“Learning to Read”:

Thoughts on Standard Academic English, racism, and the whitewashing

of academia

Consider tone, word choice, and connections to Malcolm X’s teachings as you analyze the
following quotes in 1-3 sentences:

❖ “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.” (RC-90,
p. 12)
- (Malcolm X) talks about all the activities he had partaken in while being in prison. All the
activities that (Malcolm X) partaken in made him forget about himself even being in prison. He
states that he has never truly been “free” in his life when he states the word “free” the irony of a
man in prison being free.

❖ “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.” (RC-90, p. 15)
-This statement shows the dedication and effort Malcolm X had towards these works of
literature. He also states the “new world” as all of the literature was new to him at the
time. He also uses the word “understand” showing that he was learning and showing
skill in the new world.

❖ “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
history].” (RC-91, p. 21)
- This quote has an angry tone to it as Malcolm X speaks on the history of the
black man's role. His frustration also goes to the history books and how they
portray the black man's role in history. He talks about the adults in the time and
the lack of knowledge they know about the true history.

❖ “First, always ‘religiously,’ he branded ‘heathen’ and ‘pagan’ labels upon ancient non-
white cultures and civilizations. The stage thus set, he turned upon his non-white victims
his weapons of war.” (RC-93, p. 31)
- This quote starts with the word “religiously” giving the importance of religion in
this quote. Malcolm X also uses the phrase "weapons of war" the phrase gives
the quote a gloomy tone and mode to it thinking of these past people and the
things they went through.
 ❖ “I certainly wasn’t seeking any degree, the way a college confers a status symbol upon its
students. My homemade education gave me, with every additional book that I read, a
little bit more sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness, and blindness that was afflicting the
black race in America.” (RC-95, p. 42)
-Malcolm X talks about the status symbol college gave you back in his time. He also
uses multiple words to describe his homemade education. Interpreting this his struggle
to become more educated on subjects is why he dears his homemade education over a
college degree.

❖ “Where else but in a prison could I have attacked my ignorance by being able to study
intensely sometimes as much as fifteen hours a day?” [sic](RC-95, p. 45)
-In this quote Malcon is asking himself a rhetorical question, him doing this shows the
dedication he had to become more educated while being imprisoned. He says “attacked
my ignorance” showing the reason he might have been put in prison, so he must
overcome those mistakes that have brought him to where he is now.