Malcolm X

I discovered the Autobiography of Malcolm X, co-authored by Alex Haley, during my last year in high school and was instantly spellbound by this rags-to-riches, Shakespearean tragedy. While serving time in a Massachusetts state prison, Malcolm transformed himself into a voracious reader of history, culture and religion. While his views as a member of The Nation of Islam were often dogmatic and unreflective, he continued throughout the rest of his short life to extol the virtues and values of reading and life-long learning as a means by which individuals could free themselves intellectually from the psychic wounds of racism. What struck me as so interesting then as it continues to now, was how quickly he developed an insatiable appetite for learning and his ability to remain passionately committed to his ideals and dreams while at the same time, agreeable to adopting new perspectives. This aspect of Malcolm X’s legacy remains for me, one of the book’s most enduring messages.