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Pg.1of6
LEARNINGTOREADMalcolmX(1925—1965
)ItwasbecauseofmylettersthatIhappenedtostumbleuponstartingtoacquiresomekindofahomemadeeducation.IbecameincreasinglyfrustratedatnotbeingabletoexpresswhatIwantedtoconveyinlettersthatIwrote,especiallythosetoMr.ElijahMuhammad.Inthestreet,Ihadbeenthemostarticulatehustleroutthere.IhadcommandedattentionwhenIsaidsomething.Butnow,tryingtowritesimpleEnglish,Inotonlywasn’tarticulate,Iwasn’tevenfunctional.HowwouldIsoundwritinginslang,theway1wouldsayit,somethingsuchas,“Look,daddy,letmepullyourcoataboutacat,ElijahMuhammad—”Manywhotodayhearmesomewhereinperson,orontelevision,orthosewhoreadsomethingI’vesaid,willthinkIwenttoschoolfarbeyondtheeighthgrade.Thisimpressionisdueentirelytomyprisonstudies.IthadreallybegunbackintheCharlestownPrison,whenBimbifirstmademefeelenvyofhisstockofknowledge.Bimbihadalwaystakenchargeofanyconversationshewasin,andIhadtriedtoemulatehim.ButeverybookIpickeduphadfewsentenceswhichdidn’tcontainanywherefromonetonearlyallofthewordsthatmightaswellhavebeeninChinese.WhenIjustskippedthosewords,ofcourse,Ireallyendedupwithlittleideaofwhatthebooksaid.SoIhadcometotheNorfolkPrisonColonystillgoingthroughonlybook‐readingmotions.Prettysoon,Iwouldhavequiteventhesemotions,unlessIhadreceivedthemotivationthatIdid.IsawthatthebestthingIcoulddowasgetholdofadictionary—tostudy,tolearnsomewords.IwasluckyenoughtoreasonalsothatIshouldtrytoimprovemypenmanship.Itwassad.Icouldn’tevenwriteinastraightline.ItwasbothideastogetherthatmovedmetorequestadictionaryalongwithsometabletsandpencilsfromtheNorfolkPrisonColonyschool.Ispenttwodaysjustrifflinguncertainlythroughthedictionary’spages.I’dneverrealizedsomanywordsexisted!Ididn’tknowwhichwordsIneededtolearn.Finally,justtostartsomekindofaction,Ibegancopying.Inmyslow,painstaking,raggedhandwriting,Icopiedintomytableteverythingprintedonthatfirstpage,downtothepunctuationmarks.Ibelieveittookmeaday.Then,aloud,Ireadback,tomyself,everythingI’dwrittenonthetablet.Overandover,aloud,tomyself,Ireadmyownhandwriting.Iwokeupthenextmorning,thinkingaboutthosewords—immenselyproudtorealizethatnotonlyhadIwrittensomuchatonetime,butI’dwrittenwordsthatIneverknewwereintheworld.Moreover,withalittleeffort,Ialsocouldrememberwhatmanyofthesewordsmeant.IreviewedthewordswhosemeaningsIdidn’tremember.Funnything,fromthedictionaryfirstpagerightnow,that“aardvark”springstomymind.Thedictionaryhadapictureofit,along‐tailed,long‐eared,burrowingAfricanmammal,whichlivesofftermitescaughtbystickingoutitstongueasananteaterdoesforants.
 
Pg.2of6
IwassofascinatedthatIwenton—Icopiedthedictionary’snextpage.AndthesameexperiencecamewhenIstudiedthat.Witheverysucceedingpage,Ialsolearnedofpeopleandplacesandeventsfromhistory.Actuallythedictionaryislikeaminiatureencyclopedia.Finallythedictionary’sAsectionhadfilledawholetablet—andIwentonintotheB’s.ThatwasthewayIstartedcopyingwhateventuallybecametheentiredictionary.Itwentalotfasteraftersomuchpracticehelpedmetopickuphandwritingspeed.BetweenwhatIwroteinmytablet,andwritingletters,duringtherestofmytimeinprisonIwouldguessIwroteamillionwords.Isupposeitwasinevitablethatasmyword‐basebroadened,Icouldforthefirsttimepickupabookandreadandnowbegintounderstandwhatthebookwassaying.Anyonewhohasreadagreatdealcanimaginethenewworldthatopened.Letmetellyousomething:fromthenuntilIleftthatprison,ineveryfreemomentIhad,ifIwasnotreadinginthelibrary,Iwasreadingonmybunk.Youcouldn’thavegottenmeoutofbookswithawedge.BetweenMr.Muhammad’steachings,mycorrespondence,myvisitors—usuallyEllaandReginald—and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.TheNorfolkPrisonColony’slibrarywasintheschoolbuilding.AvarietyofclasseswastaughttherebyinstructorswhocamefromsuchplacesasHarvardandBostonuniversities.Theweeklydebatesbetweeninmateteamswerealsoheldintheschoolbuilding.Youwouldbeastonishedtoknowhowworkedupconvictdebatersandaudienceswouldgetoversubjectslike“ShouldBabiesBeFedMilk?”Availableontheprisonlibrary’sshelveswerebooksonjustabouteverygeneralsubject.MuchofthebigprivatecollectionthatParkhursthadwilledtotheprisonwasstillincratesandboxesinthebackofthelibrary—thousandsofoldbooks.Someofthemlookedancient:coversfaded;old‐timeparchment‐lookingbinding.Parkhurst,I’vementioned,seemedtohavebeenprincipallyinterestedinhistoryandreligion.Hehadthemoneyandthespecialinteresttohavealotofbooksthatyouwouldn’thaveingeneralcirculation.Anycollegelibrarywouldhavebeenluckytogetthatcollection.Asyoucanimagine,especiallyinaprisonwheretherewasheavyemphasisonrehabilitation,aninmatewassmileduponifhedemonstratedanunusuallyintenseinterestinbooks.Therewasasizablenumberofwell‐readinmates,especiallythepopulardebaters,Someweresaidbymanytobepracticallywalkingencyclopedias.Theywerealmostcelebrities.NouniversitywouldaskanystudenttodevourliteratureasIdidwhenthisnewworldopenedtome,ofbeingabletoreadandunderstand.Ireadmoreinmyroomthaninthelibraryitself.Aninmatewhowasknowntoreadalotcouldcheckoutmorethanthepermittedmaximumnumberofbooks.Ipreferredreadinginthetotalisolationofmyownroom.WhenIhadprogressedtoreallyseriousreading,everynightatabouttenP.M.Iwouldbeoutragedwiththe“lightsout.”Italwaysseemedtocatchmerightinthemiddleofsomethingengrossing.Fortunately,rightoutsidemydoorwasacorridorlightthatcastaglowintomyroom.Theglowwasenoughtoreadby,oncemyeyesadjustedtoit.Sowhen“lightsout”came,IwouldsitonthefloorwhereIcouldcontinuereadinginthatglow
 
Pg.3of6
Atone‐hourintervalsthenightguardspacedpasteveryroom.EachtimeIheardtheapproachingfootsteps,Ijumpedintobedandfeignedsleep.Andassoonastheguardpassed,Igotbackoutofbedontothefloorareaofthatlight‐glow,whereIwouldreadforanotherfifty‐eightminutes—untiltheguardapproachedagain.Thatwentonuntilthreeorfoureverymorning.Threeorfourhoursofsleepanightwasenoughforme.OftenintheyearsinthestreetsIhadsleptlessthanthat.TheteachingsofMr.Muhammadstressedhowhistoryhadbeen“whitened”—whenwhitemenhadwrittenhistorybooks,theblackmansimplyhadbeenleftout.Mr.Muhammadcouldn’thavesaidanythingthatwouldhavestruckmemuchharder.Ihadneverforgottenhowwhenmyclass,meandallofthosewhites,hadstudiedseventh‐gradeUnitedStateshistorybackinMason,thehistoryoftheNegrohadbeencoveredinoneparagraph,andtheteacherhadgottenabiglaughwithhisjoke,“Negroes’feetaresobigthatwhentheywalk,theyleaveaholeintheground.”ThisisonereasonwhyMr.Muhammad’steachingsspreadsoswiftlyallovertheUnitedStates,amongallNegroes,whetherornottheybecamefollowersofMr.Muhammad.TheteachingsringtruetoeveryNegro.YoucanhardlyshowmeablackadultinAmerica‐‐orawhiteone,forthatmatter—whoknowsfromthehistorybooksanythinglikethetruthabouttheblackman’srole.Inmyowncase,onceIheardofthe“glorioushistoryoftheblackman,”Itookspecialpainstohuntinthelibraryforbooksthatwouldinformmeondetailsaboutblackhistory.Icanrememberaccuratelytheveryfirstsetofbooksthatreallyimpressedme.IhavesinceboughtthatsetofbooksandIhaveitathomeformychildrentoreadastheygrowup.It’scalledWondersoftheWorld.It’sfullofpicturesofarcheologicalfinds,statuesthatdepict,usually,non‐Europeanpeople.IfoundbookslikeWillDurant’sStoryofCivilization.IreadH.G.Wells’OutlineofHistory.SoulsofBlackFolkbyW.E.B.DuBoisgavemeaglimpseintotheblackpeople’shistorybeforetheycametothiscountry.CarterG.Woodson’sNegroHistoryopenedmyeyesaboutblackempiresbeforetheblackslavewasbroughttotheUnitedStates,andtheearlyNegrostrugglesforfreedom.J.A.Rogers’threevolumesofSexandRacetoldaboutrace‐mixingbeforeChrist’stime;aboutAesopbeingablackmanwhotoldfables;aboutEgypt’sPharaohs;aboutthegreatCopticChristianEmpires;aboutEthiopia,theearth’soldestcontinuousblackcivilization,asChinaistheoldestcontinuouscivilization.Mr.Muhammad’steachingabouthowthewhitemanhadbeencreatedledmetoFindingsinGeneticsbyGregorMendel.(Thedictionary’sGsectionwaswhereIhadlearnedwhat“genetics”meant.)IreallystudiedthisbookbytheAustrianmonk.Readingitoverandover,especiallycertainsections,helpedmetounderstandthatifyoustartedwithablackman,awhitemancouldbeproduced;butstartingwithawhiteman,younevercouldproduceablackman—becausethewhitechromosomeisrecessive.AndsincenoonedisputesthattherewasbutoneOriginalMan,theconclusionisclear.Duringthelastyearorso,intheNewYorkTimes,ArnoldToynbeeusedtheword“bleached”indescribingthewhiteman.(Hiswordswere:White[i.e.bleached]humanbeingsofNorthEuropeanorigin...”)ToynbeealsoreferredtotheEuropeangeographicareaasonlyapeninsulaofAsia.HesaidthereisnosuchthingasEurope.Andifyoulookattheglobe,youwillseeforyourselfthatAmericaisonlyanextensionofAsia.(ButatthesametimeToynbeeisamongthosewhohavehelpedtobleachhistory.HehaswrittenthatAfricawastheonlycontinentthatproducednohistory.Hewon’twritethatagain.Everydaynow,thetruthiscomingtolight.)
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01 / 28 / 2010This doucment made it onto the Rising List!
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