The AUtobiography of Malcolm X p 319 -- 421

The final section of The Autobiograohy of Malcolm X centers around his trip to Mecca, Africa, and other places across the Holy Land to learn more about true Islam. When Malcom arrives in the Middle East to make the Haj, the spiritual pilgramage to Mecca that Islam asks all able-bodied Muslims to attempt at least once in their lifetime, he feels like an outsider since he does not know many of the traditions and he does not speak Arabic.

Since only true Muslims are permitted inside the walls of Mecca, Malcolm, being an American was not immediately allowed inside the city. He had to stay in a dormitory at the airpoit awaiting a trial of sorts to prove he was a true Muslim. While staying in the dormitory with many other people, Malcolms suspicion of people with pale skin begins to drop when he his treated very hospitably by Middle Easterners with very pale skin. Malcolm explains that these people would have passed for white people in the United States, but here, people were all treated as brothers in Islam, no matter what they look like. This is where Malcom's attitudes begin to turn. He is still angry about the situation in the United States that has kept his people constantly oppressed, but readers can immediately see him begin to re-evaluate some of the beliefs Elijah Muhammad taught Malcolm.

When Malcolm returns to the United States, he continues building his new ministry and making speaking arrangements about what he had learned in the Middle East. He speaks of uniting the balck people across the globe to pressure the United States through the United Nations to give black people the human rights they have been denied since Europeans stepped foot in North America. Malcolm also makes many references to the fact that Elijah Muhhamad, though he never speaks ill of him, has people in his following dedicated to killing Malcolm in the name of the Black Muslim movement. Though the event is not printed in the book, Malcolm X is aware that he is unlikely to live to see the publication of this autobiography.

I firmly believe The Autobiography of Malcolm X should be required reading in American schools. It is extremely arrogant for anyone to deny that black people have been systematically degraded and denied access to the resourses of our country to this day. In schools, we are taught mostly about people like Martin Luther King Jr. because people (white) feel he is safe and peaceful, but it is impossible to understand the entire story without looking at the other side of the coin at a man who was angry and not afraid to show it, and not afraid to speak his mind to white people. I am not saying I understand the entire story of the struggle for equality that black people still fight, but now I feel I am a bit closer.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X p 179 - 318

Once Malcolm gets out of prison, he begins to meet personally with Elijah Muhammad, and eventually becomes one of his ministers. As a minister for the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X makes speaking arrangements across the country and later opens his own mosque in Harlem. The paraphrased speechs are some of the most interesting passages in the book. Malcolm X speaks very harshly about the white power structure that has kept black people an underprivelidged minority for 400 years. He points out that black people have been in North America longer than English colonists and other European immigrants, yet they have stayed at the bottom.

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Malcolm X is probably more critical of black people who seek integration with the white people more than the white people themselves. He sees these people as a much bigger problem, and he constantly chides them for being so complacent and gullible to think that the white power structure will ever give them anything.

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One part that will always stick out to me is his criticism of the 1963 march on Washington that Malcolm calls the Farce on Washington. As he explains, black people had been talking of marching on Washington for years and years before it happened, but this march was not going to be very civil. As originally planned, but not well-organized, black people were talking of marching on Washington to make specific demands of the government and show how angry they were with the way they have been treated. As Malcolm X explains, the US government began making huge contributions to the rally that also came with some of their suggestions, which eventually watered down the march to a picnic. Malcolm X is very critical of the middle-class blacks that were at the rally to make a scene -- showing off for the white people, he says. He goes further to criticize Martin Luther King Jr. among others for allowing this to happen.

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Malcolm serves as a minister for the Nation of Islam for twelve years before he begins to hear rumors about Elijah Muhammad's sexual misconduct. Any other Muslim would have been excommunicated for doing what Elijah Muhammad had done, yet Malcolm X tries to find ways to rationalize and excuse Elijah Muhammad's actions. Malcolm X's stature in the Nation of Islam was already making Elijah Muhammad jealous, and when it reaches the point that his sexual misconduct is reaching the mass of Black Muslims, he uses some comments Malcolm X made about the assassination of John Kennedy to suspend him from the Nation of Islam.

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Malcolm X heres of the first orders for his death while hanging out in Miami with Cassius Clay.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X pages 1 - 178

Up until now I have known very little about Malcolm X. If you would have asked me what I knew, I would have said he was a civil rights leader who did not believe in peaceful protest. I would have said he was the polar opposite of Martin Luther King Jr. in that he did not believe in turning the other cheek. I probably would have gone as far to say he hated white people and called them all devils.

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I am learning fast that some of my preconceived notions about Malcolm X are inaccurate. Many of the things I may have known come from the philosophy of Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X's mentor for many years. Even though I am less than halfway through this autobiography, Malcolm has made reference many times to his split from Elijah Muhammad and how he now disagrees with his philosophies since they are not supported by true Islam.

