Obstacles In African American Literature

Can one truly respect and appreciate a person or group of people without having accurate knowledge about what they have endured or contributed to a society? For me the answer is no, no such emotion is conceivable with a regard toward another human being without knowing about their past experiences. The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley, shines a light on the adversities African Americans are faced with and how, in spite of those hardships, we have made a lasting impact. . African American literature teaches us the role that African Americans played in making this country what it is today, all the while helping us realize that even though we have come a long way, there are many obstacles we must overcome. Obstacles such as negative stereotypes and what we now call “New Jim Crow Laws”. By studying African American …show more content…
Just like with any stereotypes, they are infectious and can only be stopped with education. In Malcolm X’s autobiography he talks about his teacher’s response to him telling him that he wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up. “Malcolm, one of life’s first needs is for us to be realistic. Don’t misunderstand me, now. We all here like you, you know that. But you’ve got to be realistic about being a nigger. A lawyer—that’s no realistic goal for a nigger….” was his reaction. Although Malcolm was the top student in his class his teacher, just like many people today, he did not think that Malcolm was able to accomplish something so great. When an individual is told what they can or cannot be and who they are, they began to believe it and unconsciously make the stereotypes seem to be true. Teaching African American literature gives an accurate description of African Americans to the communities who may not interact with them often, while raising the confidence of African American students, allowing them to be all they can