I wish for it to be known that I am, currently, am not of a religious faith. For many years,
even during my catholic teaching at Holy Redeemer High School, I felt disconnected from
the Roman Catholic faith that I was brought up in. Upon reading Malcolm X’s
autobiography, I found an interesting parallel between myself and Malcolm when reading
his path towards religious enlightenment. While Malcolm has chosen a far different
outlook on religion than I have, I have noticed there are similar points within both our lives
where our view on our religions had been changed.
In my earlier life, during my youth to the end of my elementary school years, I saw myself
as a studious and fairly religious child. My faith was a partial motivation to performing
well, even after elementary and through my years in middle and high school, and focus
strictly on my work rather than building a more social life outside of my studies. The belief
in a higher power and the fear of “divine retribution” involved with my belief was what led
me to stay on such a path was what kept me on such a path for a number of years. In
Malcolm’s case, while he did take an interest in his studies during his younger years, his
lack of options within the social environment, and lack of legitimate faith towards a moral,
ethical, or spiritual code, was what led him toward a lifestyle similar to that of a criminal.
During the period of time before his metanoia, he takes pride in embracing the stereotypes
that were associated with his ethnicity at the time and often committed acts of robbery,
fraud, draft evasion, all among a long list of legal misconduct conducted by him.
Where both Mr. X and I cross the same intersection, at one point, was the introduction to
the respective cages we were thrown into, and where our views on faith would change. For
Malcolm X, his environment of metamorphosis was at the Charlestown State Prison. As
Malcolm remained there for his 8-10-year sentence, he had much time to reflect on his
predicament and how his life had led to prison. It was when he met one the inmates who
taught him the power of speech, that he would be given his first steps towards his own
civil liberties movement, and his conversion to Islam. For myself, it was Wyoming Valley
West Middle School, where, for four long years, through pressure of aggravating students,
