Self-Education In Malcolm X's Learning To Read

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In Malcolm X’s “Learning To Read”, self-education is the main theme in which Malcolm emphasis as his main motivational inspiration for success. Consequently, Malcolm's self-empowerment did not come from school or prison, but from his strong desire for self-expression and motivational encouragement inspired by his inmate friends that he tried to emulate. This evidence is presented in certain passages of the story co-authored by Alex Haley and likewise supports the theory that adult self-learning is a powerful method of education. That in turn initiates a primary root of internal motivation that inspired him like he mentions in the story, “ability to read awoke inside me”(Para. 41) Malcolm's autobiography exposes the fact that, public institutions learning environment is too …show more content…

School facilities the journey, but it is not a guarantee. Sometimes personal influences are more important in motivating the student. A clear example is Malcolm's prison mate Bimbi, Malcom comments, “Bimbi first made me feel envy of his stock of knowledge” (Para.2); in some ways Bimbi sparked Malcolm’s interest in reading that in turn catapulted his education to the next level. If we consider the outcome of Malcolm's situation, school or prison it does not matter what is really important to note is the personal desire to grow intellectually. Considering the success that Malcolm later attained in his lifetime reinforces the idea that true empowerment is derived from the person's disposition to learn and influential role models. In relation to that, schools cannot take affirmative action in empowering students, but it is up to the students to set the bar to the standards they wish to accomplish. Obviously, public education is very important and without it is impossible to succeed but the person must first have the desire to learn in order for the schools to serve more

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