Malcolm X Vs Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Essay

Malcolm X was born in Omoha, his father, Earl Little, fought for unity of the black community. The family was often harassed by white racists because pastor Litlle preached for a unity of the black community. This is where X’s dedication to the black community came from. When Malcolm turned 18 he had to join the army where he stole weapons and tried to get fellow black sufferers together. After this he starts committing burglaries, this went well until he got arrested. He was convicted for burglary at the age of 20 and had to go to jail for at least 10 years. While sitting out his sentence he wanted to develop himself, which he did successfully.

He read the entire prison library. In prison he met someone who was a member of the Nation of the Islam and X was very interested in this and decided to join. The Black Muslim movement violently rejected white Americans and their Christian values. The movement preached supremacy of blacks over whites.

Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, he was the son of a minister and grew up in a normal middle class neighbourhood. King was appointed as a minister at the Baptist church in Montgomery. Even though he grew up far away from discrimination, his mother taught him things about it. He demanded equality for the blacks and whites. In the 50’s he was already an active member of the Civil Rights movement.

When a black woman refused to give up her seat for a white man she got arrested. This was one of the first cases where people finally realised that something had to change. King decided to set a boycott with a number of other black pastors and ministers; it was called the Montgomery boycott. Reaching this point, Kings life was brought into danger more and more, he got threatened and his house even got bombed. King still did not stop the boycott and in 1956 the segregation of the busses finally came to an end.

King and X were both civil right leaders but their biggest difference was their approach of how they handled things. This became mostly because of how they grew up or what their background was when they were younger and how their household was when they grew up. As earlier mentioned already King grew up in a middle class family and was well educated, X grew up in a less privileged environment with almost no schooling and had a criminal past. They were both really religious, King followed the Christian faith and X was Muslim, but they just had different ideologies of how equal rights should be accomplished.

King really stood out since he would always react nonviolent; if he would get attacked physically he would react without any violence in opposite with Malcolm X whom sometimes dared to react with violence. Kind would never react with violence because he wanted all the races to come together and wanted violence to be put to halt.

The famous March on Washington portrayed the different views of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. The march to Washington (March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom) was a demonstration held in 1963 in Washington D.C. to stand up for the rights of African American citizens. After the march, Martin Luther King gave his ‘I have a dream’ speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial, this speech made him famous worldwide and is considered as King’s greatest accomplishment. Malcolm X thought that the black and white would get destroyed by integration. He thought that the black first should get the same self-respect as the white get.

Martin Luther had a quote: “An unjust law is no law at all.” There is a just law and an unjust law, a man-made law that states with the law of God or moral law is a just law. A code that is out of order with the moral law is seen as an unjust law. In different words an unjust law is a human law, any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. Since segregation damages the personality and the soul all segregation statuses are seen as unjust law. If you would break an unjust law you must do it lovingly and with willingness to accept your penalty. If someone is able to break a law openly they show that they respect the law.

A famous quote from Malcolm X is “By any means necessary.” X used this in his speech at the Organization of Afro-American Unity. Basically it means that you just leave all the ends open so you can use whatever tactic you need to get to your desired end, sometimes this might include violence. An important hereby is, is that if violence is not necessary then it should not be used.

Malcolm’s approach had two parts: the first one was him fighting with the Nation of the Islam and the second part was starting his own party: Muslim Mosque. This is his own party he established after leaving the Nation of the Muslim. During his pilgrimage to Mecca X was forced to reject the racism that used to characterize his view of white people. After a while he started the Organization for African American Unity. Whites were not allowed to participate but their donations were still more than welcome. This made Malcom’s approach easier. He chose to continue giving speeches but now with a different purpose: equality.

Inspirational Role Models of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

The civil rights movement was a political movement for social justice that took place during the 1950/1960s. The movement mainly worked with providing the black people of the United States with equal civil rights such as the right to vote in elections on an equal footing with whites and to eliminate racist discrimination against black Americans (History Editors). Many civil rights activists are known for their fight against social injustice and their impact on the lives of all oppressed people(Biography). Some of them are still inspirational role models such as Martin Luther King Jr, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X were two of the most important civil rights leaders. They were fighting for the same case but had different mindsets and opinions.

Martin Luther King Jr was one of the most well-known advocates for non-violent social justice at his time. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and was raised in an activist family. Malcolm X on the other hand was also an American civil rights activist, a former preacher of the Nation of Islam, and a supporter of black nationalism. King had a happy and upbringing childhood until his family was schooled on the harsh reality of racial segregation while Malcolm spent his childhood in fostercare due to his father’s murder and his mother’s hospitalization. Both King and Malcolm had extraordinary oratorical skills which helped them gain national recognition. King’s first protest was the Montgomery boycott which had a positive outcome. Malcolm on the other side began to preach at a mosque in Harlem after being released from prison. Over the following decade, King showed his faith in non-violent protests and led non-violent boycotts, protests, and marches (Youthforhumanrights). Malcolm on the contrary encouraged his fellow black Americans to defend themselves from white violence ‘by any means necessary” through speaking passionately at big gatherings, activities, and rallies. Therefore they are seen as opposing forces.

King’s goal was to raise the public awareness of racism, to put an end to racial discrimination and segregation in the United States. He was inspired by his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, who also were an activist. King believed that all people should be treated equally and have the right to live an honest and peaceful life regardless of race, social status, and occupation. Malcolm´s goal was similar to King’s goals whereas Malcolm believed that black people were chosen by God and that white people were fated for punishment since they oppressed black people. He was inspired to fight for the rights of black people because of the racial oppression he and his family had faced. His father’s murder was allegedly completed by white supremacists although it had been said that the incident happened in a car accident. King became the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) meanwhile Malcolm became the minister of the Nation of Islam. Additionally, both of them were spokesmen for each of their organizations. Afterward, they both achieved numerous victories throughout the movement with their preachings.

As mentioned, King lead the bus boycott which resulted in his favor, he was the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which had a large role in the civil rights movement, he also was one of the leaders of the “big six” civil rights organizations who organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom representing SCLC (Wikipedia). Whereas Malcolm was named the minister of several mosques in the United States, He participated in numerous debates at radio stations and universities such as LA radio station and Harvard law school, Malcolm also lead the Unity rally in Harlem which was one of the nation’s largest civil rights events. King delivered an important speech during this march which is called “I have a dream” which became one of the defining moments of the civil rights movement and one of the most iconic speeches in American history (Tikkanen). Malcolm also delivered a speech at a church which is considered one of Malcolm’s most powerful and militant remarks, the speech received a considerable amount of attention from the media. King and Malcolm managed to be present at the civil rights act in 1964, despite their differences.

In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X were two of the most important civil rights leaders. They were two inspirational figures with opposing visions, who will always remain as the cornerstones of black American history. Most people would address Martin Luther King Jr as a representative for young people today because he never was violent and never gave up on his goals until they were accomplished. Some people will address Malcolm X as a representative for young people today because he refused to let anyone define anyone’s life, although some people would say that he promoted violence when he advocated self-defense. Unfortunately was Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X assassinated early in life. They accomplished countless accomplishments that always will live on. However, they remain as two of the world’s most revered political activists to this day.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X: the Perspectives of Segregation

On March 26, 1964, two of the most famous African American celebrities met for the first time but both had different perspectives on segregation. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were on different paths but who was most successful? Keep in mind that both had a rough life because racism was a huge problem and they were not respected at their young age which made it very difficult for them to achieve greatness. Malcolm X supported segregation and believed that blacks and whites should be separated but have the same needs. He also thought that guns were needed for blacks to protect against whites. On the other hand, Martin Luther King jr. believed that segregation was not okay and as well with firearms.

Document B, Martin Luther King, ‘I Have a Dream’Speech, August 28, 1963. In this document, King spoke his feelings and dreams about racism and how he dreams that equality will once come to mind to the whites. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day out in the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood…”

This quote explains what Martin Luther King Jr. wished for, and he wanted to stop racism and fight for the rights of his fellow African Americans. After this, People began to realize that racism is not correct and should be changed. Although it did not change immediately, it slowly began to change as more began to change their thoughts on racism and how blacks were being judged on their color. In Document C, Autobiography of Malcolm X, 1965, Malcolm X said, “I tell sincere white people,’Work in conjunction with us – each of us working among our own kind.’

Malcolm X wanted the whites to only work among themselves and as well for the blacks. He did not achieve anything because this would only make it worse for blacks since they would not have the same privileges and whites would only be advancing more individually. He believed that the blacks could advance among themselves but at this time the whites were more privileged so the African Americans wouldn’t go anywhere.

In Document, Martin Luther King, ‘Our God is Marching On.’ Speech made on Alabama State Capitol steps at the conclusion oftheSelmatoMontgomery march, March 21, 1965. Martin Luther King Jr. Said “Let us march on segregated schools until every vestige of segregation and inferior education becomes a thing of the past and Negroes and whites study side by side in the socially healing context of the classroom..”

King explains that whites can have segregated schools but will soon realize that a change must be made and blacks and whites would be in the same classroom side by side studying and learning. If this were never said, maybe whites and blacks would still be in separate schools because no thought would have come to peoples minds. In Document E, Basic Unity Program, Organization ofAfro-American Unity. Founded byMalcolm X in 1964, Malcolm X says “The Organization of Afro-American Unity will devise original educational methods and procedures which will liberate the minds of our children from the vicious lies and distortions that are fed to us from the cradle to keep us mentally enslaved. We encourage Afro-Americans themselves to establish experimental institutes and educational workshops, liberation schools and child-care centers in Afro-American communities.”

Malcolm X explains that African American community will educate themselves and find ways to erase children thoughts about them being enslaved. To get their minds off about them being lower than the whites and they would create many companies,workshops, and schools successfully. Again… African Americans had no privileges so they would never evolve economically.

In Document F, Martin Luther King, ‘Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom.’ Ebony, October 21, 1961. Martin Luther King Jr. said “In the past six months simply by refusing to purchase products from companies which do not hire Negroes in meaningful numbers and in all job categories, the Ministers of Chicago under SCLC’s Operation Breadbasket have increased the income of the Negro community by more than two million dollars annually…. This is nonviolence at its peak of power, when it cuts into the profit margin of a business in order to bring about a more just distribution of jobs and opportunities for Negro wage earners and consumers.”

Martin Luther King Jr. explains how African Americans evolved throughout time without any violence. As to Malcolm X, was okay with violence and believed that was the only way to protect themselves against the whites. Both don’t boycott so that is something in common, which benefited both because Malcolm X supporters would also begin to see Martin Luther King Jrs. perspective and also it would be the same for Kings supporters. In Document G, Malcolm X, quoted in George Breitman, The Last Years of Malcolm X: Evolution of a Revolutionary, 1967. Malcolm X said “…(W)e haven’t learned the importance of owning and operating businesses…so even when we try and spend our money in the neighborhood where we live, we’re spending it with someone who puts it in a basket and takes it out as soon as the sun goes down.

So the economic philosophy of black nationalism puts the burden upon the black man of learning how to control his own economy.”

He claims that the blacks don’t know how to handle money and just give it to others who take advantage and waste it. Now, if they were spending lots of money randomly they wouldn’t get anywhere and instead would be losing economic growth. Only as allies, can both benefit themselves and grow together.

To sum this up, Martin Luther King Jr. achieved the most as expected because there is less racism and now blacks are allowed to work with whites in various jobs. Malcolm X tried to separate blacks and whites to prove that blacks could do it alone without any help but didn’t succeed. He was also with guns, which was a bad view for the whites as blacks would become more dangerous since they are armed. Martin Luther King Jrs. Famous speech “ I have a dream” caused whites to think about what they were doing was incorrect and to unite would help and both colors. If it weren’t for Martin Luther King Jr. there would probably be a lot of racism and jobs where only whites would be allowed.

Persistence and Perseverance of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King

Persistence is “the quality that allows someone to continue doing something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people”. Throughout history, the African American community has dealt with a great deal of persistence to gain what they need. “A Homemade Education” by Malcolm X and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. embody the persistence both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr had. Both men showed persistence by rebelling against inequality and racial injustice within their society. They did this through patience…calling out social segregation…

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King showed persistence through the patience they had when attempting to achieve their goals. Under multiple occasions, King’s nonviolent protests were postponed, “through postponement after postponement to aid…community need…[he] felt that direct action could be delayed no longer” (King 2). King knew that “justice too long delayed is justice denied” (King 2), he had witnessed enough of the inequality that African Americans faced: “vicious mobs lynchs,… twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty…, explaining to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to the public amusement park.. and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children” (King 2). Malcolm X showed patience while he taught himself how to read and write. Malcolm recalls copying words from the dictionary in his “slow, painstaking, ragged handwriting…down to the punctuation marks” (Malcolm X 2). His patience later helped him persist in his readings, where he utilized the glow from the corridor light to continue his reading after lights out. Both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were patient when waiting for change to happen, however after not seeing how unfairly they were being treated, they urged African Americans to no longer wait but fight for their equality.

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X show perseverance when they call out whites for the social segregation they take part in. King states “I have watched white churches stand on the sidelines and merely mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities” (King 5). He expresses his disappointment in white churches and how they’ve turned a blind eye to the injustices that African Americans are facing. Arguing that they aren’t following the bible’s morals, where it says that all are equals. One the other hand, after gaining more knowledge on African American history Malcolm X grows a hatred towards, he states that “the [world’s] most monstrous crime, the sin, and blood on the white man’s hands, are almost impossible to believe” (Malcolm X 6). Later arguing that they’re the devil and deserved to be punished for the oppression they’ve caused minorities to face.

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X

If for the white establishment in the United States, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were as different as ‘oil and water’, they were respected leaders in the black community. While they fought each other politically and advocated different forms of struggle, their goal was the same: the liberation of the black man.

The United States commemorates this Saturday the fiftieth anniversary of the disappearance of Malcolm X, who was murdered on February 21, 1965. This brutal death was experienced at the time as a great shock in the black neighborhoods of major American cities where tens of thousands of people mourned the disappearance of their ‘Our Shining Black Prince’. Some 40 months apart, on April 4, 1968, the Baptist Reverend Martin Luther King, shot and killed by a white supremacist, disappeared in Memphis. President Lyndon Johnson called him a ‘martyr of the nation,’ and members of Congress attended his funeral. In the space of three years, the United States lost two of its greatest figures dedicated to black liberation in the 20th century. For the record, the autopsy of the black pastor revealed that his heart, exhausted by thirteen years of struggle, resembled that of a 60-year-old man. He was 39, just like the champion of ‘black power’ at the time of his assassination!

Although these two black leaders were from the same generation, they faced each other politically and deployed very different strategies to achieve their goal of improving the living conditions of the men and women in their community. Inspired by the teachings of Gandhi, Martin Luther King campaigned for civil rights for blacks through non-violent actions and negotiations with the federal government. Malcolm X, on the other hand, was the antithesis of non-violent thinking and ironically described the civil rights movement as ‘the only revolution that says you must love your enemy. A supporter of the Nation of Islam (NOI) Brotherhood, which claimed to be Islamic and advocated black nationalism, he galvanized the black masses in the northern ghettos by telling them about their pride in their black and African color, culture and heritage. He demanded the separation of blacks and whites, even going so far as to forge an alliance with the Ku Klux Klan to implement this separation effectively. An idea that he later regretted. According to Malcolm X, white society being irremediably racist, the path followed by King could not be but a dead end. The gulf between the two men was long explained by their personal history.

Both sons of Baptist pastors involved in the black movement, they grew up in very different family and social environments. King was a southerner, imbued with Christian values and those of the upper middle class. A Doctor of Theology, ordained a pastor himself, he preached in the church in Atlanta where his father, and before him his grandfather, had served. Influenced by the thought of Gandhi, which he had discovered during his studies, he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, whose aim was to coordinate protest movements in the South by building on the associative fabric of the black churches. Thus, it was the black Christians of the South who were the real audience for Reverend King’s sermons and homilies. King’s non-violent protests, sit-ins, boycotts, and peaceful resistance were adapted to the very conservative environment of the small towns of the rural South where segregation was the law.

In contrast, Malcolm X was directed at the black population of the urban ghettos from which he was a product. His father was lynched by the Ku Klux Klan when he was just 5 years old. Separated from his mother, who ended her life in a psychiatric asylum, Malcolm’s journey was complex. His destiny led him from delinquency to political radicalism, passing through prison where he learned as a self-taught man, converted to Islam, before joining the brotherhood of Nation of Islam (NOI) when he was released from prison. Spokesman of this movement and a brilliant tribune, he called on the Blacks to organize themselves by resorting to violence if necessary (self-defense). According to historians, King had ‘warped’ his speech in the last years of his life, coming a little closer to Malcolm’s radicalism.

The Effectiveness of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King as the Leaders

Malcolm x was a violent man but his intentions were always good, he fought against racism his methods were rather violent but extremely effective, he always reminded his fellow black peers to fight for their freedom, and made them believe that violence was the right way to fight racism “by any means necessary” was one of his most famous quotes, it means that they have to be willing to do anything for their freedom, his methods were completely different from Martin Luther King’s methods, the two were never very fond of each other, I think that Malcolm x’s were more effective than Martin Luther King’s.

