Malcolm X on education A school dropout, Malcolm X illustrates the dichotomy between a formal and what he calls a "homemade" education: "In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler out there -- I had commanded attention when I said something. But now, trying to write simple English, I not only wasn't articulate, I wasn't even functional," (171). Street smarts vs. book smarts: Malcolm X's survival and success depended on both. Practically illiterate when he first entered prison, Malcolm X wrote letter after letter to Elijah Muhammad, forging for himself a homemade education: "It was because of my letters that I happened to stumble upon starting to acquire some kind of a homemade education," (171). His desire to communicate with Elijah Muhummad was the initial spark that inspired Malcolm X to teach himself how to read and write. Painstakingly, he would copy page after page from the dictionary until "this new world opened ... Of being able to read and understand," (173). College students often take for granted the fundamentals of their education; having proven a reasonable command of their mother tongue, they don't realize how powerless they would be without the written word. Through his homemade education, Malcolm X demonstrates two persistent points: one, that formal avenues of education are not the only means by which an individual can become a powerful social servant; and two, that education of the formal or of the homemade variety empowers the individual.

The prison...

Already a street whiz, Malcolm X allowed the prison library to transform him into a well-read and articulate young man. As a result, Malcolm X left an indelible mark on the world, the likes of which few others can ever hope to leave. His influential persona was directly dependent on his homemade education, and not on any university credentials. Initially, literacy enabled Malcolm X to communicate with the man who would become his mentor and spiritual guide, Elijah Muhummad. Later, literacy would enable Malcolm X to communicate on all levels with those he hoped to influence and to become a political activist. In the meantime, while he read in his prison bed each might Malcolm X pieced together the pieces of Black history through books. His book devouring rivaled and probably surpassed that of many college students and therefore proves that a formal university education is not the only means toward personal enlightenment. Furthermore, Malcolm X's zealousness, his motivation stemmed not from having to pass an exam or earn a degree. Rather, the man was inspired from within, driven by an energy and enthusiasm few college students experience today.
Nor did Malcolm X pursue his education for financial gain. While many college students look forward to the ending of their four-year stint at school so that they can enter the "real world" and get a good-paying position, Malcolm X did not view…