The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 60’s is regarded as one of the most remarkable social revolutions in modern history. It is the reason Americans can attend school or go to work with people of color, and why no race is given priority over another. But before this social reform, people of color (POCs) and most prominently African Americans were subjected to segregation; a flawed system in which the races were “separate but equal”. Through organizations like the NAACP or the SCLC and individuals like Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) and Malcolm X, relative equality was achieved for Africans Americans and all POC’s. Both civil rights leaders Dr. King and Malcolm X held a synonymous belief: black empowerment, but adhered to philosophies that …show more content…
King and Malcolm X had both wanted a better life for their race, however, what divided their efforts towards a common goal was their way to get there. Dr. King promoted a world with integration, a place where all races coexisted peacefully and treated each other amicably. MLK was very surprisingly realistic about segregation, claiming African Americans had “come a long, long way” but had “a long, long way to go” towards integration. He was of the opinion that through hard work and persistence, one day blacks and whites would regard each others as equals. His fairly idealistic world directly counteracted Malcolm X’s clause of segregation in his policy of Black Nationalism. Influenced by his devastating childhood, Malcolm X subsequently led a campaign protesting for white America to atone for its sins committed against black people because “an integrated cup of coffee isn’t sufficient pay for four hundred years of slave labor” (Doc C). Malcolm wanted to separate from the “wicked white race” (Doc C) to fulfill his policy in which the “black man should control the politics and the politician in his own community”(Doc D). Integration was MLK’s answer to the black person’s predicament, contrary to Malcolm’s resolution of blacks making their own separate community for themselves, away from the
Notoriously, Martin Luther King Jr. has been the name of the civil rights movement, the one we all look up to in terms of the end of segregation. But, this respectable man was not the only one to take action in the name of equality, as another infamous speaker, Malcolm X, also drove the civil rights movement in a way of ferociousness and rage. This man, the head of the Black Nationalist movement, gave phenomenal speeches that indirectly propelled the civil rights movement, including Prospects For Freedom, By Any Means Necessary, and Message to the Grassroots. Malcolm X was a man who was an illustrious black nationalist, and was the speaker for the Nation of Islam. He often preached controversial things that regularly contrasted him with Dr.
In his autobiography, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm wrote that “Working separately, the sincere white people and sincere black people actually will be working together.” Malcolm envisioned a separate nation or state for African Americans. However, this severance of cultures would not have solved the issue of racism. Instead, racism toward blacks would have remained rampant among white Americans; meanwhile, the physical presence of African Americans would no longer be present in a white America, leaving the issue of racism unsolved. Contrarily, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream of integration was better for
Malcolm X comes from more of a rough background than King. Malcolm was kicked out of School and arrested at age 14. Not only was Malcolm Arrested at a young age, his dad was killed by a white mob and you can tell that this affects some of his beliefs and ways he acts during his Activism during the Civil Rights movement. Malcolm's dad believed that “black is beautiful” and that one of the things he would teach and elaborate on. Black has always been associated with negative things or activities and Malcolm's dad wanted to change that idea.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X both had many people doubting them and not supporting them. Malcolm X was a black muslim which at the time was not favorable in society. Malcolm X wanted to have equality and be segregated from the white Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. faced many people that were violent and that did not agree with him many times, yet he did not act out aggressively or violently against those people. Dr. King Jr. wanted to accomplish equality in a peaceful way.
The Civil Rights movement led to the emergence of two historical African-American figures during the 1960s, being Martin Luther King Jr. and his rival, Malcolm X. While both men shared a common goal of achieving civil rights for their people, their approaches to reaching this goal were vastly different. Malcolm X advocated for a more confrontational and violent approach, while Martin Luther King Jr. believed in peace and nonviolence. Differing factors such as speed, duration, and tactics separated the two methods from one another. Both were effective in their own ways, though it’s clear that Malcolm X had the stronger approach to the matter. To start things off, it’s clear that Malcolm X’s approach would provide quicker results.
