Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Our Précis! Wahoo!
In Zora Neale Hurston's "How It Feels To Be Colored Me" (1928), the author asserts that all people should look past the colour of the bag and focus on the treasure that lie within it, "...so much like the Jumble in the bags, could they be emptied... refilled without altering the content of any greatly." Hurston supports her position by categorizing her essay into four parts: first, she describes her realization that she is no longer "Everybody's Zora" but rather "a little colored girl"; the next two sections explain perspective from opposing viewpoints; last, she comes to terms with her blackness yet at the same time the remains the "Cosmic Zora". By portraying her reluctance to accept social issues, she introduces an innocent state of mind that will ultimately alter others perception in promoting self pride. The author is addressing America as a whole with a confident and upbeat tone, to propose that whether you are black or white, be proud of who you are!
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. THIRTY-ONE!
CHAPTER 10 ~ Page 160
"Reginald when he came to visit me again in a few days, could gauge from my attitude the effect that his talking had had upon me. He seemed very pleased. Then, very seriously, he talked for two solid hours about 'the devil white man' and 'the brainwashed black man'."
Malcolm is buying into this new religion as it is suiting his former experiences. The devil white man and the brainwashed black man. Neither of these (I can imagine) are actually in Islamic teachings (What do I know though?) it is just Malcolm feeling down whilst in prison and reflecting all the times he had been wronged was due to a white man. The black man was always getting trampled under foot and had no say in the society. He is pleasantly ignorant at this developmental period for his religion, his beginnings are built out of seemingly overanalyzing previous instances; while this is excellenet that he thinks and reflects, the first impression (as he learns later) isn't so kind and spiritual.
"Reginald when he came to visit me again in a few days, could gauge from my attitude the effect that his talking had had upon me. He seemed very pleased. Then, very seriously, he talked for two solid hours about 'the devil white man' and 'the brainwashed black man'."
Malcolm is buying into this new religion as it is suiting his former experiences. The devil white man and the brainwashed black man. Neither of these (I can imagine) are actually in Islamic teachings (What do I know though?) it is just Malcolm feeling down whilst in prison and reflecting all the times he had been wronged was due to a white man. The black man was always getting trampled under foot and had no say in the society. He is pleasantly ignorant at this developmental period for his religion, his beginnings are built out of seemingly overanalyzing previous instances; while this is excellenet that he thinks and reflects, the first impression (as he learns later) isn't so kind and spiritual.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. THIRTY!
CHAPTER 10
The character of Bimbi, perhaps could it be, the very one who acted as the catalyst towards Malcolm X's future success as an orator? Actually, it's pretty blunt, and interesting how fascinated Malcolm becomes with Bimbi. This is attriubted to both Malcolm himself being a young man lost in his ways, and Bimbi being a man of extreme confidence and charisma that he displayed himself as a man that commanded attention and people sought help from
"What fascinated me with him most of all was that he was the first man I had ever seen command total respect . . . with his words."
It is at this point that 'words' will become symbols and motifs throughout the remainder of the book and seem like a source of healing. (Yay reading! Books! Education!)
The character of Bimbi, perhaps could it be, the very one who acted as the catalyst towards Malcolm X's future success as an orator? Actually, it's pretty blunt, and interesting how fascinated Malcolm becomes with Bimbi. This is attriubted to both Malcolm himself being a young man lost in his ways, and Bimbi being a man of extreme confidence and charisma that he displayed himself as a man that commanded attention and people sought help from
"What fascinated me with him most of all was that he was the first man I had ever seen command total respect . . . with his words."
It is at this point that 'words' will become symbols and motifs throughout the remainder of the book and seem like a source of healing. (Yay reading! Books! Education!)
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-NINE!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 150
Right at the end of the chapter, there seems to be a little disclosure that really tells Malcolm's purpose for reciting his life's events to Mr. Alex Haley. It makes sense and I feel not much description goes along with it, as it has been what I've been saying throughout the journals. (Time for jail though...)
"I want to say before I go on that I have never previously told anyone my sordid past in detail. I haven't done it now to sound as though I might be proud of how bad, how evil, I was."
Never telling anyone of this? This marks a stage of growth for Malcolm, at the height of his influence. Coming out with this information is remarkable ethos as he has truly learned a whole lot from his life, as he says
"But people are always speculating -- why am I as I am? To understand that of any person, his whole life, from birth, must be reviewed. All of our experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient. Today, when everything that I do has an urgency, I would not spend one hour in the preparation of a book which had the ambition to perhaps titillate some readers. But I am spending many hours because the full story is the best way that I know to have it seen, and understood, that I had sunk to the very bottom of the American white man's society when -- soon now, in prison -- I found Allah and the religion of Islam and it completely transformed my life."
Right at the end of the chapter, there seems to be a little disclosure that really tells Malcolm's purpose for reciting his life's events to Mr. Alex Haley. It makes sense and I feel not much description goes along with it, as it has been what I've been saying throughout the journals. (Time for jail though...)
"I want to say before I go on that I have never previously told anyone my sordid past in detail. I haven't done it now to sound as though I might be proud of how bad, how evil, I was."
Never telling anyone of this? This marks a stage of growth for Malcolm, at the height of his influence. Coming out with this information is remarkable ethos as he has truly learned a whole lot from his life, as he says
"But people are always speculating -- why am I as I am? To understand that of any person, his whole life, from birth, must be reviewed. All of our experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient. Today, when everything that I do has an urgency, I would not spend one hour in the preparation of a book which had the ambition to perhaps titillate some readers. But I am spending many hours because the full story is the best way that I know to have it seen, and understood, that I had sunk to the very bottom of the American white man's society when -- soon now, in prison -- I found Allah and the religion of Islam and it completely transformed my life."
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-EIGHT!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 144
"I can give you a very good tip if you want to keep burglars out of your house. A light on for the burglar to see is the very best single means of protection. One of the ideal things is to leave a bathroom light on all night. the bathroom is one place where somebody could be, for any length of time, at any time of the night, and he would be likely to hear the slightest strange sound. The burglar, knowing this, won't try to enter. It's also the cheapest possible protection. The kilowatts are a lot cheaper than your valuables."
Why thank you! I'd like to know why this hasn't been taught to us in Life Skills yet???
This operation that this little group has got going seems to working very smooth. Yet this little bit is thrown in, once again, to engage the reader, making a little jovial aside so the reader doesn't feel left out. I am glad this was in here because:
a.) It made me chuckle
b.) It made me feel safe-ish
c.) I wasn't ignored
Malcolm knows how to engage his audience, as should not be required to mention.
"I can give you a very good tip if you want to keep burglars out of your house. A light on for the burglar to see is the very best single means of protection. One of the ideal things is to leave a bathroom light on all night. the bathroom is one place where somebody could be, for any length of time, at any time of the night, and he would be likely to hear the slightest strange sound. The burglar, knowing this, won't try to enter. It's also the cheapest possible protection. The kilowatts are a lot cheaper than your valuables."
Why thank you! I'd like to know why this hasn't been taught to us in Life Skills yet???
This operation that this little group has got going seems to working very smooth. Yet this little bit is thrown in, once again, to engage the reader, making a little jovial aside so the reader doesn't feel left out. I am glad this was in here because:
a.) It made me chuckle
b.) It made me feel safe-ish
c.) I wasn't ignored
Malcolm knows how to engage his audience, as should not be required to mention.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-SEVEN!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 138
"Looking back, I think I really was at least slightly out of my mind. I viewed narcotics as most people regard food. I wore my guns as today I wear my neckties. Deep down, I actually believed that after living as fully as humanly possible, one should then die violently. I expected then, as I still expect today, to die at any time. But then, I think I deliberately invited death in many, sometimes insane ways."
Looking back, I think really was at least slightly out of my mind. Sure sounds like it! Seriously, regarding drugs as if they were food? That's quite an intake, I wonder, had he not been assassinated, how long he would have had to live, given his excessive drug abuse. Hmmmm...
This attitude is becoming more and more aggressive while at the same time indifferent. He has almost stopped caring, as living in a society where very little care about you, it can be easy to forget to care about yourself. This leads to the self-destructive behaviour (again, more connections with James Baldwin! :O ) that ruptures the connection within the black community as they attempt to bond together and break the ties of segregation and oppression.
