At the age of six his father was killed and it has been rumoured that white racists were responsible. Seven years later his mother passed away after which he lived in a series of foster homes.

Malcolm X on the micro level involves interactions with many individuals throughout his life. From his parents and siblings to girlfriends and his wife, and even those he met in prison and after prison, they all played significant roles in Malcolm’s

He had specific goal for his reading and learning although he spent seven years in prison. His goal was to serve the black man in term of Black and White separatism in the 1950’s in United States. His meaningful goal led to great reading and learning of certain subjects, such as Black history, Genetics, slavery, Chinese world history and philosophy. Constantly, he says, “You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I’m not studying something I feel might be able to help the black man (X 85). Moreover, Malcolm’s education is really an educational experience. Unlike Mark’s education, Malcolm had to begin his fundamental education by learning the vocabulary. Henceforth, he daily spent numerous hours on reading books to gain knowledge and understanding. He himself did that spectacular job without any specific guidance, except for his curiosity only. He said, “I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity-because you can hardly mention anything I’m not curious about” (X 85). On the other hand, reading for the sake of knowledge was a significant way to help Malcolm feel a sense of freedom in spite of being in prison. Truly, the more he read, the freer he felt. He concludes that “I don’t think anybody ever got more out of going to prison than I did. In fact, prison enabled me to study far more intensely than I would have if my life had gone differently and I had attended some college.” (X 85)

Instead of going to school to get a traditional education, he dropped out of school at fifteen and learned the ways of the streets. Malcolm associated himself with thugs, thieves, dope dealers, and pimps. He was convicted of burglary at age twenty and remained in prison until he was twenty-seven. During his prison sentence, he became a changed man. He educated himself and he learned about and joined the Nation of Islam, studying the teachings of Elijah Muhammed. Elijah taught Malcolm how history had been “whitened by the white man” (p.184) and he echoed “the black convict’s lifelong experience” where “the white man is the devil,” (p. 186). This thought process encouraged many black inmates to discover the Nation of Islam.

Malcolm X’s tone is bluntly honest when sharing his own personal anecdotes; He discusses of the way he was treated in school when saying, “...I was smarter than nearly all of those white kids. But apparently I was still not intelligent enough, in their eyes, to become whatever I wanted to be” (44). He goes on to say, “I was thus schooled well, by experts in such hustles as the numbers, pimping, con games of many kinds, peddling dope, and thievery of all sorts, including armed robbery” (97). Malcolm X speaks of his experiences as simply as reciting established facts; he retells his life with his blunt honesty, used to carefully and tactfully discuss the controversial issue of racism that is not often discussed so truthfully in media.

He saw educated prisoners achieve a certain celebrity status and desired these skills as well as status. Malcolm X describes these inmates and the status they possessed: “There were a sizeable number of well-read inmates, especially the popular debaters. Some were said by many to be walking encyclopedias. They were almost celebrities” (212). He envied these educated men and became determined to grow to be educated. In pursuing his self-taught education, “Malcolm X emerged as the leading spokesman for black separatism, a philosophy that urged black Americans to cut political, social, and economic ties with the white community” (intro 210). Not seeking the prestige or degree for his education, his efforts made him a leading advocate for the civil rights and liberties of African Americans and a leading spokesperson for the Nation of Islam.

Through his readings and new found religion, the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X finds self-pride. He starts to become proud of who he is and where he came from. He realizes that before, all he was trying to do was act like someone he wasn’t and all it had gotten him was seven years in prison. The letters he got from Elijah Muhammad and his family encouraged all of this. He strives to admit his guilt, and “implore the forgiveness of God” (170). He would often “be startled to catch [himself] thinking in a remote way of [his] earlier self as another person” and marvel at how much he had changed (170). All the reading he did “awoke … some long dormant craving to be mentally alive” (179). His trip to prison opened up new doors for him because he gained knowledge that made him rethink his niche in life.

Malcolm X is an extremely critical figure that contributed in shaping American social life. He was a famous man who articulated the struggle, anger, and beliefs of African Americans. He was a radical man who fought for change despite the situation. His struggle for equality for the black nation landed him in prison. While in prison, Malcolm was able to study, and earned a college degree. However, most importantly while in prison, Malcolm X was introduced to the Islam faith by one of the prisoners. He received teachings from the Muslim faith, which made him realize that, his people were being oppressed and abused by the whites. While out of prison, he went to visit honorable Elijah Muhammad and later on went around preaching Elijah

Malcolm ended up in jail, because of the kind of life he was living. He realize that the life inside the jail was different from the one he was living outside. Malcolm stated how he felt on the jail surround with intelligence people,

First of all, It is really amazing how he succeed in his life and achieved what he wanted. Malcolm reached his goal despite what he was or what he was doing, if you have a dream you have to work for it. His story is a great example of not giving up on anything you want. His life was in the street selling drugs or in the bars drinking and that was extremely a pointless life. He was well known in the street and when he talks everyone listens to him. As he said he was the most articulate hustler in the street. Talking slang always has been easy for him but he wanted to develop his writings, his simple English words were zero. Malcolm X was not happy with his weakness in reading and writing. A lot of letters came to him but he couldn’t read and reply to those who sent letters to him. After years of crimes he went to jail and began to learn many new English words so he can develop and extend his English words. Another good example of his great story that he learned and expanded his words in the prison. So he used his time there to do many good things to his life. Being in jail is one of many bad things that people does not want to be in. And

Malcolm X return to boston was very short lived his white female friend Sophia had saved his life in harlem by bring him back to boston. Sophia husband is a businessman who stays on the road, this gave sophia a lot of time to tend and help her friend Malcolm who depends on her money. To survive malcolm goes back to what he knows best hustling Malcolm, Shorty, Sophia, Sophia’s older sister and a black italian man named Ruby started robbing and burglarising houses. Malcolm’s hustle was going good until he blown his cover with sophia and was hunted down by her husband who got him arrested. Malcolm emphasize that racism against blacks dehumanizes them. The white people in malcolm viewed him as something less than human, malcom was ruthless, foul mouthed, hustler and an uneducated negro. During his trial the convention against him for stealing was weight evenly as his relationship with a white women. The notes of his cross examination was mostly his relationship with sophia rather than his conviction of stealing and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Malcolm's time at the state prison is a period of scholarly development and religious upheaval. Experiencing drug withdrawal and a furious temper, he is put into solitary and nicknamed "Satan." Over time he meets a prisoner by the name Bimbi. Bimbi is a confident black man who commands and respected by all. Being mentored by Bimbi, Malcolm