--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I went to a white school over here in…" description: "\"I went to a white school over here in Mason, Michigan. The white man made the mistake of letting me read his history books. He made the mistake of teac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/malcolm-x-213_book_i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-ma_2669188.jpg" --- # I went to a white school over here in Mason, Michigan. The… ![“I went to a white school over here in Mason, Michigan. The white man made the mistake of letting me read his history books. He made the mistake of teaching me that Patrick Henry was a patriot and George Washington - wasn't nothing non-violent about old Pat or George Washington.” quote by Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/malcolm-x-213_book_i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-ma_2669188.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/malcolm-x-213_book_i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-ma_2669188.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/malcolm-x-213_book_i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-ma_2669188.jpg) > “I went to a white school over here in Mason, Michigan. The white man made the mistake of letting me read his history books. He made the mistake of teaching me that Patrick Henry was a patriot and George Washington - wasn't nothing non-violent about old Pat or George Washington.” [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques biased historical narratives that glorify violent figures as patriots. **In simple terms:** History can be distorted. Key Takeaway Question accepted narratives. Themes history education bias Mood critical provocative Type political educational When to use this quote - school curricula - public discourse - activism Key Concepts critical thinking historical revisionism Questions to Reflect On - What sources reveal hidden histories? - How can education address bias? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched narratives is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [George w](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/george-w/) [History books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-books/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Masons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masons/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Michigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/michigan/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Non violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-violent/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patrick-henry/) [Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriot/) [Patriot George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriot-george-2489178/) [Read History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-history/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) [Washington Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-wasn-475440/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [White man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-man/) [White School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-school-733078/) ## Related quotes > [The white man made the mistake of letting me read his history books. He made the mistake of teaching me that Patrick Henry was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/the-white-man-made-the-mistake-of-letting-me-read-his-history-books/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Here you have 22 million Afro-Americans, black people today, catching more hell than Patrick Henry ever saw. And I'm here to tell you, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/here-you-have-22-million-afro-americans-black-people-today-catching/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [You don't disarm any white community by confining yourself to any particular method. If you want freedom, then you should get freedom like Patrick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/you-don-t-disarm-any-white-community-by-confining-yourself-to-any/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Black Americans are the only people in history who are for education instead of liberation. George Washington wasn't beating up on British for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/black-americans-are-the-only-people-in-history-who-are-for-education/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-supreme-court-has-ruled-that-they-cannot-have-a-nativity-scene-in/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [As I was running for Congress in 2018, people across my district voiced a clear concern that Washington wasn't working for them, and was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-spanberger/as-i-was-running-for-congress-in-2018-people-across-my-district/) [Abigail Spanberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-spanberger/) > [Obama reminds me of the black kid at a white school that don't nobody want to play with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/obama-reminds-me-of-the-black-kid-at-a-white-school-that-don-t-nobody/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [I know I'm going back some decades, but I'll never forget the discomfort of being one of the few Black kids in a predominantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/i-know-i-m-going-back-some-decades-but-i-ll-never-forget-the/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [I got bullied so much growing up for being a different color in a majority white school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane-brown/i-got-bullied-so-much-growing-up-for-being-a-different-color-in-a/) [Kane Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane-brown/) > [I went to an all white school where I dealt with racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaske-spencer/i-went-to-an-all-white-school-where-i-dealt-with-racism/) [Chaske Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaske-spencer/) > [I went to an all-white school in high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-beal/i-went-to-an-all-white-school-in-high-school/) [Bradley Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-beal/) > [I was a black kid in an all-white school, so I had to deal with some of that stress and pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-hibbert/i-was-a-black-kid-in-an-all-white-school-so-i-had-to-deal-with-some/) [Roy Hibbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-hibbert/) > [I was one of the first three black students to go to an all-white school in Tennessee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-was-one-of-the-first-three-black-students-to-go-to-an-all-white/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [And I can relate to that, because I went to an all white school, so I knew what that was like. And it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-true/and-i-can-relate-to-that-because-i-went-to-an-all-white-school-so-i/) [Rachel True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-true/) > [And in the racial climate of this country today, it is anybody's guess which of the 'extremes' in approach to the black man's problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/and-in-the-racial-climate-of-this-country-today-it-is-anybody-s-guess/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) ## More by Malcolm X > [If Christianity had asserted itself in Germany, six million Jews would have lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-christianity-had-asserted-itself-in-germany-six-million-jews-would/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Be nonviolent only with those who are nonviolent to you. And when you can bring me a nonviolent racist, bring me a nonviolent segregationist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/be-nonviolent-only-with-those-who-are-nonviolent-to-you-and-when-you/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [You can't legislate good will - that comes through education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/you-can-t-legislate-good-will-that-comes-through-education/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Those type of whites who are always going to jail with Negroes are the ones who tell Negroes to be loving and be kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/those-type-of-whites-who-are-always-going-to-jail-with-negroes-are/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [We Muslims believe that the white race, which is guilty of having oppressed and exploited and enslaved our people here in America, should and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/we-muslims-believe-that-the-white-race-which-is-guilty-of-having/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I mean a real police state just to get a token recognition of a law. It take, it took, I think, 15,000 troops and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-mean-a-real-police-state-just-to-get-a-token-recognition-of-a-law/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Like Samson, I am ready to pull down the white man's temple, knowing full well that I will be destroyed by the falling rubble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/like-samson-i-am-ready-to-pull-down-the-white-man-s-temple-knowing/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Any negro who occupies a position that was given to him by the white man, if you analyze his function, his function never enables…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/any-negro-who-occupies-a-position-that-was-given-to-him-by-the-white/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Stumbling is not falling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/stumbling-is-not-falling/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [God is going to punish the white man for his misdeeds toward black people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/god-is-going-to-punish-the-white-man-for-his-misdeeds-toward-black/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Much of what I say might sound like it's stirring up trouble, but it's the truth!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/much-of-what-i-say-might-sound-like-it-s-stirring-up-trouble-but-it-s/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I believe in the brotherhood of all men, but I don't believe in wasting brotherhood on anyone who doesn't want to practice it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-believe-in-the-brotherhood-of-all-men-but-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) [Explore all 891 Malcolm X quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I went to a white school over here in Mason, Michigan. The white man made the mistake of letting me read his history books. He made the mistake of teaching me that Patrick Henry was a patriot and George Washington - wasn't nothing non-violent about old Pat or George Washington.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm X" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-mason-michigan-the-white-man/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-mason-michigan-the-white-man/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/malcolm-x-213_book_i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-ma_2669188.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/malcolm-x-213_book_i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-ma_2669188.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/malcolm-x-213_book_i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-ma_2669188.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I went to a white school over here in Mason, Michigan. The white man made the mistake of letting me read his…” — Malcolm X", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Malcolm X", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I went to a white school...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-mason-michigan-the-white-man/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-went-to-a-white-school-over-here-in-mason-michigan-the-white-man/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```