Rebuilding Rob

If I could read one book over and over again, it would be The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

When I first read it, I simply was not ready for how profound of an impact it would have on me; particularly as a white man living in America. Back in November, WordPress gave us a prompt asking who is one famous person that we would like to meet. I answered Malcolm X. You can read that post HERE.

Until the release of his biopic in 1992, Malcolm was relegated to being a footnote in the history of the civil rights movement, let alone, American history in general. I get it. White America looks at him and says “yeah but he once said ‘white people are the devil’”. The man is human just like the rest of us. He he grew, and became more enlightened. In fact, there’s a lot of speculation that the nation of Islam, the very organization that he helped expand in his heyday, was behind his assassination.

But more than all of that, the big thing I gleaned from The Autobiography… is that this was a guy who pretty much hit rock-bottom in his life, and got his proverbial shit together. He was self-educated, and was very self-aware of just how little time he had on this earth.

The Autobiography… inspired me in many ways. It inspired me to get my own life together. I feel like it’s one of those books that I have to go back and reread every few years to see not only what else I can pick up from it; but also to see maybe how my views may have changed over time. My very first copy of the book is highlighted page after page of important thoughts that Malcolm had.

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:

• Of Training Wheels and Christmas Lights
• Charity Starts at Home (And I’m Back in My Childhood One)
• The Muscle of Empathy
• Where Do We Go From Here? Five Years Since January 6.
• Bugs, Boundaries, and the Art of Not Being Invisible

The article “Malcolm 10” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob