Malcolm X Dbq Essay

During the 1950s and 1960s, America was a stormy place to reside in. There were many major events that occurred, including the the rise and fall of two major leaders in the African American community, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During this time period, America was involved in the Cold War, along with the war in Vietnam, and the Civil Rights Movement. In the Civil Rights Movement, two very influential men had two very different ways in which the country should be integrated. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that change would come slowly with peaceful protest and resistance while Malcolm X believed that African Americans should take care of themselves and attack whites when they were attacked. Many believe that Malcolm X’s philosophy

believed that it would increase hate. Document J says, “Violence… multiplies evil and violence in the universe. It doesn’t solve any problems” in order to show the reader that violence would lead to the opposite of what African Americans desired. In addition to this, King believes that violence can kill some people but it will not kill the idea/ideas that people believe in. The intended audience of Document. J is supporters of Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X because King wanted everyone to follow through with his ideas of nonviolence (Document J). In Document L, King say’s “...in the event of a violent revolution, we would be sorely outnumbered. An when it was all over, the Negro would face the same unchanged conditions…” in order to show the reader that a war against whites would result in many African-American casualties and no changes. From this excerpt, one can infer that King believes violence will only makes lives for African Americans worse while also increasing hostility between whites and African Americans. The purpose of this document is to enlist more members into King’s nonviolent protests (Document L). Believing in non-violence protests helped to enhance society because violence would have lead to more hostility and hatred among African Americans and

King was frustrated with the treatment of minorities, like African Americans, he believed that change that occurred slowly would benefit society better than change that was achieved quickly. In Document. B, King explains how he wanted his children to be judged by their character rather than the color of their skin. King directly addresses whites when he says, “ With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day”. From this excerpt, one can infer that King wanted African Americans and whites to enjoy the good and bad in life together. The purpose of this document. is to show the reader that their is still hope for American and that change will greatly impact society (Document B). In Document. 4, King shows how his followers will not stop until every school has been integrated. He says, “ Let us march on segregated 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…” in order to conceive whites that all of society will benefit from the integration of school and other public facilities. Though King knows that non violent protests will slowly lead to change, he also knows that they will eventually work and lead to change throughout society. The purpose of this documentis to show the reader that African Americans