I think many people read this book like its a thing of the past. People like to pretend that racism isn't apart of society today. But when I read this book I can only think about how recently this all took place. It really astounds me that people can talk about racism and slavery as if it is something that is irrelevant. This man, Malcolm X, who fought for the rights of the black man, could have been alive today if he were not killed.
This book was so recent in fact, that I could introduce you to a person who was born before Malcolm X, and is still alive today. My great grandmother was born in 1915. I remember asking her about the 20s. I used to have an obsession with flappers and I really wanted to know about the Roaring Twenties. The only thing she could tell me was the amount of poverty she lived in. My great grandmother remembers a time when she couldn't ride at the front of the bus. My great grandmother, is the granddaughter of slaves.
There are things in this book that I can personally relate to. When Malcolm was a boy, his teacher told him that he couldn't be a lawyer because its not a realistic job for a Negro. His teacher wasn't being intentionally malicious, in fact he thought that he was helping Malcolm. I've never experienced such harsh and dangerous racism as Malcolm, but that scene in the book reminded me of people today who are racist without knowing it.
My skin is as thick as the next persons, but sometimes the jokes I hear aren't very funny. I've met a lot of people who would never call themselves racist, and yet they judge others and make fun of someones race. I'm not saying everyone who tells a joke should be burned at the stake, but it gets to a point where its not cute anymore.
I recently saw an interview of Louis C.K. It's pretty relevant to what we are talking about in class, and it made me laugh.
http://www.upworthy.com/sometimes-it-takes-a-white-dude-to-get-real-about-racism?g=2