"Looking back, I think I really was at least slightly out of my mind. I viewed narcotics as most people regard food. I wore my guns as today I wear my neckties. Deep down, I actually believed that after living as fully as humanly possible, one should then die violently. I expected then, as I still expect today, to die at any time. But then, I think I deliberately invited death in many, sometimes insane ways."
Looking back, I think really was at least slightly out of my mind. Sure sounds like it! Seriously, regarding drugs as if they were food? That's quite an intake, I wonder, had he not been assassinated, how long he would have had to live, given his excessive drug abuse. Hmmmm...
This attitude is becoming more and more aggressive while at the same time indifferent. He has almost stopped caring, as living in a society where very little care about you, it can be easy to forget to care about yourself. This leads to the self-destructive behaviour (again, more connections with James Baldwin! :O ) that ruptures the connection within the black community as they attempt to bond together and break the ties of segregation and oppression.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-SIX!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 136
Malcolm meets Laura again! :(
After telling of Laura, he says he regrets what he did and he claims responsibility for her downfall. You can tell his words are filled with such regret, however this meeting here, seems more... I don't know. You could say, routine? Casual? Malcolm has gone so low, as low as Laura that perhaps the melancholy of this paragraph indicates them as equals.
"I met Laura again. We were really glad to see each other. She was a lot more like me now, a good-time girl. We talked and laughed. She looked a lot older than she really was. She had no one man, she freelanced around. She had long since moved away from her grandmother. Laura told be she had finished school, but then she gave up the college idea. Laura was high whenever I saw her, now, too; we smoked some reefers together."
It's pretty simplistic, almost tiresome. Such sentences like "We talked and laughed." Very broad, vague, and elementary. Almost as if, it was wasn't him talking, but the high that both of them were consumed by. It's like "I met Laura again." is the main introductory sentence, then "We smoked some reefers together." is the last bit, with the rest of the paragraph being forced details with no real meaning to them as he likely had little interest. (Some, as she was a familiar face, but I doubt a lot.)
Malcolm meets Laura again! :(
After telling of Laura, he says he regrets what he did and he claims responsibility for her downfall. You can tell his words are filled with such regret, however this meeting here, seems more... I don't know. You could say, routine? Casual? Malcolm has gone so low, as low as Laura that perhaps the melancholy of this paragraph indicates them as equals.
"I met Laura again. We were really glad to see each other. She was a lot more like me now, a good-time girl. We talked and laughed. She looked a lot older than she really was. She had no one man, she freelanced around. She had long since moved away from her grandmother. Laura told be she had finished school, but then she gave up the college idea. Laura was high whenever I saw her, now, too; we smoked some reefers together."
It's pretty simplistic, almost tiresome. Such sentences like "We talked and laughed." Very broad, vague, and elementary. Almost as if, it was wasn't him talking, but the high that both of them were consumed by. It's like "I met Laura again." is the main introductory sentence, then "We smoked some reefers together." is the last bit, with the rest of the paragraph being forced details with no real meaning to them as he likely had little interest. (Some, as she was a familiar face, but I doubt a lot.)
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-FIVE!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 134
"The reefers gave me a feeling of contentment. I would enjoy hours of floating, day dreaming, imaginary conversations with my New York musician friends.
Could it be? Has Malcolm X hit rock bottom?
Nah...
But the name of the chapter is 'Caught' so I'm not quite sure what is going to happen. (/end sarcasm)
The description of his situation and attitude intruige me. He aspires for a state of constant euphoria and is moving into a true stereotypical 'stoner' type man. Sleeping and smoking, not much else to it. For whatever reason, I'm slightly connecting Malcolm's status with that of John Frusciante (Previous guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) at one point.
John Frusciante joined the band as a fan a little while after they gained slight mainstream success. However, the new found fame because of his influence on their style caused them to hit it big! Naturally, this lead to drugs (heroin as opposed to 'the reefer') and it grew to a point where Frusciante quit the band for a bit. It is my understanding that at this point, he holed himself in a run-down house where he followed Malcolm's footsteps -- getting high all day, not doing much/large-scale, lethargic behaviour, and lots of sleep.
