Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass were both incredibly intelligent men, and without them, the Civil Rights Movement would not have been nearly as successful. The two men were so significant not only because of their participation in the movement, but also their influence in many other activists for centuries to come. Both of these incredible human beings had to teach themselves how to read, and without doing so, they would not have made such an impact on the world. Malcolm X said that reading evoked a desire to be “mentally alive” (Malcolm X, 1925) in him, while Douglass viewed reading as a means to escape “mental darkness”. (Douglass) Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass were affected greatly by the power of reading, and it is important to note exactly how it impacted their lives, what prompted their decision to learn to read, the parallels between the ways they both learned to read, the knowledge they both gained through literacy, and what they both discovered about “the curse and not the blessing” of literacy. First off, it is safe to say that Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass were not simply impacted by their opportunities to teach themselves how to read, rather, their entire lives were …show more content…
Without the ability to read, Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass would not have made such a huge impact in the Civil Rights Movement. Although the path to literacy was indeed a harsh one, it was certainly worthwhile, because modern day society would be so much different if not for Malcolm X and Douglass. Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass were affected greatly by the power of reading, and it is important to remember exactly how it impacted their lives, what prompted their decision to learn to read, the parallels between the ways they both learned to read, the knowledge they both gained through literacy, and what they both discovered about “the curse and not the blessing” of