Comparing Malcolm X And Paulo Freire

When you think about your life, what is something that you would have a hard time living without? While there are many things that come to mind, I think one of the most important is education. Think of where you would be if you were uneducated, your life would probably not be nearly as comfortable as it is right now. Malcolm X and Paulo Freire are two men who also believe very strongly in the importance of education. They both have amazing stories and ideas.

Malcolm X was man who grew up in a less than fortunate situation, which led him to become a street hustler at a young age. When he was twenty-one years old his life style caught up to him and he was convicted of robbery. Shortly after his arrival to prison Malcolm realized that he was not

Freire focuses mostly on the problems with the education system of his time. He tells of how the students were treated as lesser than the teachers. One of the main terms he uses is the "banking concept" (Freire). The "banking concept" is when the students are treated as "containers" that the teacher fills with information. The then memorize the information, store it, then repeat the process. Freire believed that when the "banking concept" (Freire) was used the students didn 't get to learn on their own, by experience. Freire said that men who learn this way "cannot be truly human." He also gives his opinion on how education should be, which is opposite of the banking

They both knew that education is the key to being a successful human being, and a productive citizen, who contributes to making the community a better place. When Malcolm X got released from prison, he used his newfound knowledge to promote and fight for civil rights. He credits books for the encouragement to get involved in such a huge issue when he says, “Book after book showed me how the white man had brought upon the world’s black, brown, red, and yellow peoples every variety of suffering." (Malcolm X) He never would have had the opportunity to make such an impact had he not been dedicated to improving his education in prison. Freire on the other hand, used his education and knowledge to better the education system. He thought of new, better ways for teachers to teach and students to learn. He says that “Education must begin with the solution of the teacher-student contradiction, by reconciling the poles of the contradiction so that both are simultaneously teachers and students.” This was a revolutionary concept for his time. Had it not been for his education, and dedication to making the world around him a better place, we could still be learning via the “banking concept” (Freire)