Malcolm X Dbq Essay

When World War 2 was over, the Civil Rights Movement had began shortly after. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were two well known political leaders and activists during the Civil Rights Movement. King was a very powerful spokesperson, leader, and an African American Baptist Minister. His focus was to gain civil and equal rights for African Americans by using nonviolent strategies. X was a Muslim Human Rights Activists. He used violent strategies for gaining civil and equal rights. Martin Luther King Jr’s philosophy made the most sense for the United States of America in the 1960’s because he wanted segregation to end and to be equal, used peaceful and nonviolent strategies, and he had more patience.

Malcolm X wanted to be segregated but equal.

“Along with the march as a weapon for change in our nonviolent arsenal must be listed the boycott”(Doc F). Boycotts were nonviolent ways to protest against segregation in public facilities. One being “Rosa Parks’ decision to remain seated in front of a Montgomery bus, he was chosen to lead a boycott that would send shock waves throughout America”(Background Essay). After a white man told her to move to the back of the bus, Parks denied and was arrested shortly after. After the protests the United States confirmed that segregation on busses was unconstitutional. Malcolm X did say to prepare for war (Doc I) but King disagrees saying that “for in the event of a violent revolution, we would be sorely outnumbered. And when it’s all over, the Negro would face the same unchanged conditions”(Doc L). He says that if there were to be a war, there would be no point because white people would outnumber them and nothing will change but make things worse. King’s philosophy made the most sense for the United States in the 1960’s because he used nonviolent and peaceful strategies for the change and his strategies actually made changes during the Civil Rights

X did not have patience and wanted segregation right there and then. Although King did have patience, he kept pushing and used wise words to get what he wanted and others. “We are on the move now. The burning of our churches will not deter us. We are on the move now. The bombings of our homes will not dissuade us. We are on the move now….”(Doc D). With everything that happened during the Civil Rights Movement, the bombing of houses and churches, and other disturbing and sad crimes, King still decided to remain nonviolent and continue to fight. “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”(Doc B). Although African Americans were treated as badly as they were, King will wanted to work with whites, to be able to do everything together because he knew that eventually they would be free people. “Bomb our homes and threaten our children; send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our communities and drag us out on some wayside road, beating us and leaving us half dead, and we will still love you. But we will soon wear you down by our capacity to suffer. And in winning our freedom we will appeal to your heart and conscience so that we will win you in the process”(Doc H). King states that white people can continue to do these horrific things to them, but no