Being Noah Tesfaye #38: Learning from History — Malcolm X

I’m here, sitting at my favorite coffee shop, writing what I think is going to be another blog post, amongst people that I have no idea who they are. But I do know that I always see the same people around here, which is kind of reassuring I guess. The one thing that still blows my mind, the one thing that I still don’t get is that I don’t see any more black people, no one else like me. I literally almost break my neck whenever I see another black person here. It’s like a shot of pure energy hits my spine.

This lack of people like me, other African Americans, has been a weekly occurrence for sure. I mean, when you really think about it, I always find it really frustrating to be that one person that people will always look at and judge, but I’ve gotten used to it, or at least I think I’ve gotten over it. Where am I going with all of this? Well, this week I really got to start reading a new book. Initially, I thought I would be getting a story about a movement and the reasonings behind that movement. But what I got, what I’m still learning even only through six or so chapters, is that there are people who are like me out there. I am of course talking about this book: The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley.

I bought this book in the stash I bought in New York back in February that I so often refer to. I’ve…