Malcolm was one of seven children which means that his family suffered financially in his early life he they received a lot of death threats by the kkk so they moved from town to town until they settled in lancing Michigan, where unfortunately his father lost his life at the hands of a racist group called the black legion and the threats didn’t stop, Malcolm was later on sent to a group home after his mom had a nervous breakdown and was sent to a mental health facility, he then dropped out just before high school to deal drugs and do other illegal things, he ended up doint some time in prison.

In prison he switched his name to Malcolm x instead of Malcolm little, the x stood for blocking out racism, he then converted to the nation of islam, because he believed that Christianity was forced on the black people during the enslavement days, when he got out of prison he was a whole other man, his mindset was locked on ending racism, he couldn’t bare to see the black people suffer at the hands of the white people anymore so he took initiative, While MLK was teaching the African Americans to win this fight non violently, Malcolm x taught the opposite, he taught the black people to fight back, give them a taste of their own medicine, when they would spray black people with the fire hose, the blacks would beat them.

In the 60s Malcolm switched to Sunni Islam and embraced the civil rights movement right after he finished his pilgrimage to mecca, “el-hajj Malik el-Shabazz” was his new name when he came back to America, he later on was murdered in a meeting for one his organizations by an African American Muslim.

I think that his methods worked out really well even if they were very violent, I mean if you were in his place what would you have done, let the white people push you around and kill you or fight back. I think that if it wasn’t for him segregation would still be around, he gave black people a new identity he gave them freedom at the cost of his own life, he made a big impact on racism and it will last forever.

Malcom X and Martin Luther King as the Political Activists

Martin Luther King’s philosophy was against violence; he grew up in a strong religious household that soon became apart of who he was as a person and he was than inspired by Gandhi with his belief that campaigning should be seen in a passive manner. He believed that equality of other races were important in America and that his arguments should be achieved with peaceful facts and points, other than returning violence with violence. Malcolm X later had a different philosophy. He decided to make it clearly known that he would reject the nonviolent actions of the mainstream civil rights movement, which he than made it public that his beliefs would than self-defence against white aggression and oppression for the legitimate weapons. His attitude surprisingly was way more popular than King’s, it was the direct action that was being taken place and would indicate visible results, when being compared to King’s approach. Later on in the movement, both of their philosophies became great relevances to each other. Malcolm X decided to reconsidered himself after the break with the Nation of Islam. This began to challenge unity and change throughout black pride and people started to respect one another, rather than fighting through hate and revenge. Martin Luther King became very frustrated by the little to no progress being made on equality, and he started to oppose some of his moral ideologies.

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X still remain, in today’s society the two of the world’s respected political activists. They were both respected determined national leaders during the American Civil Rights movement, they both were passionate and strived for pushing for same equality and freedom. King was an advocate for non-violent actions and passive resistance to equal civil rights. He soon believed through integration would come self-respect. Whereas Malcolm X was a spokesman for the Black Muslim movement which is also known as the Nation of Islam which than escalated to violent rejection towards white Americans and Christian values, he preached and praised blacks over whites. This was a turning point in history. They both wanted equality of opportunity but had a different way of promoting and getting their main ideas across. Malcolm would criticise King on a regular basis, accusing King of kissing the feet to the whites and controlling the blacks by their own cultural values and abused them. “I have never told anyone my sordid past in detail, I haven’t done it now to sound as though I might be proud of how bad, how evil, I was” (Malcolm 153). King would work with the whites to achieve the same equality whereas Malcolm X stressed self-reliance. King would only use non-violent protest, where Malcolm X helped remove violence. King and Malcolm X have never met, all these allegations Malcolm made were through the media and newsletters. Malcolm dreamed about meeting King someday to have an open debate, but King never responded to Malcolm. Washington 1964 there was a hearing taking place about the Civil Rights Act, this is the day King and Malcolm met in person for the first time ever. Oddly enough this wasn’t a situation for debate. Both men were side by side smiling. Over time this helped blacks termendacily this became an extremely strong symbol of reconciliation between the two differences of visions for the black causes.

