Reflecting on Malcom X's Younger Years

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The Kelley reading on Malcolm X's teen years and the environment in which he lived during this time shed light on the factions both between and within ethnic groups. I found this fascinating because it stood in contrast to other readings and course material that focused more on the color lines between racial groups (i.e. Black and White, Asian and White, Latino and White). Instead, Kelley's reading addressed the tumultuous relationship between the Black middle class and the lower class and the resentment each group felt for the other during the time period of World War II.

This tension between the socio-economic classes within the Black community makes sense to me, since each group seemed to be trying to achieve different goals. While the lower class fought to try to assimilate into "American" culture by applying the "Protestant work ethic" celebrated in America, much of the lower class rebelled against this way of life and chased less than legitimate pursuits. In my opinion, it is this sort of dynamic (e.g. tension within a downtrodden group) that made it so difficult to overcome the unjust societal makeup of the time.