Discrimination In Malcolm X

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Malcolm X once said “I'm speaking as a victim of this American system. And I see America through the eyes of a victim. I don't see any American dream; I see an American nightmare”. Through the novel X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon, we learn about the American nightmare faced by black youth through the life of Malcolm X. The novel reveals how the government's systems such as schools and police force continually fail Malcolm leading him down a path of crime and violence, connecting to similar issues faced by black youth today in our country.
Throughout the novel, we are exposed to the state of conditions of Malcolm X's adolescence and how the school system continually discriminates against him. As a top student in his class with strong …show more content…
As a result of dropping out of school, Malcolm resorts to working as a hustler by selling reefers. One day, luckily just after selling all of his reefers, he is approached by a police officer and the following encounter occurs, “The rough hands spin me around and begin frisking me but come up empty. “We’re gonna get you, Detroit,” he says, shoving me off. “Sooner than later””(265). Malcolm is carded and racially profiled by the police officer because of the color of his skin as the officer has never seen him commit a crime but nevertheless pats him down. Additionally, the officer’s rough behavior shows the deep contempt and anger he has for people like Malcolm. The officer’s comments also illustrate a major issue with how police officers view black youth as the officer suggests that he wants to get Malcolm and ruin his life. This connects to the issues of police brutality and racial profiling faced by black youth recently. A Toronto Star investigation called Known to police discovered that black youth are disproportionately stopped by police for carding. The number of black males aged 15 to 24 who have been documented since 2008 outnumbers the actual populations of young black and brown men who live in the city. Additionally, an initiative by Guardian newspaper called The Counted found that black males aged 15-34 were nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by law enforcement officers last
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