Malcolm X’s strategy on helping African-Americans would help the black community change themselves and enable economic stability and independence. His plan was to educate blacks on politics and economics within their own community. This was a conceivable way to raid the black community in bringing back power to themselves that the white community has over them. Malcolm X would further his argumentative points by advocating for the blacks and exercises their constitutional rights to own a firearm. He tries to argue that the black community must for hear and follow to the laws regulating gun use. His main point was that black men should own a firearm to raise themselves to the same level of white men in the South which nonetheless were the big factor of who owned firearms. “You have to be careful, very careful, introducing the truth to the black man who has never previously heard the truth about himself, and the white man” (Malcolm 185). The more power that the African-Americans possessed and upholded, the stronger their communities will become, and allowed them to being just as powerful as the white community. He wanted to highlight other main issues that he argued mostly about that would be addressed within the black community as a whole. One of his main points to argue in his speech were his minor occupation of usage for defensive violence against the “violent enemy”. He wanted to make sure he was responding in a appropriate manner. If the enemy was nonviolent, then he would be nonviolent, but if the enemy would violently attack, he would respond with violence back trying to justify it.

King and Malcolm presented convenient contrasts King was a symbol of good over evil. Malcolm was a symbol of black rage. However, the relationship between Malcolm and King was much more complicated. On September, 1964 he began to cooperate with King by pressuring Congress to reinstate the laws. During most of Malcolm’s life he saw Kings strategy as playing the religious, white man game of the movement. “What fascinated me with him most of all was that he was the first man I had ever seen command total respect… with his words” (Malcolm. 157). Even as King would advocated the love of all people, Malcolm preached separatism and violence. Both having different views as handling things. King spoke for some but not for all African-Americans, by his approach to love and support all and make everyone have the same equality, whereas Malcolm spoke for the others by wanting to get revenge on the whites and allow blacks to have all the power and control the whites like they controlled the blacks. To execute who was more effective in allowing change is impossible. Legislation was passed to discourage violence and to acknowledge the public support for better race relations. February 21, 1965 was the day Malcolm X was killed in New York City. This upbringing brought an end to the political debates in the history of black Americans. King had a few words to say about his death, he thought Malcolm did a great job calling attention to the way blacks were being treated and pointed out the problems that were arising. What King didn’t expect after Malcolm’s death, is that the two would become much more than just rivals. He became an outstanding advocate for many generations to come of young blacks. April 4, 1968, was the day Martin Luther King was killed in Memphis. While his funeral was taking place, the black community came together mourning the loss of their national leader only after three years of the surprising death of Malcolm X, these two shaped the history of African Americans in the world around us.

I understand where both parties are coming from with the ideals to raise black powers, however strategy wise I believe Martin Luther King had the best. Based on his arguments he seemed to have the best intentions in mind. He wanted equal power to everyone and allow the same rights and happiness. He genuinely cared about the world and the people around him. Malcolm X seemed too bitter. He wanted revenge and to have the blacks have all the power. I believe if Malcolm X inspired that many people the world would of shifted over and the whites would be in the same position as the blacks are in now. The power would of changed and nothing would of gotten resolved. Living in the sixties was a terrible time for the blacks even before that. If I was a white person in the sixties I would of wanted the blacks to have the same equal power as us and all be allowed to come together as a whole. There is nothing wrong with the color of someone’s skin tone. I would of helped the blacks regardless of the lashput I would receive. If I was a black person in the sixties I would continue to fight for the same rights as the whites. There is no reason one race has all the power and whatever they say goes. I would help fight for equality and help change the world into a better place. Soon enough the blacks and whites have the same power by having jobs, going to schools, living in the same neighborhoods etc. History has changed tremendously overtime. History will never stop changing, it takes awhile for these motions and powers to take place. Today as a community and society we are seen as equal and have the same rights as other races and color. It’s hard to say exactly what the next fifty to a hundred years will look like but I believe we will still be in this world as a whole.

The Activity of MLK and Malcolm X

For all African Americans, both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had a common goal: justice, peace and equality. Demonstrated in their speeches like, ‘I Have a Dream’ by Martin Luther King Jr and ‘Talk to Young African Americans’ by Malcolm X, both did not share their strategies or theories. But of course, so many people were supported by both men. Some people think that MLK and Malcolm X wanted the same thing for African Americans, or they were similar to each other. and of course, they had things in common, like they had the same goal, values and focus. but they actually were different in their views, backgrounds, and regions.

