Rebel Spy 10/15/09

In another one of Malcolm's speeches at a university in Ghana there was another student who kept defending the American white man. At this point many of the students are very influenced by Mr. X and they boo the other student out of the room. When it's all over various students corner him and embarrass him, but it turns out that he was a teacher from America disguised as a student and told by a group to spy on them. This only brought back a memory of a mass at church when a mentally ill woman was yelling that God was evil, and the feeling it brought me was just horrible.

Letting America Know 10/13/09

Malcolm had received a phone call from an American news reporter. He told him that he wasn't anti-american and that he wasn't condemning the white man, but only telling him the truth of his faults and that if the white man were condemned for the truth than it was OK. Malcolm was honored with a party in his name and this was extremely special because only one party had been in the name of another American. The fact that they would even do this for him reminds me of when we have parties for me and my dad, and I know how Malcolm feels when he has this party for him.

New Club 10/12/09

During his time in Africa Malcolm joins a club of many important people for Africa and they discuss new speeches and places for Malcolm to go to explain to Africa about his knowledge of Islam in America. There were many rumors going around that a gang called the "Blood Brothers" back in America were associated with Malcolm, and they even said a group of people with rifles were associated with him. This makes me feel very sorry for Malcolm that he's trying to make things better and that the media just won't let him do it because they're ruining his reputation.

10/07/07=9

In this part of the story Malcolm talks about how all kinds of people can be united no matter what difference they have. He talks about how he believes if there were enough colored and non colored people in Islam they could start converting millions of people a year. While he was in Mecca he would be invited to small gatherings and he would give speeches of how the black man in America is discriminated and always stripped of his rights. On his trip he talked to many leaders of the cities he went to and was treated like a king with servants an chauffeurs. While he is away though, the newspapers in the U.S. said that Malcolm's small speeches had started riots when there wasn't even a small argument between people. In some of his speeches Malcolm would be hugged by many of the African admirers of his. This makes me a little bothered with Malcolm that he would use the opportunity of coloreds and use them to convert millions of other people.

New Malcolm 10/06/09

When Malcolm returns home from Mecca he decides to send a letter immediately to his wife and to Elijah Muhammad's son telling about his trip to Mecca and how he felt about his whole religious experience. He says that he felt he had no problem telling Betty his new belief that all races can live together in harmony if they all follow the same ideas and practices of loving one another as a true brother. He tells her about how he was offered to stay at a suite and as a high class citizen rather than just any regular citizen. This makes me feel that a lot of people can change in different ways for better.

Hajj 10/05/09

Now that Malcolm had finally become an official Muslim he was ready to go to Hajj. He had a good time with his religious experience and he got to preform the ritual safely. He went to go touch the Ka'ba, a huge black stone house that means a great deal to the Muslims. He drank from the well of Zem and walked around the mountains. This reminds me of a retreat I had gone to for my church and how it really does mean a lot to people. I learned to be respectful and less selfish while Malcolm learned that the white man really isn't what Elijah Muhammad had taught him.

Trip to Mecca 10/1/09

With Malcolm' sister's, Ella, money he used the money to go to Mecca to make the Hajj trip. Before he could go though he had to get permission from a man named Dr. Mahmoud Shawarbi because the airport would not let him go without his signature. During his trip to Dr. Shawarbi's house he was told by him to visit his son's house and a man who had written a book on him. When Malcolm got on the airplane he sat next to two people who were also going to his destinations. Before getting to Mecca, though, he and one of his new friends went around and small town and felt welcomed by everybody. This makes me wonder how people in different countries react differently than some in other countries, for example, in a store over there Malcolm describes that the people were nice even when they didn't buy anything, but here in America people react in a very negative way.

Voting 9/30/09

Malcolm often would say that the black man was "politically sick" because he believed that the black man had the power to change their society, but they didn't vote so they really couldn't change it without taking action. He says in his book that black people need to be more involved in helping their communities and that there should be buildings that deal with each and every one of people's needs. You can start to see the change in him in this section and his "divorce" from Mr. Muhammad's form of teaching Islam because he actually wants to start a group that has every black man as a member and if white people want to join they can't, but the difference is that Malcolm would let them help financially if they wanted to. He begins to think about the trip to Mecca, or Hajj, as this action is called, and he goes to his sister Ella to ask for money. This reminds me of how my family works in how they are always arguing, but no matter what, if they need any help financially or emotionally they stick together.

