--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we became students of Malcolm X, we…" description: "\"If we became students of Malcolm X, we would not have young black men out there killing each other like they're killing each other now. Young black men..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/770/spike-lee-3057_alcoholism_if-we-became-students-of-malcolm-x-we-wo_1299263.jpg" --- # If we became students of Malcolm X, we would not have… ![“If we became students of Malcolm X, we would not have young black men out there killing each other like they're killing each other now. Young black men would not be impregnating young black women at the rate going on now. We'd not have the drugs we have now, or the alcoholism.” quote by Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/770/spike-lee-3057_alcoholism_if-we-became-students-of-malcolm-x-we-wo_1299263.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/770/spike-lee-3057_alcoholism_if-we-became-students-of-malcolm-x-we-wo_1299263.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/770/spike-lee-3057_alcoholism_if-we-became-students-of-malcolm-x-we-wo_1299263.jpg) > “If we became students of Malcolm X, we would not have young black men out there killing each other like they're killing each other now. Young black men would not be impregnating young black women at the rate going on now. We'd not have the drugs we have now, or the alcoholism.” [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning from Malcolm X would prevent self‑destructive cycles among Black youth, reducing violence, unintended pregnancies, drugs, and alcoholism. **In simple terms:** Malcolm X’s teachings could curb harmful behaviors in Black communities. Key Takeaway Apply Malcolm X’s lessons to community programs. Themes education community violence prevention health empowerment Mood hopeful urgent Type inspirational social When to use this quote - youth mentorship - public health initiatives - community outreach Key Concepts social justice leadership Questions to Reflect On - What community structures can embody Malcolm X’s teachings? - How can we address underlying socioeconomic factors? A Different Perspective Change requires systemic support, not just individual education. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alcoholism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism/) [Black women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-women/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) ## Related quotes > [I always tell my students that Malcolm X came both to his spirituality and to his consciousness as a thinker when he had solitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-always-tell-my-students-that-malcolm-x-came-both-to-his/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Don't for a moment believe He was killing the young; He was costuming angels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/don-t-for-a-moment-believe-he-was-killing-the-young-he-was-costuming/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [If 'Back In Black' has Bon Scott all over it, for me, 'Power Up' has got Malcolm Young. This is for him. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-williams/if-back-in-black-has-bon-scott-all-over-it-for-me-power-up-has-got/) [Cliff Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-williams/) > [It's almost like a lot of black people in America, a lot of young black men, are born with this cloud over their heads.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erykah-badu/it-s-almost-like-a-lot-of-black-people-in-america-a-lot-of-young/) [Erykah Badu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erykah-badu/) > [We see organizations that target young black men to give them direction in life, but so often, black girls are missed. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/we-see-organizations-that-target-young-black-men-to-give-them/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [Young black men are considered dangerous, expendable, threatening and part of a culture of criminality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/young-black-men-are-considered-dangerous-expendable-threatening-and/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [The only difference is now more young black men are in the spotlight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afeni-shakur/the-only-difference-is-now-more-young-black-men-are-in-the-spotlight/) [Afeni Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afeni-shakur/) > [Young black men are not only being arrested and channeled into the criminal justice system in record numbers, they are also being targeted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/young-black-men-are-not-only-being-arrested-and-channeled-into-the/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Strictly Business' is about a young black man who is learning about himself, and that applies to a lot of young black men, those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-davidson/strictly-business-is-about-a-young-black-man-who-is-learning-about/) [Tommy Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-davidson/) > [Young black men in America have an identity ascribed to them that is a direct legacy of slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/young-black-men-in-america-have-an-identity-ascribed-to-them-that-is/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Young black men in this country have to understand that they have a responsibility. They cannot be the enemy in their own neighborhoods and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brown/young-black-men-in-this-country-have-to-understand-that-they-have-a/) [Jim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brown/) > [I've never seen black men with fine white women. They be ugly. Mugly dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-ve-never-seen-black-men-with-fine-white-women-they-be-ugly-mugly/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I just wish all these young black kids would realize how significant it is to stop acting a fool out there, killing each other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/i-just-wish-all-these-young-black-kids-would-realize-how-significant/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) > [There were certain expectations that were assumed of me as a young black American 20th-century - then 20th-century artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/there-were-certain-expectations-that-were-assumed-of-me-as-a-young/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [I always crave to see more stories about and by people of color, particularly new work by young black writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katori-hall/i-always-crave-to-see-more-stories-about-and-by-people-of-color/) [Katori Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katori-hall/) ## More by Spike Lee > [Mike Tyson is the most complex person I've ever met in my life. I've known Mike since 1986. We're both from Brooklyn. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/mike-tyson-is-the-most-complex-person-i-ve-ever-met-in-my-life-i-ve/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [A spine to my films that's become more evident to me is that many are about the choices people make, and the reverberations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/a-spine-to-my-films-that-s-become-more-evident-to-me-is-that-many-are/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I am very fortunate I can send my kids to private school, but everybody does not have the money. If you cannot get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-am-very-fortunate-i-can-send-my-kids-to-private-school-but/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I really don't deal with hypotheticals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-really-don-t-deal-with-hypotheticals/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I've never seen black men with fine white women. They be ugly. Mugly dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-ve-never-seen-black-men-with-fine-white-women-they-be-ugly-mugly/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I may have been born yesterday, but I stayed up all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-may-have-been-born-yesterday-but-i-stayed-up-all-night/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I consider Madonna a friend, and she sure knows how to work the publicity machine. Of course, I don't have breasts. 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I'm worrying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-m-worried-just-as-much-about-donald-trump-as-that-crazy-guy-in/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I think the best actors in the world are here in New York City. And this city is just so vibrant the energy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-think-the-best-actors-in-the-world-are-here-in-new-york-city-and/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [People sometimes forget all the films that we've done. They remember the likes of 'Malcolm X' and 'Do the Right Thing.' But I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/people-sometimes-forget-all-the-films-that-we-ve-done-they-remember/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I ain't Martin Luther King. I don't need a dream. I have a plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-ain-t-martin-luther-king-i-don-t-need-a-dream-i-have-a-plan/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [Any film I do is not going to change the way black women have been portrayed, or black people have been portrayed, in cinema…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/any-film-i-do-is-not-going-to-change-the-way-black-women-have-been/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [I think if people looked at my body of work, they'd see a great breadth of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/i-think-if-people-looked-at-my-body-of-work-they-d-see-a-great/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) [Explore all 141 Spike Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) ## More Alcoholism quotes > [And, when night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/and-when-night-darkens-the-streets-then-wander-forth-the-sons-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. 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They just don't go together. But that's what happened. And the next day, obviously God had honored those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hamilton/i-was-drunk-christian-and-drunk-they-just-don-t-go-together-but-that/) [Jim Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hamilton/) > [When a woman drinks it's as if an animal were drinking, or a child. 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