Both Malcolm X and MLK had different backgrounds. King came with minister fathers from activist families, facing racism their whole lives. Martin Luther King had the advantage of a powerful social network, a loving home, and a friendly environment, though. His early resentment for whites diminished as he got older and even with them, he had a more positive experience. King was able to use several opportunities for education to develop his tremendous gifts, changing him into the Martin Luther King that we all know. However, Malcolm X went through a lot of things when he was young, he basically grew up without parents, his father was killed by racists, his mother was treated unfairly by the state and institutionalized, and he was rebounded in foster homes. Regarding his deep knowledge, he was prevented by any white authoritative figure in his life from aspiring to become anything and learned that he would have to be disarming and seem simple minded in order to move forward in life. Having spent time in Harlem, he became actively engaged in the criminal world and he was thrown into prison, where he had been self-educated and later, he converted to Islam, to become the Malcolm X we are learned about.

Both Dr.King and Malcolm X came from different geographic regions. King lived in the South he also worked there, where African Americans were disadvantaged by the law socially and politically. While Malcolm X lived in the north and also worked there, in which Black people’s social subjugation occurred through indirect means of social power in an integrated society. However, this influenced their reactions and goals to racism in the United States. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X obviously practiced different religions, King was Christian, and he had a PhD in systematic theology highly trained in the studies of theology. Malcolm X was Muslim and informally trained, but he was still a highly educated minister, first with the Nation of Islam and after that striving separately to become closer to Sunni as he learned about it all over the world. This wasn’t just a conceptual difference, but their philosophies and methods were actually different.

Both people were aiming at different things, King initially wanted to eliminate the barriers to Black rights and incorporate the Southern society as a path forward for race peace and harmony, but his subsequent ups and downs with whites prompted him to change his attention to wider equality issues such as anti-poverty. Malcolm first viewed the white society to be hopelessly corrupt and also to be isolated from their punishment awaiting, and Black people to learn to appreciate themselves independently, but eventually evolved their role to regard the white society as controlled by morally wrong values that should be exterminated from the Black society in order to gain their rights from either a power position or moral authority.

They had the same goal and focus, they needed the integrity and equality of Blacks to be remembered and valued, but that’s to be done. Both of them were mass leaders and they focused on Black people’s daily struggles and used political movements to accomplish their goals. They were profoundly religious and spiritual, they focused on the human rights globally, poverty, police violence and brutality, white supremacy, and capitalism, they had the same radical, perspective, and had the same humbleness in the face of violent threats, and they also had the same similar leadership styles. During their careers, both politicians profoundly changed their views, expanding their reach as they expanded their access to different ways of doing things.

Both of them were incredibly open to different thoughts they have had in their lives. However, most importantly, as time passed by, they all began to drift forward towards the style of thinking from one another. Both of them respected their people and loved them, Malcolm X did not see segregation and integration as a good idea, Malcolm basically wanted Black people to be sufficient and willing to challenge and defend themselves when they were threatened by racists, King thought that the approach Malcolm X considered wasn’t a very strong one he came to see clearly at the end that segregation might not be all it had been actually supposed to be either.

The Similarities and Differences of MLK and Malcolm X

Malcolm X was a human rights activist and who associated with MLK Jr. for his argument of allowing both whites and blacks to have the same type of equality. Both speakers use ethos to establish his credibility. MLK Jr. is more persuasive than Malcolm X in his rhetorical appeal because he was the one who preached for equality and unity between the blacks and whites. There were accusations, debates, arguments and persuasion on determining who was anti-white, anti-black, anti-degradation against the economy of the country and equality of people. Although, Malcolm X didn’t live a long life because he was age 39 ½ years old when he was shot and killed on February 21, 1965 in New York City for political reasons.

As of 1952 Malcolm X linked up a group called “Nation of Islam” for religious reasons because the group had controversial ideas linked up with Black Muslims. His name was changed from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X because “Little” was a name invented by a slavemaster. Malcolm says in Paragraph 1 of “The Ballot or the Bullet story”- “I don’t come here to have a debate or have a discussion on how we are different of”. The purpose of his claim is that all black people will come together and not kill each other for survival and equality. When Malcolm X says “I don’t mean get violent” in Paragraph 8 of the story, he indicates that he is not responsible and will take no action for the violence his family members are engaged in. Although, Malcolm X divided African Americans while scaring the majority of whites. In the 20th century Malcolm X was generally known as one of the two magnificent martyrs in black freedom struggle. Malcolm X used point language persuasively which gave acceptance to society. This conception describes the battles against black freedom to encourage people’s actions in society.

