Malcolm #2

Okay, so in these last few chapters, Malcolm sure shows his feelings for whites, hence him referring to them as the "white devils." These thoughts could have derived from the fact that Elijah Muhammad told the story of Mr. Yacub-- which I thought had no solidity. Like Yacub making everyone whites that were black? Um.. okay. I understand that they need a reason to believe that whites were "bad" and whatnot, but they could do much better than this story. 

When Malcolm conveys his feelings towards whites, it makes me wonder how racial slurs came to be. I've experienced being called names my whole life. The only place I felt accepted was when I was with my cousins because they loved me for who I was. But when I was younger, being who I was wasn't enough. Being a child, I was vulnerable to the remarks but now I get it. But to be completely honest (no offense to anyone), whites won't dominate America anymore. Have you ever heard that the US is the "melting pot" of the world (My dad told me that)? There are different races that are flooding the country and one day maybe these minorities will be treated the same or with higher respect than of whites. 

Things have changed since Malcolm's time. I don't know how he survived with all of the racism and prejudice going. I know he found faith in the Islam religion, which was so beneficial to him. He found an escape and kept running. After a period of time, Malcolm received a lot of respect from the community and gained followers and believers. I think if half this world was as determined as Malcolm was, we could make this society a better place.

Okay, so this is an article that relates to racism in young people. There was a black and white student in UMass and the white student was racist against a black student. This shows how ignorant people can be. The ignorance can be referred to the black student as well.. because he faced murder charges for attempting to murder the white student. 

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/mar/13/nation/na-attack13

Malcolm X #1

Malcolm X certainly reaches rock bottom when he is in prison. Fortunately for him, he's found faith in the Islam religion. I think in Malcolm's situation, being able to live life with such a strong religion is very beneficial. But when living my life, religion doesn't take over my life. Yes, I have strong Catholic views, but they don't control everything I do in life. I respect the people who allow religion to guide them through life, but I don't respect when they try to convert others. Mattessich says that it's an American view-- respecting other religions. I guess it is because I'm living in such a free country and being able to believe in what I choose reflects what I think of this situation.

In Malcolm's situation, he found light in the religion of Islam. Through personal experiences, I've found light in music. I'm not gonna sit here and go off about how music changed my life and omg music is my LIFE and blah blah blah-- but it's a big part of it. I've been exposed to music ever since I was born and started creating music at the age of three. My mom handed me my first violin and I played up until seventh grade. I was the concertmaster of the Bergen Youth Orchestra at 12 years old-- something completely remarkable. Then, for some stupid reason I don't remember, I quit after that year. I thought I felt liberated and carefree after quitting violin. But now I realize that creating music was always a part of my life and I couldn't live without it. I've started playing violin again in November and I'm on my way to achieve greater things.

Maybe I didn't feel as crappy as Malcolm did when he was in prison, but I've never been in prison (and hopefully not in the future), so this is the way I can relate to Malcolm's situation. Again, I don't let music take over my life like Malcolm allows the religion of Islam guide him through life. Instead, music is just a factor that makes me the person I am.

In this article, a woman found how to get back on track with her life through music and through God. Being a Catholic myself, I really liked this article. It inspired me in a couple ways. It brought me to realize that if you stick your mind to something, you can always achieve it. And finally, it allowed me to relate to this woman.  

http://helium.com/items/606911-reflections-how-music-can-change-lives

Malcolm X #5

As I read the chapters we were assigned to read over break, I realized that there was a lot of prostitution going on. I saw that Malcolm really changed as the chapters went on. I know he did drugs and whatnot, but it seemed as if he was high-- all the time. In chapters 6-7, every other word was prostitute or prostitution.

"In all my time in Harlem, I never saw a white prostitute touched by a white man" (Haley 123).

I thought this quote was interesting because it seemed that African-American men attracted white prostitutes more than the white man would. I thought this was ironic because back then, white men would make more money than black men would which meant that the prostitutes would be paid more.

Another aspect I thought was interesting was that Malcolm pointed out that white men had lower morals than black men did. It would seem that it would be the other way around, but I have to agree with Malcolm when he says that black men are more ethical.

"I have also read recently about groups of young white couples who get together, the husbands throw their house keys into a hat, then, blindfolded, the husbands draw out a key and spend the night with the wife that the house key matches. I have never heard of anything like that being done by Negroes, even Negroes who live in the worst ghettoes and alleys and gutters" (Haley 125).

I really liked this quote because it showed that Malcolm's people were good people compared to white men. I think it proves that even though white men are treated as elites, that they don't have their heads on straight like black men do. Black men might be in the worst situations and live in the worst environments, but they still abide to their morals and doing the right thing.

Last, when Malcolm went to go see Ella, it was interesting how he would use the slang that he picked up when he was in Harlem and growing up.

"Ella couldn't believe how atheist, how uncouth I had become. I believed that a man should do anything that he was slick enough, or bad and bold enough, to do and that a woman was nothing but another commodity. Every word I spoke was hip or profane. I would bet that my working vocabulary wasn't two hundred words" (Haley 137).

At least Malcolm came to realize that he had changed over time. He got high most of the time and his vocabulary wasn't exactly the best. If Malcolm keeps going down this path, I don't know if he can be considered a hero because he is just falling into the things that we shouldn't be falling into as good people. Drugs, prostitution, hustling. That's not the way that people should live, but I guess it was different back then.

