The Autobiography of Malcolm X discussion

The Autobiography of Malcolm X opened my eyes to the ideologies of the Black Panther Movement as well as the teachings of Malcolm X himself. It is a great book that documents Malcolm’s changing perceptions over a lifetime and demonstrates how his experiences were constantly molding and shifting his world views. The beginning of the book chronicles Malcolm's childhood and experiences being black in a white society. As a child, Malcolm’s beliefs about black oppression and racism were directly influenced by his parents' experiences and by his treatment in school. As a young adult, his relationship with the white community became more hateful after he went to prison and embraced the teachings of the Nation of Islam. Later in life, after traveling to the Middle East, Malcolm recognizes that it is not enough to fight solely for black rights, but for the equal rights of oppressed people everywhere. His opinion toward the end of the book suggests that he no longer believed in excluding whites from supporting black emancipation and actually viewed white participation as a benefit to some extent. What I truly loved about this book was how raw it felt to read his personal encounters within his life and to amazed me how he would react especially throughout his childhood. It is sad how the life of such a great man ends at the hands of the same people he spends his adult life fighting for, sacrificing his own personal life for their emancipation. A must read that I would high recommend to a student that I know would loves to read autobiography.