Despite the difficulties that James McBride and Malcolm X face in a time when black people are still considered lesser citizens, both are able to build influential lives. They embody the self-empowerment and growth that is the root of American ideals. Even at a glance, the lives of these two individuals are examples of how challenges can be overcome and success can be found. Though vastly different men, both Malcolm X and James McBride represent how average people can come to live out the ideals of determination, individuality and success that America stands for, and find happiness and prosperity. James and Malcolm rise out of situations of no worldly impact to build lives of influence, truly reflecting the ideal of determination. In James’s situation, he is a young kid born of two opposing…show more content… For James, his success is in music and literature, though he bounces back and forth quite often. whenever James “. . . hit a dry spell . . .” he would immediately “. . . scurry back into journalism” (McBride 265) where he felt secure. However, this back and forth didn't detract from his writing skill, and he worked at the Washington Post shortly before he ran a piece about his mother with the Boston Globe and the Philadelphia Inquirer, which led him to publish his book, The Color of Water. in Malcolm’s case, his success came from his creation of a new Islamic church in America, separate from Elijah Muhammad’s church. The organization of “ . . . an all-black organization whose ultimate objective was to help create a society in which there could exist honest white-black brotherhood--- . . .” (Malcolm X 382) was his biggest success in life, and it is no small accomplishment. He also speaks out against all the plagues of black society by white society, becoming a powerful advocate for civil rights. Both Malcolm and James find the caliber of success that is the dream of all