It is quite a journey what Malcolm X has been through. He has transformed from a street hustler to one of the most prominent figures and speaker for black separatisms in the seven years that he has spent in prison. I believe it is safe to say that his time served in prisons is one of the most beneficial things that could have happened to him. While we know the starting point and his final destination, I would like to focus a little on his thought process and the steps he took to reach his destination.

Malcolm X was very committed to learning. He did not stop at an obstacle, but instead overcame and conquered it. At first he was unable to understand books, “But every book I picked up had … words that might as well have been in Chinese” (Malcolm 3). Not know many words, Malcolm first began to familiarize himself with a dictionary where he copied it. Here he expanded his vocabulary. While it was tough, he finished copying the dictionary and that opened the door to reading for Malcolm. As he begun to read, it opened a world of thought and creativity, this was knowledge. To obtain this knowledge he had to keep reading and that became an addiction for him. To satisfy this craving, he snuck reading time in and cut back on sleep in order to read more. Because of his risks and actions he became education which led to his success later.

While many individuals may have the tools to succeed, like the other inmates who also have access the library. Learning and education needs motivation and a huge driving force. Malcolm could have given up when he first thought that words were gibberish, but he strived to learn and improve and because of that he was able to learn. Whether it is a homemade education, traditional education, reading, or practice your own willingness to learn to improve is a huge deciding factor on your ability to learn. You could be given the best teachers, books and resources, but if you have no interest you will not learn. On the contrary, you could have nothing but with hard work and perseverance, you can make a difference in your education.