X (N.Weakfall)

With the recent events in our country surrounding race relations and the Black Lives Matter movement, the reading of this book could not have been more timely.  This is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction that tells the story of young Malcolm X.  As a young boy, Malcolm was often in trouble for stealing food and was eventually taken from his family and sent to an alternative school.  While at this predominately white school, Malcolm was popular and was even voted in to be the president of his class.  One day after class, a conversation with his teacher changed his path drastically.  When asked what he wanted to be, Malcolm shares that he would love to be a lawyer.  His dreams are shattered by this teacher who tells him to be realistic, that's not a job he could possibly hold.  This conversation sets him on a path of drug dealing, hustling, and womanizing until he was eventually imprisoned on burglary charges.