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The beginning of this book is very exciting. It chronicles Malcolm Little's early life up until he is around 21 years old. Readers meet Malcolm's parents and his brothers and sisters. Malcolms father is a preecher who also holds meetings for the Marcus Garvey society, which troubles the white people in his town. One night a group of white men kill Malcolms father, and then lay his body across the train tracks to be run over. The insurace company cheats his mother out of the money she and her family have coming to them. Malcolm's mother eventually has a mental breakdown and is taken to a mental hospital. Malcolm and his siblings are split up into different homes.

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Malcolm's life changes several years later when he moves to Boston to live with his sister. It is here that Malcolm begins a life of pimping, hustling, drinking, and smoking 'reefers'. Malcolms talent for hustling eventually takes him to Harlem where he is eventually charged with burglary and sentenced to ten years in jail. I left many of the details out here. This part of the book was very easy to read since it caters to people's interest in crime and street living. Malcolm was smart to grab his readers attention in this way.

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I am now reading about Malcolm's first years in jail. He is beginning to learn more about Islam, and is coresponding with Elijah Muhammad on nearly a daily basis. I have been really interested in learning about Muhammad's philosophies, especially how he explains how the races developed.

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I am glad I am finally learning more about this important figure in American history. I am also glad I have not watched Spike Lee's film yet. It will be interesting to see how well it represents what I am reading now.

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oats

I have not been keeping track of my reading records as of late, so there will be another book coming very soon. I finished this book last week while I was at the beach. I suppose I should have taken a picture of the book when I was there.

We Were the Mulvaneys is a novel that follows a family over the course of about twenty years. At the beginning of the book in 1976, the Mulvaneys have everything going for them: they own a beautiful farm, a successful roofing business, and their four children are all successful in their own ways.

The theme here is how a family may choose to deal with tragedy. In this case, the family tragedy happens to the daughter, Marianne on prom night 1976. Initially most memebers of the family deal with their pain in unproductive ways; in fact, by the midpoint of the novel, the family is in shambles -- almost all the things they have going for them are gone.

Joyce Carol Oates shows how a family can be torn apart, and then put back together, something that takes nearly two decades in the Mulvaneys' case. I liked this novel because it is the kind I like -- the kind that follows a family or another group of people for many years or generations. I also enjoyed Oates' writing style. She is very descriptive and can be witty at times. I am likely to read another of her novels.

This novel was from Oprah's book club. I do not know from where or whom I got this book. It was on my bookshelf for at least four or five years before I picked it up. I am glad I did.

p.s. : There is a copy of We Were the Mulvaneys in the Classic City High School media center.

Senior Project Presentations May 10

LIT 12 ONLY

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It is time to start working on your Senior Project Presentation which will take place on May 10. You should plan on a 7-10 minute presentation on which you will be judged by members of our community.

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You should review your research paper for material for your presentation. You may also want to discuss your mentor experience or your product.

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Check the Senior Project Presentation Rubric to see how you will be graded. You should also review the Judges Responsibilities and their Follow-Up Questions to know what to expect from them.

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Your COMPLETE Portfolio is also due now. You will need the Self-Evaluation form to complete this.

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Make sure you speak with me if you have questions or concerns.

Career Project III -- Reflection

Before you begin this part of your career project, you should be completly finished with parts I and II.

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The third part of your career project is a reflective piece of writing. You should done some substantial learning about your career choice in the past few weeks, and now it is time to sort out what it all means. Your reflection should be two pages of double-spaced 12pt Times New Roman and address the following:

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1. Are you still interested in your choice as a possible career? Did you learn anything that strengthend or weakened your desire to pursue this career?

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2. What do you believe was your most valuable learning experience during this project?

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3. If you were to pursue your choice of career, in what aspect or field do you see yourself doing so?

click to enlarge . . .

My Persuasive Writing -- Participating in Democracy

Many Americans, especially young ones, do not appreciate the privilege of participating in a democracy. People between the ages of 18 and 34 seem to be the ones who do the most complaining about the government, and how the elected officials do not represent their views very well. When we look at the voting habits of this same group of people, we see that only 29% of people 18 – 34 voted in the last presidential election. When I see this figure, I am very disappointed in people my age. What is going to happen when we are the older citizens of our country? Will we take more responsibility then?




The other day I saw a bumper sticker that read: “Dear World, We tried our hardest. –half of America”. At first I was amused at the message, but it did not take long for me to say aloud to myself, “no we didn’t”. The sticker was, of course referring to George W. Bush and at least one of the last two presidential elections. I do believe that at least half the country does not agree with his policies and decisions, and I also believe they felt this way before the election. Where were these people on election day? It is unfortunate that young people and the rest of the left-leaning citizens of our country are lazy. The last time we had a Democratic president, the country saw record voter turnout. What does that tell us?




I, in no way whatsoever, condone the war in Iraq, but one image has stuck with me. After the initial “fall” of Baghdad, the first democratic elections for some time occurred in Iraq. I do not want to make comment on the authenticity of these elections, but at least they had them. People felt like they had some say in their government after years of dictatorship. The photo I remember was of an old woman holding up her index finger to show the blue ink that identified her as someone who has voted. The story next to the photo told of the more than 20 people who were killed because they tried to vote, and that people who had the ink on their fingers were marked for death by several terrorist groups.




