Life lessons Malcolm X instilled in me

WARNING: PHOTOS ARE NSFW (not safe for work):

1. Don’t water down your beliefs

Don’t water-down coffee; or put milk into it.

Progress is healing the wound that the blow made; not to just stick a knife in my back 9 inches, and pull it out 6 inches. They won’t even admit the knife is there.

2. Practice what I preach

Ii have more respect for a man who lets me know where he stands; even if he’s wrong, than the one who comes up like an angel, but is nothing but a devil.

Have consistency in my beliefs.

3. Avoid moderate beliefs

Be extreme in my beliefs; in defense of liberty.

When one is moderate in the pursuit of justice for human beings, he is a sinner.

Don’t be ‘moderate’ in justice for humans.

4. Share light

Enlighten others; cast away the darkness of prejudice and hate:

We need enlightenment. We need more light about each other. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience, and patience creates unity.

Be more patient with my loved ones; and all human beings.

5. Power

The ballot; or the bullet?

6. 310 years of slavery

Story (told from the slave): “Overseer Artayou Carrier whipped me. I was two months in bed sore from the whipping. My master come after I was whipped; he discharged the overseer.” The very words of poor Peter, taken as he sat for his picture. Baton Rouge, La., April 2, 1863. (War Dept.)
America built on the back of slaves.

7. Stop singing; start swinging

Muhammad Ali can sing; but singing didn’t help him become the heavyweight champion of the world. Swinging helped him become the heavyweight champion.

Swing for what I believe in. Be heavyweight; not lightweight.

8. Change my behavior

Once you change your philosophy; you change your thought pattern — then you change your attitude — then you change your behavior.

Avoid ‘sit down philosophy’ — or else you will have sit-down thought pattern; avoid sit-down action.
Take massive action in my life. Philosophy to change action and behavior; not philosophy for philosophy sake.

9. Liberty or death

“Liberty or death” was what brought about the freedom of whites in this country from the English. They didn’t care about the odds. Why they faced the wrath of the entire British Empire. And in those days they used to say that the British Empire was so vast and so powerful when the sun would never set on them. This is how big it was, yet these 13 little, scrawny states, tired of taxation without representation, tired of being exploited and oppressed and degraded, told that big British Empire “Liberty or death.” — Malcom X

Note: study more of founding of America.
Early America vs British Empire.

Liberty or death.

10. All men are one

We are all brothers and sisters in the same earth; we are one.
I’m for truth; justice, whatever will benefit humanity as a whole.
Most evil is racism; inability for us to live in one.

11. Never stop learning/reading

I can easily spend the rest of my life reading, and satisfying my curiosity.

12. Change your actions

Anytime you meet someone more successful than you are, they are doing something you aren’t.

Change my actions to change my life, to have more success in what I believe in.

RIP Malcom X.