I suppose Frusciante's success in the music business is linked to Malcolm's up and coming through the life of crime and hustling. I'm just making a connection here, and Frusciante has had successful rehab and rejoined the band for a good number of years, whereas Malcolm X has gone out of jail and became the man we know for making civil rights speeches and getting all them Harlemites to vote!
"The reefers gave me a feeling of contentment. I would enjoy hours of floating, day dreaming, imaginary conversations with my New York musician friends.
Could it be? Has Malcolm X hit rock bottom?
Nah...
But the name of the chapter is 'Caught' so I'm not quite sure what is going to happen. (/end sarcasm)
The description of his situation and attitude intruige me. He aspires for a state of constant euphoria and is moving into a true stereotypical 'stoner' type man. Sleeping and smoking, not much else to it. For whatever reason, I'm slightly connecting Malcolm's status with that of John Frusciante (Previous guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) at one point.
John Frusciante joined the band as a fan a little while after they gained slight mainstream success. However, the new found fame because of his influence on their style caused them to hit it big! Naturally, this lead to drugs (heroin as opposed to 'the reefer') and it grew to a point where Frusciante quit the band for a bit. It is my understanding that at this point, he holed himself in a run-down house where he followed Malcolm's footsteps -- getting high all day, not doing much/large-scale, lethargic behaviour, and lots of sleep.
I suppose Frusciante's success in the music business is linked to Malcolm's up and coming through the life of crime and hustling. I'm just making a connection here, and Frusciante has had successful rehab and rejoined the band for a good number of years, whereas Malcolm X has gone out of jail and became the man we know for making civil rights speeches and getting all them Harlemites to vote!
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-FOUR!
CHAPTER 8 ~ Page 132
"Everything was building up, closing in on me. I was trapped in so many cross turns. West Indian Archie gunning for me. The Italians who thought I'd stuck up their crap game after me. The scared kid hustler I'd hit. The cops. For four years, up to that point, I'd been lucky enough, or slick enough, to escape jail, or even getting arrested. Or any serious trouble. But I knew that any minute now something had to give."
Exactly, it's good that he came to realize this, as many probably didn't and kept getting deeper and deeper until they wound up on death row or lifeless in an alleyway with a needle in their arm.
He's certainly right about the fact that all of these things are building up fast. He is about to get crushed with all the pressure from outward stressors and he could very well get shot when he least expects it. Perhaps this could serve as not really a foreshadow, but a proof or statement. As we find out later, or already know, that Malcolm eventually does receive jail time and by proclaiming his correctional facility virginity, it can be implied that it doesn't really matter, as all of those in this walk of life will be behind bars at one point or another. (???)
"Everything was building up, closing in on me. I was trapped in so many cross turns. West Indian Archie gunning for me. The Italians who thought I'd stuck up their crap game after me. The scared kid hustler I'd hit. The cops. For four years, up to that point, I'd been lucky enough, or slick enough, to escape jail, or even getting arrested. Or any serious trouble. But I knew that any minute now something had to give."
Exactly, it's good that he came to realize this, as many probably didn't and kept getting deeper and deeper until they wound up on death row or lifeless in an alleyway with a needle in their arm.
He's certainly right about the fact that all of these things are building up fast. He is about to get crushed with all the pressure from outward stressors and he could very well get shot when he least expects it. Perhaps this could serve as not really a foreshadow, but a proof or statement. As we find out later, or already know, that Malcolm eventually does receive jail time and by proclaiming his correctional facility virginity, it can be implied that it doesn't really matter, as all of those in this walk of life will be behind bars at one point or another. (???)
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-THREE!@#!@#!
CHAPTER 8 ~ Page 128
"Have you ever been so sure you did something that you never would have thought of it again -- unless it was brought up again? Then you start trying to mentally confirm -- and you're only about half-sure?"
Dude, like story of my life.