Malcolm X #4 (discussion in class)

During class, we had one heated discussion. Opinions ricocheting off one another made my head spin around, but I loved it. I think that since everyone had their own opinion, it made the discussion (or argument) more interesting. I think if I was white, I'd most definitely take my privileges for granted. But since I'm not white, and I never will be, the situations are different. I've been degraded for my race my entire life. I guess I could put myself in Malcolm's shoes to a certain extent. I don't face as harsh prejudice as he did, but I do face prejudice. I guess not only for my race, but for other things as well.

I think that everyone should accept themselves for who they are and not try to change. I think I have a different perspective than others on this subject because I'm a minority. In this generation, I think most whites don't discriminate as much against other races, but there is still racism out there today. Is being a minority a disadvantage for me? Absolutely. Do I let it get in my way of achieving things I want to? No. I try my hardest to reach the goals that I want to reach. People who make remarks are so ignorant, I cannot even put it in words. I don't know how they came to be that way. I don't know whether it's the way their parents raised them or the friends they've become acquainted with. 

I don't have the same privileges as white people do, of course not, but one day there will be a turn for the better and minorities will be viewed the same way whites are. That's why I was such a strong advocate for Barack Obama during the 2008 Presidential election. He does not only represent blacks, but he represents all minorities. He proves that it doesn't matter what the color of your skin is but the value of your mind. I was more than thrilled when he won because it shed a light on minorities and the opportunities they have. 

So yeah, I'm asian. I'm Korean and I'm damn proud. My parents had to go through a lot to get in their place today. My dad moved here from Korea when he was younger and had to face a lot of prejudice when he was my age. But it all paid off because he is respected in his work field and the people he associates with. People have made remarks about my culture and my family, and to be completely honest, it hurts sometimes. It's not like a paper cut, which goes away after a day. It's like when you were little and you were riding your bike down the street the fastest you could go. The wind was blowing all around your face and you felt as if you were on the top of the world, but your wheel hits a bump in the road and you fall over. The scabs you get on your knees are huge. And after the scab heals, you still have that constant reminder that you fell that one day Racial marks do that to me. Those scars are still there. They are etched in my mind. Growing up, I cope with it easier than when I was younger. I now know the possible reasons behind those comments. Back in first grade, of course I didn't know why people made fun of me, I thought I was the same as everyone else. But now, I realize that being a minority can be a disadvantage, but I'll prove that I can work five times as hard to get the same respect as whites. 

Malcolm #3 (video)

I thought this video focused on the most degrading part of African-American history without sugarcoating it. It cut deep to the core and showed the awful reality that took place years ago and some still exist today. The thing that most affected me was the way they portrayed blacks when drawing them in cartoons and caricatures. They exaggerated traits that not all African-Americans had and they made them seem worse people than they were. I bet the blacks were better people than the whites were back then. 

Some of these stereotypes still exist today, but some have disappeared. In the "pickaninny" stereotype, they portrayed children as things and not people. There were greeting cards where there were alligators underneath the children ready to eat them. How terrible is that? I couldn't even process the idea in my head. How are people's minds so cruel? How do they think these thoughts? Whites thought they were superior and hurt the African-American population greatly. These acts are just unacceptable.

I'm not directly affected by this because I'm not African-American, but I've definitely faced prejudice. I guess everyone has, but I've been a victim. Not as much anymore, but when I was younger, I had to endure the pain. I don't know because back then I used to be angry at those people, but now I just accept their comments. I think that people who make racist and prejudice remarks are ignorant and that's their loss. If they want to make those remarks, then that's their decision and the way they want to live life. That's certainly not the way I want to life my life, but people will make poor choices. Those poor choices will be their responsibility and I hope one day they will learn their lesson.

Malcolm X #2

In Chapter 3, Malcolm meets Shorty. Shorty and Malcolm have an instant connection. 

"He asked what kind of work I had done. I told him that I'd washed restaurant dishes in Mason, Michigan. He nearly dropped the powder can. 'My homeboy! Man, gimme some skin! I'm from Lansing!'" (Haley 46). 

Shorty gave Malcolm a job-- shoe shining. Malcolm did it for some time, but decided he loved to dance more than shining shoes so he went to pursue with his love of dancing. He would go to socials every week and dance. Interestingly enough, wherever Malcolm went, his connection with Shorty worked out to his benefit. My favorite part of this chapter was when Malcolm was getting his hair straightened by Shorty by using chemicals that burned the scalp on Malcolm's head. 

"And the top of my head was this thick, smooth sheen of shining red hair--real red-- as straight as any white man's" (Haley 56).

I thought it was interesting how Malcolm would go through all of this pain to look more "white." He should've accepted himself for who he was, but because of society, it was almost impossible to. I think this chapter exposes the prejudice that not only lives in society but also in the African-American community's minds as well. Malcolm then said that he would never straighten his hair again because he wouldn't be able to endure the pain and he thought he looked ridiculous. He realized the pain wasn't worth the result.

Malcolm X #1

So chapter 1 in a nutshell is pretty much being introduced into Malcolm's family and finding out his father gets killed after his mother has some sort of weird prediction. Afterwards, she gets put into a mental hospital because of the trauma of Malcolm's father's death. What I found out was sad was that Malcolm's mother didn't even recognize him after nurturing him for all these years.

"I can't describe how I felt. The woman who had brought me into the world, and nursed me, and advised me, and chastised me, and loved me, didn't know me. It was as if I was trying to walk up the side of a hill of feathers. I looked at her. I listened to her 'talk.' But there was nothing i could do" (Haley 22).

He visited his mother from time to time but I can't imagine the pain that he had to go through to look at the empty eyes of his mother. If I was in this situation, I definitely wouldn't be as brave as Malcolm was, and face his mother's insanity.