Chapter 11 Summary

As Malcolm begins his correspondence with Elijah Muhammad, he writes of his inadequacy with the English language. His solution was to copy every page of the dictionary, a page a day. Through this rigorous exercise, he learned a vast vocabulary and was able to better communicate, both in writing, and later in his speaking engagements.

Malcolm continued his education, reading about a number of historical events where whites suppressed others of color, such as the English control over India where Mahatma Gandhi struggled against oppression. Malcolm realized that racism was not merely an issue of civil rights in America, but of human rights throughout the world.

As Malcolm began a regular correspondence with Elijah Muhammad, he learned that his brother Reginald had been suspended from the Nation of Islam. Reginald had continued a taboo relationship, and Malcolm wrote a letter to Muhammad in...