Seriously though, this is another one of those little 'questions' that were probably very conversational when interacting with Alex Haley. Less than the last example I gave, but this is quite informal and allows a pause in the action for personal connection. I feel engaged because I can definitely remember feeling this sense of doubt and worry he is facing, granted I didn't owe any West Indian Archie any money,
"Have you ever been so sure you did something that you never would have thought of it again -- unless it was brought up again? Then you start trying to mentally confirm -- and you're only about half-sure?"
Dude, like story of my life.
Seriously though, this is another one of those little 'questions' that were probably very conversational when interacting with Alex Haley. Less than the last example I gave, but this is quite informal and allows a pause in the action for personal connection. I feel engaged because I can definitely remember feeling this sense of doubt and worry he is facing, granted I didn't owe any West Indian Archie any money,
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-TWO!
CHAPTER 7 ~ Page 119
Malcolm begins to detail the nitty-gritty of Harlem; the part of town where the big name politicians and Ivy Leaguers went to indulge in satisfying their desires. They chose Harlem, yet didn't want anyone to know of what they were doing there, as the exorbitant amount of blacks were quite the reputation killers.
However, the reason I chose this description is because it connects well with James Baldwin's comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah. The underground scene in Harlem fits well with what Baldwin said, a culmination of lust and sin all around. "Harlem was their sin-den, their fleshpot. They stole off among taboo black people, and took off whatever antiseptic, important, dignified masks they wore in their white world.
Malcolm begins to detail the nitty-gritty of Harlem; the part of town where the big name politicians and Ivy Leaguers went to indulge in satisfying their desires. They chose Harlem, yet didn't want anyone to know of what they were doing there, as the exorbitant amount of blacks were quite the reputation killers.
However, the reason I chose this description is because it connects well with James Baldwin's comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah. The underground scene in Harlem fits well with what Baldwin said, a culmination of lust and sin all around. "Harlem was their sin-den, their fleshpot. They stole off among taboo black people, and took off whatever antiseptic, important, dignified masks they wore in their white world.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-ONE!
CHAPTER 7 ~ Page 115
Malcolm's rash reaction towards Sammy's 'girl' is pretty surprising, despite just enduring a high-tension situation after the robbery. This seems like a turning point, as now Malcolm has confessed that, althought the two have made up, you can't really trust someone the same after they've tried to kill you.
The action of Malcolm was surprising, the fact that he just hit the girl... a little odd. Yet, now he says: "I came to rely more and more upon my brother Reginald as the oly one in my world I could completely trust."
His friendships feigning, the crime has sent his life further and further downward.
Malcolm's rash reaction towards Sammy's 'girl' is pretty surprising, despite just enduring a high-tension situation after the robbery. This seems like a turning point, as now Malcolm has confessed that, althought the two have made up, you can't really trust someone the same after they've tried to kill you.
The action of Malcolm was surprising, the fact that he just hit the girl... a little odd. Yet, now he says: "I came to rely more and more upon my brother Reginald as the oly one in my world I could completely trust."
His friendships feigning, the crime has sent his life further and further downward.
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY!
CHAPTER 7 ~ Page 110
"We discussed our famliy, and what a shame it was that our book-loving oldest brother Wilfred had never had the chance to go to some of those big universities where he would have gone far. And we exchanged thoughts we had never shared with anyone."
This is another example of the deprived opportunities of the Negroes. Another wasted opportunity, just like Malcolm's and the lawyer dream, Wilfred has yet to fulfill his true potential by becoming a scholar at a big-name university. Contributing to this, not only racial issues, but the economic struggle (which, come to think about it, are directly and indirectly caused by racial issues).
"We discussed our famliy, and what a shame it was that our book-loving oldest brother Wilfred had never had the chance to go to some of those big universities where he would have gone far. And we exchanged thoughts we had never shared with anyone."
This is another example of the deprived opportunities of the Negroes. Another wasted opportunity, just like Malcolm's and the lawyer dream, Wilfred has yet to fulfill his true potential by becoming a scholar at a big-name university. Contributing to this, not only racial issues, but the economic struggle (which, come to think about it, are directly and indirectly caused by racial issues).
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. NINETEEN!
CHAPTER 7 - Page 110
"I went to the movies a lot again. And I never missed my musician friends wherever they were playing, either in Harlem, downtown at the big theaters, or on 52nd street. Reginald and I got very close the next time his ship came back into New York."