The most important decision of a leader is the style of leading they decide to use when inspiring others, or providing a vision for the future. By looking at the past, it is proven that some leadership styles are guaranteed to be more effective than others. The leadership style of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X during the Civil Rights provides significant evidence of how different styles of leading can turn out to be a major success or defeat. Malcolm X’s leadership style included using violence to protest against violence and unequal rights, as well as supporting the segregation of African Americans and the whites. Martin Luther King’s style included nonviolent marches and protests against violence, and peacefully fighting for integrating the blacks and whites.
The ability to read and write is both creative and destructive. This ability opens your eyes to the world and how beautiful it can be. It also has the potential to destroy your entire grip on reality and expose you to the actual world you live in. It imprisons you yet, releases you from your mental confinement. Some people never escape from this confinement, some do; and those who escape sometimes go on to do great things in life.
In contrary to peaceful protest and marches led by Martin Luther King there were other leaders who had more radical approaches to protest. Amongst these radical leaders are Malcolm X, Robert Williams, and the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers, a group created by in 1966, by Huey P Newton and Bobby Seale protected black communities patrolling areas with loaded firearms, monitoring police activities involving blacks. Since they were known for carrying loaded firearms FBI Director J Edgar Hoover considered the Black Panthers “the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States” (To Determine the Destiny of Our Black Community). The Black Panthers created the Ten-Point Program.
Both Frederick Douglas and Malcolm X were born into situations where they did not know much about or interact frequently with their parents. In Frederick Douglas’ case, he was separated from his mother when he was an infant, and he only saw her a few times when he was very young (Douglas 13-14). When it comes to Douglas’ father, all he knew of him was that he was a white man who may or may not have been his master (Douglas 13). Malcolm X ’s
MLK and Malcolm X both wanted equality but in different ways. Martin Luther King believed in nonviolence to end segregation. However, Malcolm X believed in segregation; where African Americans would govern themselves without bothering the whites. But which idea was better for society? Malcolm X’s philosophy offers a variety of solutions for
The African American Civil Rights movement existed at large between the early fifties and the late sixties in a society that was constantly on the verge of social destruction. The black rights movement existed politically, socially, and economically everywhere in the United States. As time progressed the movement developed and saw many changes along with schisms separating activists and how they approached getting their rights. In the early fifties there was a large non-violent integration based movement spearheaded by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. However, as the time progressed, the movement started seeing a more aggressive leadership with figures such as Malcolm X, but eventually it turned into an extremist movement
MLK’s “I have a dream” speech promoted the idea of integration. He believed that the races were created equal and that blacks should be respected as American citizens. Malcolm X followed Muslim principles and believed that he would protest “by any means necessary.” He would do whatever needed in order to obtain freedom for African-Americans whether it be violence or nonviolent. Malcolm opposed integration and believed that blacks needed to fend for themselves in the fight against whites.
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were two influential men who served as important figures for the Civil Rights Movement. The two men came from diverse backgrounds and had contrasting views in life about religion and African American’s stance in society. Malcolm X was born in Nebraska and had great amounts of exposure to racism. Martin Luther King was born in an educated family in Atlanta, where he experienced racism, but to a lower extreme than Malcolm X. Although they passed away long time ago, they continue to live on today in a world independent of segregation. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X used opposing principles to achieve equality for blacks; King utilized integration of both races and nonviolence as opposed to Malcolm X who separated the same races and employed non violence so as to achieve the same goal.
Imagine living in a world of segregation - constantly judged by color of one’s skin and not being permitted to associate with the “superior” race. From slavery to discrimination, African-Americans experienced this horror in daily life since the beginning of their existence. Due to the fear of severe punishment, blacks were scared to fight for equality; however, on April 3, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio, one brave soul finally did. His name was Malcolm Little (known as Malcolm X), a widely acknowledged human rights activist. Although he supported black equality, he attacked the problem unlike others such as Martin Luther King Jr. did.
Martin Luther King Jr said,“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools”. In the late 1960s, racial tension was high, African Americans were not given the right to vote, the right to a fair education, and the right to a fair judgement. This then led to the separation of schools and the destruction of a normal livelihood. Dr.King and Malcolm X, two men in the face of oppression rose up to challenge the racial barrier, thus changing the world forever. Although Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X seem to have mutual respect and an equal understanding of the inequality, their philosophies were quite different from each other.