It seems unlikely that he would have devoted time to pursue his education. On the contrary, he may have continued his life of criminality. However, once he was incarcerated, he was removed from his life of crime. With nothing better to do in jail, Malcolm became a voracious reader, giving himself the education he had not attained in the outside world. It was during Malcolm's incarceration that he heard from his brother Reginald, who had recently converted to the Nation of Islam. Malcolm pursued learning about the Nation of Islam, beginning contact with Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam. In addition, Malcolm's street life helped him understand that violence was not a solution. He saw that violence had not been beneficial to his family; although his father was ready to meet the white arsonists with a gun, his father was still eventually murdered and his family destroyed. Furthermore, though Malcolm was not actively involved in a high-level of violence while he was on the street, he was able to understand that it created a futile cycle, which would only perpetuate the oppression of African-Americans. In fact, while many white Americans perceived Malcolm X as a violent threat, he did not believe that a violent revolution was the best solution to America's race issue. On the contrary, his incarceration led him to appreciate a right that he forfeited with his conviction; the right to vote. He stated, "The polls are one place where every black man could fight the black man's cause with dignity, and with the power and the tools that the white man understands, and respects, and fears, and cooperates...

It is doubtful that he would have come to that conclusion if he had not been incarcerated, or had not experienced, firsthand, the impact of a life of crime and violence. Not that it would be accurate to ever describe Malcolm as a pacifist. He stated that, "it's a crime for anyone who is being brutalized to continue to accept that brutality without doing something to defend himself" (Haley, p.366). He clarified his position by saying, "If it must take violence to get the black man his human rights in this country, I'm for violence" (Haley, p.367).
Most significantly, Malcolm's life of crime, especially his experience with West Indian Archie, prepared him to continue to lead, even after he broke with the Nation of Islam and became aware of the death threats against him. Rather than hiding from his would-be assassins, Malcolm assumed that he would die a violent death, and prepared to meet his aggressors. He talked about becoming the hunter, rather than the hunted, once his family became the subject of threats, as well. Malcolm X had actually resisted engaging in deadly violence as an offensive action. However, he spoke openly about his willingness to kill people who threatened his family. That difference captured the essence of his message to black men; not to engage in needless violence, but to stand up when one's family was threatened. It was that message that resonated so strongly with a generation of disaffected African-American men.

Works Cited

Haley, Alex and Malcolm X the Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. New York: Ballantine Books, 1989.