In MLK Jr.’s speech “Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom” he believed that violence would cause the blacks to be rallied against civil rights movement. In his quote “I am convinced that for practical as well as moral reasons” in “Nonviolence” it relates to the topic because “nonviolence” meaning no violence could be only provision and way to freedom for society. In a more powerful quote “The oppressed people of skin color will rise together and not throw off the yoke of white oppression” Dr. King is saying that all white and black people will come together and refrain from killing each other.

MLK believes the nonviolent movement is offering achievement goals, social change, obedience and other methods. More violence could possibly create the action of setting someone apart from other people. His view on violence in self-defense was that it self-defense not a weapon neither is it violence or aggressiveness. In his opinion, it is fine to respond to violence without understanding the point of it. He says if a white man hits him he is allowed to fight back but he would still get in trouble for “fighting back”.

The Objectives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X

The twentieth century was an era of hostility amongst two racial gatherings, African Americans and Caucasians, in the United States. Racial discrimination began in the former Confederate states, the states of the south. Racial equality issues were the topic most frequently discussed in apolitical areas and political areas. The two most renowned activists of the social equality battle were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. In spite of the fact that these pioneers had similar outcomes as a top priority, their methods, rationalities, and standards varied. Their fundamental contrasts focused on their ability to utilize or not to utilize viciousness to accomplish their true objectives.

These two social liberties pioneers had unmistakable differentiating contrasts in their methods. Malcolm X’s perspective or political belief was molded by early traumatic experiences produced by a discriminatory group. His home was scorched by the Ku Klux Klan, which brought about the homicide of his dad. This single act of prejudice brought up one of the most renown social rights activists of the time. Malcolm X was incredulous of the orderly, moderate methodology that Martin Luther King was taken to end isolation. Malcolm X continuously demonstrated a feeling of anger when speaking of equal rights instead of the usual peaceful approach. Malcolm X stated, ‘Battle whoever gets in our way, to realize the total freedom of individuals of African drop here in the Western Hemisphere, and first here in the United States.’ He believed that only through violence could equal right for all be achieved. Although he never said that desperate times call for desperate measures, he didn’t condone the idea either. Malcolm X never advocated the use of savagery as a means to reach his but he never stood up against it. Malcolm X’s procedure of particular peacefulness demonstrates the interests that he felt to achieve a response to the prejudice blacks were confronting. He went poorly and look for brutality, however under certain conditions; he felt blacks would be advocated in striking back. He often pressed his followers to make it known their goals and to achieve it.

Martin Luther King Jr. on the other hand had a more attractive method and idea of reaching racial equality than Malcolm X.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are very prominent African American individuals throughout history. They fought for what they stood for but in many different ways. As we all know in history there are no two great men that are alike. Their many beliefs may have blossomed from the households they came from and how they grew up. King grew up in a middle class family and was well educated. While, Malcolm X grew up in an underprivileged environment that was very hostile with barely any schooling. Martin Luther King Jr. was always against violence, throughout his entire ministry. He always stood his ground, and he stood out because eventhough he may have been physically attacked, he never reacted with violence. Martin Luther King Jr. followed the Christian faith. Malcolm X was a Muslim, and believed in Muslim principles. His most famous line was “By any Means Necessary”. He believed in fighting back physically. Whatever had to be done to get freedom he was all for it whether it be violence or nonviolence. Although later in life he visited Jerusalem, and met other Muslims. He changed his views, and became nonviolent.

One of the most famous civil rights acts was the March on Washington, which portrays the different perspectives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. The March on Washington took place on August 28, 1963. Over 20,000 people came to march from Washington to the Lincoln memorial in Washington D.C. This march happened to be one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s greatest accomplishments throughout his life. This event is where he took the crown for the face of the civil rights movement. Even in a time of violence, King would never act out. King wanted all the races to come together for the hatred andviolence to be put to a halt. Malcolm X had a different perspective regarding the march. He felt that integration would destroy the black and the white man. He felt that American blacks should be more concerned with helping each other. He felt blacks should start by giving the same race self-respect first. He did not agree with what King had to say, he felt that kings dream was not a dream but a nightmare.

MLK’s approach to civil rights/equality was non-violent protesting, speaking out for non-violence, passive resistance, and what he called, “weapons of love”. However, Malcolm X’s approach to civil rights/equality was extremely different. He was suspicious of whites, willing to use “by any means necessary” to achieve equality. He was a segregationist until he went to Mecca. The commonality that they both share is that they both wanted equal rights for African Americans they just went down different paths to receive those rights.