Before They Were Activists, They Were Readers: An Analysis of the Autobiographies of Booker T. Washington and Malcolm X
Though published 64 years apart, the autobiographies of Booker T. Washington and Malcolm X share remarkable similarities. Up From Slavery and The Autobiography of Malcolm X serve as extensions of the activism their subjects devoted their lives to spreading, aiming to lead by example and empower Black audiences. Both authors share stories of their extraordinary devotion to education and reading, of their climb up from the lowest of lows. However, between the two autobiographies exist nuances to how and why they share these stories.
Booker T. Washington, in Chapter II (Boyhood Days), recalls his stubborn desire to attend school in Kanawha Valley: “my boyish heart was still set upon going to the day-school, and I let no opportunity slip to push my case … There was never a time in my youth, no matter how dark and discouraging the days might be, when one resolve did not continually remain with me, and that was a determination to secure an education at any cost.” When he surpassed the knowledge of the local night teachers and could no longer attend day-school, he began walking several miles to find a night instructor. He follows these passages with those describing his grueling work in the salt-furnaces and coal-mines: the horror and fear of being crushed or lost left a significant impression on young Washington. Though he laments how white boys could grow with “absolutely no limit placed upon his aspirations and activities,” he ultimately reassures the reader that “success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” From these hardships that he–and undoubtedly millions of other young Black men at the time–experienced, he claims that he “[got] a strength, a confidence, that one misses whose pathway is comparatively smooth by reason of birth and race.” Washington’s story exudes hard work; that is exactly what he wants his readers to take away from his autobiography.
On the other hand, Malcolm X’s narrative of his journey to literacy was written in hopes of inspiring critical thinking. Though he begins Chapter 11 by detailing his enthusiastic approach to education (“Let me tell you something: from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk. You couldn't have gotten me out of books with a wedge.”), he spends a considerable amount of time sharing what he learned rather than how he learned it. Drawing from correspondence with Elijah Muhammad and his own research in the prison library, he tells the reader about the “whiten[ing]” of history and the horrors of slavery. He stresses the importance of thinking independent of the “white devil:” “You let this caged-up black man start thinking, the same way I did when I first heard Elijah Muhammad's teachings: let him start thinking how, with better breaks when he was young and ambitious he might have been a lawyer, a doctor, a scientist, anything. You let this caged-up black man start realizing, as I did, how from the first landing of the first slave ship, the millions of black men in America have been like sheep in a den of wolves.” His story is more than one of uplift; it’s an epiphanic story of realization and discovery.
Whereas Washington writes to empower Black audiences with grit, Malcolm X writes to empower Black audiences with knowledge. Washington urges Black people to “cast down your bucket where you are.” He hopes that they can “prosper in proportion as [they] learn to dignify and glorify common labour and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life.” Malcolm X’s mission, conversely, is to educate Black people; he wants to open their eyes to the truth so that they might fight back. He closes Chapter 11 by stating “And anytime I got a chance to exchange words with a black brother in stripes, I'd say, ‘My man! You ever heard about somebody named Mr. Elijah Muhammad?’”
Though much had changed between the post-Reconstruction, Jim Crow-era Washington was writing in and the Civil Rights era of Malcolm X, the fight to empower the Black community persevered, adapting to the different socioeconomic climate of the time. Undoubtedly, a lot changed in the 64 years between the two autobiographies. Unchanging, however, was the movement for racial equality and justice. Indeed today that fight continues.
Booker T. Washington, in Chapter II (Boyhood Days), recalls his stubborn desire to attend school in Kanawha Valley: “my boyish heart was still set upon going to the day-school, and I let no opportunity slip to push my case … There was never a time in my youth, no matter how dark and discouraging the days might be, when one resolve did not continually remain with me, and that was a determination to secure an education at any cost.” When he surpassed the knowledge of the local night teachers and could no longer attend day-school, he began walking several miles to find a night instructor. He follows these passages with those describing his grueling work in the salt-furnaces and coal-mines: the horror and fear of being crushed or lost left a significant impression on young Washington. Though he laments how white boys could grow with “absolutely no limit placed upon his aspirations and activities,” he ultimately reassures the reader that “success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” From these hardships that he–and undoubtedly millions of other young Black men at the time–experienced, he claims that he “[got] a strength, a confidence, that one misses whose pathway is comparatively smooth by reason of birth and race.” Washington’s story exudes hard work; that is exactly what he wants his readers to take away from his autobiography.
