The Introduction of all Introductions relating to the Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley

     At a first glance, it may seem like Malcolm is a completely changed man after taking his journey to Mecca. He even changes his name to El-Hajj El-Shabazz to represent that. During his trip at Mecca, Malcolm accepts a new insight about the white man when he receives kindness from a man of Islam named Dr. Azzam whom Malcolm states,"... would've been considered 'white' in America." From this incident Malcolm understands that it isn't the white man who are the problem with American society but racism itself. His new goal after Mecca is the integration in America through Islam just like how it was in Mecca. Through Mecca Malcolm, has finally accepted the white man and has changed his negative thoughts about them, or has he?

      When you change your perspectives on something, the way Malcolm claimed he did, you're not supposed to refer to it in a negative connotation, which is exactly what Malcolm does. On page 40, within the chapter "Mascot", present- day Malcolm (the one who had the interview with Alex Haley) states,“I've often thought that if Mr. Ostrowski had encouraged me to become a lawyer, I would today probably be among some city's professional black bourgeoisie, sipping cocktails and palming myself off as a community spokesman for and leader of the suffering black masses, while my primary concern would be to grab a few more crumbs from the groaning board of the two-faced whites with whom they're begging to ‘integrate,'" which seems odd from a man who has changed his view on the white man. Within the statement is the idea that whites as a race are two-faced when that is the exact opposite of the treatment he received from Dr. Azzam who Malcolm himself says would've been considered white in America. If I were to ask someone who has read the book if this quote was made before or after Malcolm's trip to Mecca they would most likely say before, and would be surprised to find out that it was made after especially because of its placement in the book. The point is that Malcolm claims to have changed since Mecca but continues to make derogatory statements about the white population. It seems way too contradictory almost two-faced.

         If Malcolm is a changed man but still refers to whites as two-faced then how has Malcolm changed if he really did? One way to think about it is that possibly when Malcolm says he changed he wasn't referencing to his new insight but his new found religion. But even if, it would still contradict with the whole-hearted kindness that he was so moved by from Dr.Azzam.