I agree with you that Malcolm X knew a life full of hardships but he did not want any of the hardship, or past experiences get in his way of being an influential and valued member of the society. This man was an idealistic believer of social change especially at the time when the black people were experiencing unfair treatment as members of the community. He decided to stand up for himself and the rest of the community and advocate for the rights of the black community. He was significantly influenced by those who came before him including his father and Marcus Garvey (Fredroskson, 2003). He managed to become a powerful voice of the community primarily because he had ‘a story' to tell; he had been through all kinds of hardships including the drug addiction, people love to associate with individuals who have unpleasant memories to share.
I agree that the SNCC was a movement intended to release pent up frustration the black community had in their hearts and minds about the oppressive and unfair treatment by the white community. Many activists at the time had begun to realize that civil rights legislations was their only solitude and would be the last resort for them to seek a free and fair treatment among the community members. The few reforms that had taken place were not enough, and the activists believed that they did not address the internal vestiges of discrimination, the issue of equal access to opportunities in the society as well as the issue of poverty which was quite rampant at the time (Gallagher & Lippard, 2014). SNCC was one way of ensuring that total equality was achieved through harnessing the black power.
References
Fredroskson, G. (2003). Racism: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Gallagher, C. & Lippard, C. (2014). Race and Racism in the United States [4 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic. Connecticut: Greenwood.
