Tuesday 20 November 2012

Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. SIX!

CHAPTER 2 ~ PAGE 27

"I don't care how nice one is to you; the thing you must always remember is that almost never does he really see you as he sees himself, as he sees his own kind. He may stand with you through thin, but not thick; when the chips are down, you'll find that as fixed in him as his bone structure is his sometimes subconscious conviction that he's better than anybody black."

This little passage tells a lot. The idea of racism as a whole has done much to Malcolm X, enraged to a point where trusting the white people is so impossible. He makes a bold accusation here, saying that no white can be trusted no matter how they may appear. Again, this could be just the error of his youth and his thoughts have yet to come full circle. However, the influence of racism is linked and reciprocated here.
Malcolm says "I don't care how nice one is to you;" referring to white people as 'one' or 'them'. This is the implied racism of the whites to blacks rubbing off, building a mirrored hatred (understandably so) and subtle disregard. The trust issues are more clear given this insight.

1 comment:

  1. Good entry - connect this with "Notes of A Native Son".

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