This little description, followed by his heightened engagement in narcotics and crime, serves as a friendly reminder that not all is going down the drain for Malcolm. Showcasing his relationship with his brother and his friends, he leads a very eventful life, which is a major contrast. The life of Negroes were similar, as they still continued living their lives while struggling through, attempting to make ends meet with illegalilty.
"I went to the movies a lot again. And I never missed my musician friends wherever they were playing, either in Harlem, downtown at the big theaters, or on 52nd street. Reginald and I got very close the next time his ship came back into New York."
This little description, followed by his heightened engagement in narcotics and crime, serves as a friendly reminder that not all is going down the drain for Malcolm. Showcasing his relationship with his brother and his friends, he leads a very eventful life, which is a major contrast. The life of Negroes were similar, as they still continued living their lives while struggling through, attempting to make ends meet with illegalilty.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. SEVENTEEN!
CHAPTER 6 ~ Page 106
"I knew what she was doing, she was going to make clear, in advance, what she thought of me. This is still one of the black man's troubles today. So many of those so-called "upper-class" Negroes are so busy trying to impress on the white man that they are "different from those others" that they can't see they are only helping the white man to keep his low opinion of all Negroes."
This is said once Malcolm is ready to talk to the Army psychiatrist. However, the receptionist, who happens to be black, already has a bad disposition towards Malcolm. She goes in to tell her white superior her opinion about him in order to come off as better or a more sophisticated Negro. This reminds me of the speeches where Malcolm talks about the "Uncle Tom" Negroes and those who try to make friendly with the white folks as it serves as counterproductive towards their plight. The African Americans needed to bond together and gain power through their numbers, and this experience with the black receptionist is one of, I'm sure, many examples Malcolm experienced to have a sour taste in his mouth about the 'brown-nosing' sorts of the African-American people.
"I knew what she was doing, she was going to make clear, in advance, what she thought of me. This is still one of the black man's troubles today. So many of those so-called "upper-class" Negroes are so busy trying to impress on the white man that they are "different from those others" that they can't see they are only helping the white man to keep his low opinion of all Negroes."
This is said once Malcolm is ready to talk to the Army psychiatrist. However, the receptionist, who happens to be black, already has a bad disposition towards Malcolm. She goes in to tell her white superior her opinion about him in order to come off as better or a more sophisticated Negro. This reminds me of the speeches where Malcolm talks about the "Uncle Tom" Negroes and those who try to make friendly with the white folks as it serves as counterproductive towards their plight. The African Americans needed to bond together and gain power through their numbers, and this experience with the black receptionist is one of, I'm sure, many examples Malcolm experienced to have a sour taste in his mouth about the 'brown-nosing' sorts of the African-American people.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. SIXTEEN!
CHAPTER 6 ~ Page 100/101
"I kept my eyes open. If anybody looked suspicious, I'd quickly cross the street, or go through a door, or turn a corner, loosening my arm enough to let the package drop. At night, when I usually did my selling, any suspicious person wouldn't be likely to see the trick. If I decided I had been mistaken, I'd go back and get my sticks."
Selling drugs. Tsk tsk Mr. Malcolm. This life of crime that becomes increasingly more pronounced for him is getting more intrinsic and complicated as it advances. It's been said in other journals that this is all too common for the Negro community since their opportunities were seemingly very limited. Going against the law was the only option in some cases, but it's interesting to notice how well-developed Malcolm becomes at covering his tracks and forming an escape plan. Transitioning into this passage, Malcolm says:
"The law specified that if the evidence wasn't actually in your possession, you couldn't be arrested."
He is obviously taking time to hear about/learn of the laws on possessions and dealing, so it's a shame that the time spent gathering this knowledge could have easily been applied to law studies in his once-on quest to become a lawyer. Oh well.
"I kept my eyes open. If anybody looked suspicious, I'd quickly cross the street, or go through a door, or turn a corner, loosening my arm enough to let the package drop. At night, when I usually did my selling, any suspicious person wouldn't be likely to see the trick. If I decided I had been mistaken, I'd go back and get my sticks."
