In Malcolm's life, even as early as childhood, race has played a big role. He caught his first glimpses of racism in grade school from Mr. Ostrowski, but because this view was incomplete, he continued to play into the ideals of white men. During his time in prison he learned about Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam, which introduced him to Yacub's History, and the theory that the white man is the devil. These false teachings make Malcolm believe that the black race was natural and peaceful, and the white race only came into existence to disrupt the peace. He believes that different races cannot live together, and that his people should separate themselves from the destructives whites.
However, when Malcolm goes on the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, he sees Muslims of all races living in harmony as brothers. This is extremely troubling to Malcolm because it contradicts everything he's ever known. It leads him to wonder: how? How is this possible? He meets white men during the pilgrimage who treat him as if he were family - offering him shelter and feeding him. Malcolm looks suspiciously for ulterior motives and finds none. These people truly care about him. This puts Malcolm into an awed state; it is a marvel and a wonder to him. There is no race issue in Mecca. This brings Malcolm to the conclusion that not all white men are evil. He believes now that having one unified religion like Islam could solve America's race problems by ridding the white man of his negative thoughts and forcing him to treat all races as family. This concept is completely new to him - he was blinded too long by stereotypical labeling. Now he can look past that and see not single colors, but a kaleidoscope.
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