Because of the problem of color by racial discrimination

本文讲述了在美国黑人因肤色问题遭到种族歧视。“但就我而言，世界上有那么多的人，在追求自由的反面，本身人与人之间就是平等的。不管是什么肤色都不应存在种族歧视，由于主要受白人种族主义者的影响，种族歧视这一现象目前为止很难被打破。

 Review of Malcolm X and Black Rage

Since this review is targeted at my peers, namely college-age audience, I think that I may assume that all of you have some ideas about the basics of racism, white supremacy, black rage and all the other fundamental elements constitutive of racism. Having finished this essay, I start to have the feeling that West seems to praise Malcolm X before he finally gets into his focus of giving his critical insights into Malcolm X as well as his promotion of black rage. 

In the first place, West argues that Malcolm X is the prophet of Black rage then and now for his unprecedented manner of communicating that Black rage out where he introduces the urgent need of psychic conversion of the degraded and devalued black people. And it is also because of his love for black people. Malcolm X attaches great importance and value to love for black people, for he holds that “this love would produce a psychic conversion in Black people in that they would affirm themselves as human beings, no longer viewing their bodies, minds and souls through white lenses, but believing themselves capable of taking control of their own destinies”(141). Malcolm X thinks that this love can give black people the courage they need to get rid of self-contempt, self-doubt and disbelief and then begin to have self-esteem. And finally this love enables them to obtain independence and can be the master of their own fate without oppression from the whites. It seems that West is sparing no effort in convincing us the value of this love. But as far as I am concerned, with so many obsessions with the opposite of the freedom that is in quest, Black rage in itself is more a departure from what should be truly valued. After careful elaboration of Malcolm X’s psychic conversion, West puts forward a problem “Du Bios’s double-consciousness seems to lock black people into the quest for white approval and disappointment, due mainly to white racist assessment, whereas Malcolm X suggests that this tragic syndrome can be broken. But how?”(143) Double consciousness highlights the need for acceptance and approval from both the white as well as the black because they finally appeal to white-supremacist’s standard to measure their own humanity, with which Malcolm X disagrees. And he even thinks that such morbid obsession can be avoided or even eliminated. But in what way, there is direct answer. At that time of pervasive and deeply-rooted racism, we have to admit that it is so difficult to deal with problem. But Malcolm X’s insight into this problem is praiseworthy. And then West analyses the reasons why Malcolm X does not put forward a direct answer and critically elaborates his consideration about Malcolm X’s concepts. It is evident that Malcolm X resorts to love, nationalism to appeal to black people’s ethos, facilitating this black rage with emphasis of self-respect, self-determination and self-love to be the dominant black idea. 

When it comes to the rhetoric device West uses in this essay, I think he appeals to reason, to logos to clarify his understanding and insights into Malcolm X and black rage. At the first beginning of this essay, he admits that Malcolm X is a prophet of black rage and speak well of some of Malcolm X’s ideas and deeds. In the mean time, when the analysis goes deeper, he also points out some defaults of Malcolm X.

Apart from knowing more about racism and those two scholars’ ideas, what we can also learn from this essay is its way of development and the arrangements of arguments, or perhaps the more important is critical thinking. It is not wise for us to fully accept others’ ideas without our own judgments and analysis, especially since we are college students.

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