Posted: May 13th, 2021

Learning to read Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass Comparison Essay

Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X both were African Americans who struggled to be successful. Frederick was born a slave for life 1817 he didn’t go to school but wanted to have knowledge. He had a lot of obstacles in his path but the fact he wanted to learn to read and write keep him going though he wanted to give up sometimes. Frederick Douglass also wanted abolish slavery.
Malcolm X was born in May 19, 1925 into a family. During his early years his family moved a number of times because of racism. At age 6 his father was murder mysteriously, their home was burned and four of his uncles were murder by white people. His family struggled economically and they were living off public welfare.
His mother became ill and he was sent to foster home. At age 13 Malcolm X was charge with delinquency and dropped out of school at age 15. As a teenager later he began wearing flashy clothing and jumped into criminal acts, like doing drugs, gambling and burglary. Age twenty he was sentence to 10 years in prison for burglary. In there he began to transform his life.

Frederick was against slavery while Malcolm was against racism. They both had a dream to fight for injustice for their people against racism and slavery. Both Frederick and Malcolm taught themselves how to read and write. Frederick Douglass was a slave and it was illegal for slave to have knowledge.
He didn’t wanted to be a slave he wanted to be something better, wanted to have knowledge as he saw it as power. He educated himself using various strategies, like learning from the boys on the street by trading bread for knowledge. He would even go to the lumber yard and copied the letter that the carpenter would write on the timber the name of the place it was intended to go.
Then later he would meet the boys challenging them that he can write better and they would respond saying “I don’t believe you” this way Frederick got a good lesson. Malcolm X also taught himself to read and write starting with whatever knowledge he knew before dropping out of school. After being sentence to prison he began coping words from the dictionary everything on the page down to punctuationand began reading books on history, Philosophy and religion.
Reading and writing kept Frederick and Malcolm alive through their struggles in becoming something better. Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X both realize how knowledge was great as they interest in reading and writing grew. Frederic knowledge made him a wiser and smarter man than being a slave like he was, he saw better things ahead with knowledge.the both He wanted to be something better than a slave not just for himself but also for his fellow slaves too. However reading and writing open up a new world for Malcolm X, it was better and different than when he was out on the streets with flashy cloths and committing crimes.
Many thoughts had started appearing in his head. The thoughts ofbeing someone better as well, like Frederick, and to fight for his fellow black people too. They both used their knowledge to help fight justice for they fellow people in the exact situation as them that is slave and racism. Frederick Douglass used his own knowledge to write his own pass and escaped and became a public speaker.
A brave speaker who spoke out against those who tolerated slavery. and he was able to help abolish slavery. Many doubted that he had been a slave as he was such an impressive public speaker. On the other hand reading changed the course of Malcolm X life forever with a better understanding of many things around such as, racisms around him.
He had “little bit more sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness and blindness that were afflicting the black race” which meant he was able to understood the things that the black race was going through. With his knowledge he became a speaker as well. He became the most visible national spokesman for the black mulisms.anf fought freedom for other from the Christian religion, racism and violence against African American. However, one difference with both writers was that Malcolm X had his own organization while Frederick didn’t.
Reading and learning about these two authors has inspire me with respect to my own goals by exposing to me and making me understand more how powerful knowledge really is. That knowledge is the key to many things. The more knowledge we gain through reading and writing the more we are able to understand thing in a different and positive way.
I honestly never used to like reading but when I was then introduce to a book named “the walk series” as I was finishing the first series I then realize why Malcolm and Frederic had passion for reading writing I gained form reading and my interest began to grow as well.
I can see that both writers had determination regardless of the circumstance/ obstacles in order to achieve what they had wanted. Not only had they had determination but they both also had love and interest for reading and writing. This reminds me of myself being determine to complete all my homework and assignments on time regardless the obstacles I faced like having long travel hours and chores I had to get done with limited time as my mom wasn’t around at that moment.

Order | Check Discount