On the other hand, Malcolm X’s narrative of his journey to literacy was written in hopes of inspiring critical thinking. Though he begins Chapter 11 by detailing his enthusiastic approach to education (“Let me tell you something: from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk. You couldn't have gotten me out of books with a wedge.”), he spends a considerable amount of time sharing what he learned rather than how he learned it. Drawing from correspondence with Elijah Muhammad and his own research in the prison library, he tells the reader about the “whiten[ing]” of history and the horrors of slavery. He stresses the importance of thinking independent of the “white devil:” “You let this caged-up black man start thinking, the same way I did when I first heard Elijah Muhammad's teachings: let him start thinking how, with better breaks when he was young and ambitious he might have been a lawyer, a doctor, a scientist, anything. You let this caged-up black man start realizing, as I did, how from the first landing of the first slave ship, the millions of black men in America have been like sheep in a den of wolves.” His story is more than one of uplift; it’s an epiphanic story of realization and discovery.
Whereas Washington writes to empower Black audiences with grit, Malcolm X writes to empower Black audiences with knowledge. Washington urges Black people to “cast down your bucket where you are.” He hopes that they can “prosper in proportion as [they] learn to dignify and glorify common labour and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life.” Malcolm X’s mission, conversely, is to educate Black people; he wants to open their eyes to the truth so that they might fight back. He closes Chapter 11 by stating “And anytime I got a chance to exchange words with a black brother in stripes, I'd say, ‘My man! You ever heard about somebody named Mr. Elijah Muhammad?’”
Though much had changed between the post-Reconstruction, Jim Crow-era Washington was writing in and the Civil Rights era of Malcolm X, the fight to empower the Black community persevered, adapting to the different socioeconomic climate of the time. Undoubtedly, a lot changed in the 64 years between the two autobiographies. Unchanging, however, was the movement for racial equality and justice. Indeed today that fight continues.
Hi Emma, I absolutely agree that BTW's main message is about being humble and working hard while Malcolm X wants to promote critical thinking. I like how you've included plenty of detail about how their time periods and lived experiences differed, yet ultimately the same spirit still persists in both their stories. Despite different circumstances, both were committed to pursuing social change that would improve the livelihoods of African Americans.
ReplyDeleteHello, Emma! I agree with your analysis of the two writers. I like how you clearly delineated the key differences between the two writers' ideologies. You put everything in simple yet detailed words that helped me understand where exactly Washington and Malcolm X disagree.
ReplyDeleteHi Emma, I really enjoyed this post and how you gave a great analysis of both writers. I think you did a good job highlighting the similarities between the two works especially how both characters used self-determination to achieve their goals of enlightenment. Overall, great job.
ReplyDeleteEmma, I totally agree with your analysis of the shared connection of reading and learning between BTW and Malcom X. I had noticed that a lot of the autobiographies in class had focused on, or at least mentioned, learning how to read and the importance that served for the author. I also think it was interesting how you compared the overall message that BTW and Malcom X were trying to portray in their autobiographies. The contrast between BTW encouraging "casting down their buckets" vs Malcom X encouraging readers to educate themselves on black history was especially striking to me. I thought it was interesting how it took 70 years to reach the point where Malcom X was able to encourage readers to educate themselves on the horrors of their own history, instead of censoring himself for white audiences like we see from BTW and Harriet Jacobs.
ReplyDeleteHi Emma! I really enjoyed reading your post! I think we talk a lot about the differences in ideology between Malcolm X and Booker T. Washington, but we don't often discuss how their separate viewpoints influenced how they communicated with people in regards to their education. I like that your post shed some light on that. I also like how you pointed out that Malcolm X empowered audiences with knowledge, whereas Booker T. Washington empowered them with grit. Overall, great post!
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