A Hiatus from Hustling

When Malcolm and his band of accomplices were caught for their thievery and sent to prison, is when Malcolm was actually given time to stop and think about his life and who he was becoming. This process was initiated by a fellow he met in prison, named Bimbi, however, it was Malcolm's own will that carried him on in the discipline of self-analysis. Ironically, it was also while in prison that Malcolm gained most of his education. He began to read and write every word in the dictionary, while also reading any and every book he could get his hands on. Later on in the epilogue, Alex Haley would recount how Malcolm had said, "In the hectic pace of the world today, there is no time for meditation, of for deep thought. A prisoner has time he can put to good use. I'd put prison second to college as the best place for a man to go if he needs to do some thinking. If he's motivated, in prison he can change his life." Of course this was said from Malcolm's own experience, but, nevertheless, he still seized an opportunity to better himself, instead of wallowing in his failure and refusing to get up. It was at this point that Malcolm began to embrace his true identity as a black man, and would never again be ashamed of the color of his skin, or his new found faith in the religion of Islam. After reading the autobiography of Malcolm X, perhaps most would agree that the term "authentic blackness" never fit another person better than it did him. While it is clear that Malcolm accepted many fallacies as though they were truth, particularly in the way of history and even his own religion, he was clearly a man who hungered to know truth to the best of his ability, and ultimately was willing to die for those beliefs. I personally find it remarkable, and even more than a little inspiring, that for Malcolm, what appeared by all means to be his lowest point in life to date, sent to spend 7 full years in prison, actually turned out to be his conversion and pivot point in a more positive and honorable direction. The days of Malcolm Little, known on the streets as Detroit Red, reefer and dope seller, professional thief and gangster, were over. Malcolm X, God-fearer, lover of truth and knowledge, professional public speaker, a morally disciplined and chaste man, a follower of Allah, and minister of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, was born. In walked a convict, and seven years later, out walked a convert. And with the same tenacity of personality that Malcolm used to tear up the streets for his own personal gain, he would go to work again, this time spreading the only message in the world that mattered, the message of freedom for him and his fellow black brothers and sisters. The same message that had set him free, even within the walls of a prison!