Isn’t it sad that people in other places in the world will risk death to participate in an election, and here in the United States, people can’t get off their couches to cast their vote? Nobody is getting shot at in voting lines in the United States. We are relatively safe from someone detonating a bomb at a polling site, yet we stay at home, and the people who know they very well may not make it back home after voting are happy to get out an participate.




Another image that sticks with me is an old black and white film shot in Selma, Alabama in 1965. A civil rights rally was being conducted to raise awareness to encourage the black citizens of Alabama to ignore intimidation from racist and segregationalist groups and register to vote. The march made it only as far as the Edmund Pettis bridge in Selma where they were met with local sheriff’s deputies who proceeded to beat the marchers with billy clubs and spray them with tear gas. The march ended with people lying bloodied and injured on the side of the road. A few weeks later, Martin Luther King Jr. led another march to the Alabama capitol, and the national attention to this event led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.




Would you take a beating for the right to vote that the United States Constitution gives all adults over the age of eighteen? How about getting attacked by police dogs? Watching people as old as 80 get their heads split with a policeman’s club? These brave people did, but how much does that matter today when so few people go to the polls to do what these people fought so hard for? We do not place our lives in danger when we register or when we vote, but a little more than fifty years ago, people did. Americans should remember the sacrifices people made and the pain they endured just to do what so many people won’t turn off their television, drive across town in their air-conditioned car, or get up a little bit earlier to do.




More Americans voted for their favorite singer on American Idol than those who chose to vote last election day. This shows where many people’s priorities are. Too many of us are more involved in idiotic prime time television than the government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Maybe some feel their votes don’t count. What would these same people say when confronted with the fact that the last two presidential elections were decided by around 1% each? Wow. If 1-2% more of the eligible voters would have participated in one of the greatest privileges our country offers, history could have been changed.




For me it is as simple as this: if you don’t vote, shut up. I hear too many people complaining about George Bush, spouting off statistics about dead soldiers, the deficit, civil rights, and Hurricane Katrina, but where were these people on Election Day? I blame these people more than I blame George Bush and his associates for the way our country has been run for the past seven years. These people share many of my opinions about the administration, but they did absolutely nothing about it. Thanks a lot. At least George W. Bush made some effort to get himself elected.

You can see more fine examples of persusive writing here, here, and here.

Great Work!!

The excellent work just keeps on rolling in.

Marvel at these fine examples:

Descriptive Writing by Carson Walls -- Hell

A Study of Sonnets by Jalisa Brown (including one of her own at the end)

Beowulf by Manas Winfield

The Restoration by Natasha Long -- Check out her sonnet too.

Deon Sanders by Spenser Bostic

Senior Project Portfolio Check on April 17

I will be checking senior project portfolios on Tuesday the 17th

Listed below are all the componants of a completed portfolio. The sections you need appear in RED below.

Contents Checklist

1. Binder or notebook
2. Title page
3. Table of contents
4. Deadline checklist
5. Letter of Intent *
6. Parental Consent Form
7. Research Paper
8. Mentor Approval Form
9. Mentor Verification Log (7 Hours Worth)
10. Thank you letter to mentor
11. Additional documentation, pictures, etc.
12. Self Evaluation

* Your letter of intent may or may not be complete at this point. It will eventually be a required componant of your portfolio. You may want to finish this by the 17th. There is a good example of a letter of intent in your snior project handbook.

Career Project II -- Mentorship

Researching a career is one thing, but actually getting your hands dirty with some experience is altogether different. For the next portion of this project it will be necessary for you to find a professional in the field in which you are interested (I can help you find someone if you need). Once you have found someone who agrees to have you work with them, you should have them contact me at the school so I can confirm their interest and explain the project to them.

Once you make your contact, you should plan to meet with this person in their place of work for a total of five hours. I am not suggesting that you do all five hours in one visit. You should make a specific schedule with the person who has agreed to work with you.

You should keep journals of each of your visits. If you need an example of what these might look like, you can find one here. Each journal should represent one hour. If you had a two-hour visit, for example, your journal should be twice as substantial.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls p 1-230

This is a memoir of a young girl growing up in a very disfunctional family. It is an amazing story of how a young person had to fend for herself against very challenging odds: a father who is beyond the point of alcoholism, a mother who refuses to work and support her family, moving houses several times to avoid bill collectors, having to eat thrown-away food from her school trash cans . . . only the beginning.

Jeannette Walls tells the story in a way as if she is telling readers not to feel sorry for her. She is proud of what her past helped her become. This is not to say that I believe she would not have changed all the awful details of her childhood.

She does a great job describing her parents and siblings -- so well that they seem to leave the book and become real people you can empathize with or hate their guts. I would recommend this one.

Jeannette Walls is now the gossip writer for www.msnbc.com