Selling drugs. Tsk tsk Mr. Malcolm. This life of crime that becomes increasingly more pronounced for him is getting more intrinsic and complicated as it advances. It's been said in other journals that this is all too common for the Negro community since their opportunities were seemingly very limited. Going against the law was the only option in some cases, but it's interesting to notice how well-developed Malcolm becomes at covering his tracks and forming an escape plan. Transitioning into this passage, Malcolm says:
"The law specified that if the evidence wasn't actually in your possession, you couldn't be arrested."
He is obviously taking time to hear about/learn of the laws on possessions and dealing, so it's a shame that the time spent gathering this knowledge could have easily been applied to law studies in his once-on quest to become a lawyer. Oh well.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. FIFTEEN!
CHAPTER 6 ~ Page 93
"The white racist won't tell you that is also works in reverse. When it got late, Sophia and I would go to some of the after-hours places and speakeasies. When the downtown nightclubs had closed, most of these Harlem places crawled with white people. These whites were just mad for Negro "atmosphere", especially some of the places which had what you might call Negro Soul. Sometimes Negroes would talk about how a lot of whites seemed unable to have enough of being close around us, and among us -- in groups. Both white men and women, it seemed, would get almost mesmerized by Negroes."
Why are people racist? The hatred, or fear rather stems from something unknown. This passage seems to dictate that because of society's engrained views on the Negroes, everyone is told to hate them; therefore not understanding or getting much time with/around them. Now while the contempt for Negroes was felt throughout many white folks, a large majority of them had some subconscious curiosity. There had to have been some questions, and this may not be the right word to describe such behaviour (of those who surrounded themselves by the blacks) as slightly hypocritical.
"The white racist won't tell you that is also works in reverse. When it got late, Sophia and I would go to some of the after-hours places and speakeasies. When the downtown nightclubs had closed, most of these Harlem places crawled with white people. These whites were just mad for Negro "atmosphere", especially some of the places which had what you might call Negro Soul. Sometimes Negroes would talk about how a lot of whites seemed unable to have enough of being close around us, and among us -- in groups. Both white men and women, it seemed, would get almost mesmerized by Negroes."
Why are people racist? The hatred, or fear rather stems from something unknown. This passage seems to dictate that because of society's engrained views on the Negroes, everyone is told to hate them; therefore not understanding or getting much time with/around them. Now while the contempt for Negroes was felt throughout many white folks, a large majority of them had some subconscious curiosity. There had to have been some questions, and this may not be the right word to describe such behaviour (of those who surrounded themselves by the blacks) as slightly hypocritical.
Comparison-Shine
Malcolm X and James Baldwin - Compare!
Malcolm X and James Baldwin, two men who share similar aspects of life, but I suppose I'll get the obvious out of the way first. They were both black, both preachers, both writers!
Seriously though, both men were quite intelligent. This could've boded well for the entire African-American community had they all shared this characteristic (That sounds more racist on the screen than it did in my head O_O ). Malcolm eventually hypes up his audience, getting them out to vote; "It's gotta be either the ballot or the bullet!" Baldwin alludes to his own experiences and events to the self-destructive nature of racial hatred, and by doing this, perchance hopes to promote change in thinking. It can be said that both are providing fuel to a body of people to act, whether to stand up for themselves, or to secure inner strength, so as to not commit any more self-harm than has already been done by society via influence.
Malcolm X and James Baldwin, two men who share similar aspects of life, but I suppose I'll get the obvious out of the way first. They were both black, both preachers, both writers!
Seriously though, both men were quite intelligent. This could've boded well for the entire African-American community had they all shared this characteristic (That sounds more racist on the screen than it did in my head O_O ). Malcolm eventually hypes up his audience, getting them out to vote; "It's gotta be either the ballot or the bullet!" Baldwin alludes to his own experiences and events to the self-destructive nature of racial hatred, and by doing this, perchance hopes to promote change in thinking. It can be said that both are providing fuel to a body of people to act, whether to stand up for themselves, or to secure inner strength, so as to not commit any more self-harm than has already been done by society via influence.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. FOURTEEN!
