Similarities Between Richard Wright And Malcolm X

The Transformations of Richard Wright and Malcolm X

Both 20th century examples of repugnant racism in the United States, the provocative stories of Richard Wright and Malcolm “Malcolm X” Little portray the same blatant disregard for African-Americans as less than human: Richard Wright as an African-American who grew up in the extremely racially tense Southern United States, and Malcolm X an Afro-American who grew up in the Northeastern section of the U.S., faced segregation and discrimination, and resorted to a life of crime for money and other pleasures. Both of their situations, direct effects of the prejudice-injected Jim Crow Era, changed each of them to become leaders in their own respects. Both of these men’s experiences and input on

African American civil rights helped our nation take a profound leap into what we consider today a much less racially-prejudiced 21st century.

In Wright’s case, he was continually discriminated and kept segregated for the majority of his life. To signify his naive childhood, he sold newspapers that incriminated and discriminated African Americans without his knowing. His father left him at a young age, and he was teased and harassed for being even remotely intelligent and yearning for higher education, yearning for a better life. He even describes that “Every word and gesture [Wright] made seemed to provoke hostility. […]. “ One detrimental individual told him “Who on Earth put such ideas into your n***** head?”(Wright pg. 147) For being valedictorian, his principal attempted to manipulate him to appeal to the Caucasian audience. His rebellious nature led to him reading his own speech; this serves in itself a precursor of Wright’s future impact on society. His isolation from society(“I had already begun to sense that my feelings varied too far from those of the people around me for me to blab about what I felt.” (pg. 306)), his well-written speech, his excellent grades despite the constant harassment

and attempted religious conformement by his aunt and grandmother, despite the bullying and fights he got into, serve as an example of the humanity of the African American. When Wright published Black Boy, his life in its entirety served as an example of how “human” African Americans were, proving to many in the west, east, north, and south, even those uninformed or neutral on the case of racial segregation, that the “Negro” people did not deserve these atrocities, low education quality, lynchings, murders, low wages, poor jobs, terrible living conditions, rather they deserved equality with the Caucasian man. By using his own life changing experiences that made Wright the incredible writer, man, and Civil Rights activist many see him as today, Wright in effect changed the nature of many American men and women, creating one catalyst for the Civil Rights movement that would come later.

A more familiar name would be Malcolm Little, better known as Malcolm X, a man who, along with Martin Luther King, were the foundation and main catalysts of the Civil Rights movement.

However, it was what happened in his life that made Malcolm X the man who people remember today. From a very early age, Little lived in fear of racism and hate groups, much of it rooting from his father’s murder by white supremacists. He was effectively orphaned by 13, as his mother was placed in a mental institution, and lived until he was 20 in several different foster homes. He was arrested for a crime and once released, went on to commit several crimes, including using and distributing drugs, etc. It was when he was imprisoned that he found the Nation of Islam, who helped him when he was released from prison to find a new life. From them, he was able to attain great oratory skills and create an environment when he spoke in which the people around him, white and black alike, felt empowered and equal. Once he discovered corruption and began to disdain the Nation of Islam, he became independent and was later assassinated. However, he along with MLK, were empowered by their stories, Malcolm’s being one of hatred, poverty, hope, and truth, that changed him to become a stimulus for African American equality in

America.

In sum, both Malcolm X and Richard Wright, though with different backgrounds, created a new environment for African Americans today with their invariable and undeniable will for equality for all races. Their stories are perfect examples of the terrible nature of the Jim Crow era and American institutionalized racism. Both of their significant work in society, Wright with his powerful autobiography, Malcolm X with his oration and even his presence, did wonders to changing American society for the better forever.