“What did you learn (at college) about your own people? What did you learn her – her ‘round there?” he said, gesturing towards the other room and trying to keep his voice down.

I didn’t answer him. “No, you not educated, boy,” he said, shaking his head. “You far from being educated. You learned your reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic, but you don’t know nothing. You don’t even know yourself. Well?”

“You’re doing the talking, Reverend.” “And educated, boy,” he said, thumping his chest. “I’m the one that’s educated. I know people like you look down on people like me, but” – he touched his chest again – “I’m the one that’s educated.” (Pg 215)

Reverend Ambrose explains to Grant the meaning of education. Just because Grant went to college and received a degree does not mean he is free or even a man.  An educated man knows himself, knows his people and their suffering. Grant has lost connection with his own community which is why he feels trapped everyday. He doesn’t understand them and they don’t understand him. Reverend Ambrose’s understanding and empathy for his people is his education. Also, in their conversation, Reverend Ambrose asks Grant if he knew about Tante Lou’s hands, scarred from cutting cane to pay for Grant’s college or her knees scarred from praying for Grant. Grant doesn’t know about any of this, she’d hid it from him. He didn’t pay for his own schooling like a man. I think that’s what the Reverand is trying to say to him by mentioning his aunt.

“I have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me. I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. I certainly wasn’t seeking any degree, the way a college confers a status symbol upon its students. My homemade education gave me, with every additional book that I read, a little bit more sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness, and blindness that was afflicting the black race in America. Not long ago, an English writer telephoned me from London, asking questions. One was, “What’s your alma mater?” I told him, “Books.” You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I’m not studying something I feel might be able to help the black man.”

Malcolm X used books to open his mind. He was not trying to be a “status symbol” but someone who knew about his people and was making an effort to educate them.  He wanted to free their minds from the little they knew about their own history. Malcolm X wanted to answer questions and have his followers question what was going on during their time. When he learned to write he learned many different words which enabled him to read. Through reading he gained a mental freedom. Malcolm X knew what he wanted to do with his knowledge and for that he became an amazing leader. A powerful man in everyone’s eyes.