CHAPTER 6 - Page 91
"Then there was the burglar, "Jumpsteady." In the ghettoes the white man has built for us, he has forced us not to aspire to greater things, but to view everyday living as survival -- and in that kind of a community, survival is what is respected. In any average white neighborhood bar, you couldn't imagine a known cat-man thief regularly exposing himself, as one of the most popular people in there. But if Jumpsteady misses a few days running in Small's, we would begin inquiring for him."
White man keepin' the black man down!
The wording of this makes me think of the situation with the Native Americans. Especially with the previous descriptions of the gambling/wager/betting system. The ghettoes, which the white man built for the Negroes -- are they not the same as Indian Reservations? Both groups segregated, hated, and shut out from mainstream society; kept away from any sort of free life. The Native Americans being stripped of their land and invaded, the African Americans being taken from their land and exported to a new world where they endured the cruelvice of slavery.
"Then there was the burglar, "Jumpsteady." In the ghettoes the white man has built for us, he has forced us not to aspire to greater things, but to view everyday living as survival -- and in that kind of a community, survival is what is respected. In any average white neighborhood bar, you couldn't imagine a known cat-man thief regularly exposing himself, as one of the most popular people in there. But if Jumpsteady misses a few days running in Small's, we would begin inquiring for him."
White man keepin' the black man down!
The wording of this makes me think of the situation with the Native Americans. Especially with the previous descriptions of the gambling/wager/betting system. The ghettoes, which the white man built for the Negroes -- are they not the same as Indian Reservations? Both groups segregated, hated, and shut out from mainstream society; kept away from any sort of free life. The Native Americans being stripped of their land and invaded, the African Americans being taken from their land and exported to a new world where they endured the cruelvice of slavery.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. THIRTEEN!
CHAPTER 6
The description in the beginning of the chapter of the gambling puts the poverty in perspective. The people were willing to do anything, betting little penny hits in order to make some back with grossly unfavourable odds. The detail in which Malcolm describes the antics of the betters and those associated with it makes the desparity of the situation all the more sad.
Especially with the numbers, as a few people run a number for a whole year (which I think I would probably do as well) yet some people took to superstition and took numbers from cars, phone numbers, having a churchman pray for a number. And I thought this was just hilarious:
(Page 85)
"Recently, the last three numbers of the post office's new Zip Code for a postal district of Harlem hit, and one banker almost went broke. Let this very book circulate widely in the black ghettoes of the country, and -- although I'm no longer a gambling person -- I'd lay a small wager for your favourite charity that millions of dollars would be bet by my poor, foolish black brothers and sisters upon, say, whatever happens to be the number of this page, or whatever is the total of the whole book's pages."
Glad to know that he isn't a gambling person anymore, glad to know that he would bet for charity, and glad to know he is still aware of the superstitious nature of his black brothers/sisters and hopes to change it. This little side note is great and I'm glad Alex Haley included it in the book because it almost seems like a conversational piece where the two men were joking around. Good thing it was put in the story!
The description in the beginning of the chapter of the gambling puts the poverty in perspective. The people were willing to do anything, betting little penny hits in order to make some back with grossly unfavourable odds. The detail in which Malcolm describes the antics of the betters and those associated with it makes the desparity of the situation all the more sad.
Especially with the numbers, as a few people run a number for a whole year (which I think I would probably do as well) yet some people took to superstition and took numbers from cars, phone numbers, having a churchman pray for a number. And I thought this was just hilarious:
(Page 85)
"Recently, the last three numbers of the post office's new Zip Code for a postal district of Harlem hit, and one banker almost went broke. Let this very book circulate widely in the black ghettoes of the country, and -- although I'm no longer a gambling person -- I'd lay a small wager for your favourite charity that millions of dollars would be bet by my poor, foolish black brothers and sisters upon, say, whatever happens to be the number of this page, or whatever is the total of the whole book's pages."
Glad to know that he isn't a gambling person anymore, glad to know that he would bet for charity, and glad to know he is still aware of the superstitious nature of his black brothers/sisters and hopes to change it. This little side note is great and I'm glad Alex Haley included it in the book because it almost seems like a conversational piece where the two men were joking around. Good thing it was put in the story!
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