Having read the excerpt of Malcolm X's autobiography, and many books myself, I agree with his overall message of learning through literacy. I had a similar experience when I was in third grade, reading from the white hardcover "Dorling-Kindersly visual dictionaries" on various subjects and educating myself on subjects I wasn't studying for school. It sometimes got to the point that I was sometimes telling the teachers things they didn't know.
Going back to Malcolm, however, his message of literacy being fundamentally important is one that I believe applies to everyone. It makes sense that he specifically mentions blacks because of his role in the Civil Rights movement, but now, in the internet age, being literate and being able to educate oneself is almost as essential to communication and knowledge as the computer itself...
I wonder if Malcolm would have liked Wikipedia?
Also, this is a good movie, even if you're unfamiliar with who Malcolm X is. I definitely recommend it.
I enjoyed reading this, thanks for the insight. I like your comment about Wikipedia, I am sure Malcolm would have been depressed by our failing to harness the full educational potential that the internet holds. I had never heard of that movie, I love Mr. Washington's acting, I will have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteJoey