The letter I signed up for was to Martin Luther King Jr from Malcom X. I did a little background research because I was curious about their viewpoints on civil rights. What I discovered was that Martin Luther King Jr is often portrayed as a less/non-violent insider, meanwhile Malcom X was willing to do anything to achieve his goals. He believed that non-violent actions were too slow in making progress. Comparing and contracting was really interesting, and I enjoyed analyzing this letter.
- 1 interesting point: Malcom X invited a lot of people to the event. He writes to Martin Luther King Jr, “If you cannot come, please send your representative. Invitations to participate have been sent to: Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, Dr. Adam C. Powell, James Farmer, Whitney Young, A. Phillip Randolph, Dr. Ralph Bunche, Dr. Joseph H. Jackson and James Forman.” In addition to inviting many participants, Malcom X also tells Martin Luther King Jr to send his representative if he could not go.
- 1 strange point: I found it strange how Malcom X was working with this outdoor rally sponsored by the Muslims. I’m not sure what the history was behind that.
- 1 confusing point: Malcom X is usually characterized as persistent and willing to be violent for his cause. However, there are moment in this letter that show a less violent side of him. He writes, “There will be no debating, arguing, criticizing, or condemning. I will moderate the meeting and guarantee order and courtesy for all speakers. This rally is designed not only to reflect the spirit of unity, but it will give you a chance to present your views to the largest and most explosive elements in Metropolitan New York.”
On another note, I have been sick for a while now, and this week I am finally just going home to rest so that I can truly feel 100% better again. The transition to college itself has been a lot, but theres been a lot of other things going on too in my life, and I really need a break. On the other hand however, I am really anxious about making sure I don’t fall too behind on my assignments. I’m a bio major, and I am really worried about falling behind in chemistry. But mental and physical health needs to come first. I actually think these weekly writings have been really great for me because they let me get some of my emotions out for the week, even if it’s just for this FYS class.
Getting back on track, I know we are viewing one of the two films for class, and I am going to try to watch one while I am at home. I decided I will watch “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”, since I am sick anyways it will be relaxing, however I can also still feel like I am getting stuff done.
Update: I watched the movie and actually found it rather enjoyable. The whole idea of Lee Israel selling these fake letters written by herself as historically valuable letters was fascinating, despite it being a criminal act. I liked the end and how much she turned her life around for herself despite the end product where she has to face consequences for her actions.