Jealousy 9/29/09

Malcolm X visited many colleges and universities, but in one particular one he recalls of one black man who kept acting completely disrespectful by asking questions in a rude manner. Malcolm asked the man if he was studying law and the well spoken man said yes, and with that Malcolm told him that the white man has a name for him..."nigger". When Malcolm would tell Mr. Muhammad about his speeches at universities Mr. Muhammad would feel bad about himself because he didn't feel "equipped" for those trials of speeches. This makes me feel sorry for Mr. Muhammad because he is trying to get his message out to the whole world, but he can't do it because he doesn't feel educated enough to be in college level debates.

Media 9/23/09

During Malcolm's interviews and debates he would discuss how the black man isn't being violent and that it is just defending itself against attacks. He talks about how he doesn't feel proud or grateful that after four hundred years of slavery and abuse that a black person can get a job. He also talks about how the white man is unjust because the white man feels like he can send the black man to die for him in a war, but he will not give the same rights as he has, and that the white man gets angry if he doesn't go to die for him.

Curing Junkies 9/22/09

In this part of the story Malcolm tells how exactly they cured junkies. The junkie would see a recognized ex-junkie and he would use slang to convince the junkie that he can be trusted. Next they would tell them that it was killing them and that they needed to quit drugs and go "cold turkey", they would also bring some of their religion into as well, the ex-junkie would tell them how the white man was using drugs to keep the black man down. The ex-junkie would also take them to a mosque with other black people who would call them "Sir" or "Mr." and that would help the junkie feel black pride within himself. After a while the junkie would decide he is going to try to go for a period of time without drugs and when he does the ex-junkie is there to help him through it mentally and emotionally. When the junkie is cured, he then goes to the streets and cures others.

Black Muslims 9/21/09

In many of the rallies that the muslims would have around the country, Elijah Muhammad would have an hour and thirty minute long speech that would be introduced by Malcolm. Mr. Muhammad would talk about how they need to tell the white man that they are going to take their freedom no matter what because black people know how to and they should start building their own companies, farming their own land, and creating new industries because that's the only way that black people can show the white man that they are able to do things on their own. Elijah Muhammad even states the fact that clinics ask muslims for help in curing junkies. The muslim's techniques work so well because the people who help out the addicts are ex-addicts themselves or they either know the addict and that would help them mentally because they trust the "curer".

Out Of Jail 9/17/09

After getting out of jail Malcolm goes to Detroit to live with his brother Philbert who is a man that is very dedicated to his religion of Islam. For Malcolm to get out of jail it was required that he get a job with his brother and so he did. They worked at a furniture store and everyday Philbert would teach Malcolm about the daily practices of their people, such as washing before prayer to cleanse the body and mind, having breakfast with only drinks and no solid foods. The first visit to the temple takes Malcolm by surprise because of how everybody around him acted so calmly and kindly. After some time Malcolm finds out that he'll get to meet Elijah Muhammad in person and when he does Elijah Muhammad makes him stand up in front of 200 people and inspires him to go "fishing" for more people to believe in the Islam religion.

9/16/09

During his time in jail Malcolm X was sent to a new prison, Concord Prison, where it was much nicer and the guards were less abusive. It had more visiting hours and a huge library with a wide variety of books that was left by an old doctor who had passed away. When his brother Reginald came to visit him one day he explained to him the religion of Islam and talked about how the "white man" was actually a "devil race" that had raped, killed, and pillaged the "original black man". His sister Hilda also came telling him that the white man had kidnapped the black man and brought him to America and had brainwashed him into thinking that the black man was inferior and that he should try to be more and more like the black man. This got Malcolm thinking about his whole life and how he felt he was brainwashed by the white man and his idea. This got me thinking about how the media seems to be trying to influence younger people to believe what they believe.

Getting Out 9/14/09

While in jail, Malcolm meets a man named Bimbi, who is always talking about things about the government that he's read in books, and also saying that the white man is no different than the negro. One day Bimbi tells Malcolm to start reading educated books. To pass time Malcolm would read or listen to the radio, during this time Malcolm became a huge fanatic of Jackie Robinson and at the end of every game he would say his stats. He would also write letters to the rest of his brothers and sisters. Philbert wrote him a letter saying that he had joined a religion that called itself "Nation of Islam" and also told him to stop smoking and eating pork. This reminds me of every time me and my family have to making a promise either to do something or not to do something for 40 days and it's an extremely hard promise to keep most of the time.

Reginald Hustles 9/9/09

During this part of the book Malcolm goes from selling weed and reefers to robbing apartments and using cocaine with his most trusted friend, Sammy The Pimp. They had "cased", memorized, an apartment in which they could steal quickly and thoroughly. Malcolm later meets again with his younger brother, Reginald, and convinces him to stay with him to sell drugs as well. This reminds me of the time when somebody I knew got into drugs and how they had an unhappy life for a while until they eventually stopped.