A Comparison Of Malcolm X And Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were both famous people in history who have helped many black people through their Civil Rights protesting against segregation, but both of them had different ways of approaching what they wanted to achieve and succeed in. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a more peaceful approach whilst Malcolm X had a more somewhat ‘violent’ approach, but overall, who offered a more beneficial program of Civil Rights? Everyone has his or her own thoughts, but I believe that Martin Luther King was somewhat more successful than Malcom X.

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr were both strong leaders of the civil rights moment that cast down discrimination and oppression of African Americans. Malcolm X put this into action through encouraging people to use equal force against vicious oppression. Dr. King had a different approach by encouraging nonviolence. This Period of time was overwhelmed by discrimination and the Jim Crow laws which segregated blacks and stopped them from having the freedom in which whites had. To encourage political and social change, Malcolm X and Dr. King both wanted the same opportunities and quality of life that the whites had, for black Americans. Both leaders applied very different aims to reach their goals which is seen through not only there past lives and experiences but also their personalities and leadership quality. Malcolm X encouraged Blacks to use violence and fight back against the white oppressors unlike Dr. King who was the inventor of non-violent protests. Even though they both fought for the same goal and end result of freedom and equality, Malcolm X and Dr. King were very diverse leaders with distinctive leadership styles.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were very significant during the Civil Rights Movement. Both were excellent speakers and shared one goal but had two different ways of resolving it. Martin Luther King Jr. chose to resolve the issues by using non-violence to create equality amongst all races to accomplish the goal. Malcolm X also wanted to decrease discrimination and get of segregation but by using another tactic to successfully accomplish the similar goal. The backgrounds of both men were one of the main driven forces behind the ways they executed their plans to rise above the various mistreatments. Martin Luther King Jr. was a more pronounced orator, a more refined leader, and overall saw the larger picture than Malcolm X.

Dr. Martin Luther King wrote a letter from Birmingham jail on April 16, 1963. The letter was written in response to his “fellow clergymen,” stating that Dr. King’s present activities was “unwise and untimely.” The peaceful protest in Birmingham was perceived as being extreme. The letter from Birmingham Jail was a letter of grievance to the white clergy, and their lack of support in the civil rights movement. Dr. King explained in his letter the difference between what is just and what is unjust and his reasons being in jail at Birmingham. He believed clergymen are men of genuine good will and that they deserve a response, so Martin Luther king wrote a letter from Birmingham Jail.

In, “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, King writes about the criticisms placed on him by the Clergy and to all the white Americans who believe they are superior and do not wrong. For example when King writes, “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King 3), King is speaking to the clergy who dislike his motives and actions. King is stating his innocence and that he is doing nothing wrong and that action needs to be taken in order to initiate a change. The purpose of King’s letter is not all to inspire a change in America and just address the criticism towards him and his actions but it is also a call to action. King takes on the time of a courageous, righteous, and disciplined man who

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a response to clergymen defending his actions that placed him in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama. King did not respond to all the criticism that crossed his desk, but this time King felt he was compelled to respond. This obligation King felt was due in part to men with good will and intentions stating that his actions were “unwise and untimely” (Pg. 835). King’s purpose in writing “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was to defend the strategy of nonviolent direct action in Birmingham and to justify the process and characteristics needed to attain the goals of both nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience in a just manner.

     Martin Luther King Jr. writes the Clergymen that have written him a letter disputing his actions in Birmingham. King is disturbed and offended by the Clergymen disagreeing with his purpose in Birmingham. King say he normally does not respond to criticism because it would waste to much precious time, but since these were men of good will he wanted to give his answers to their statements. In King's letter he appeals to many emotions as pathos, ethos, and logos to appeal to his audience.

Martin Luther King lived in a time where Negro people were faced with a multitude of social injustices. King was actively participating in passive protests opposing the laws which upheld these injustices. In his “Letter From Birmingham Jail” King replies to the criticism of eight clergymen, who called him and his companions extremists and law breakers (King 187). In his letter of response, King both shows his disappointment with these men, as well as plead with them to see his side. King wants his letter to make the clergymen to look past his skin color and simply see him as a brother in the church.

My College Writing class has opened my eyes to several different kinds of reading which I never thought I would or could read. It never occurred t me that I could learn another point of view, even think strategic in regarding poverty, power, liberty, equality and justice. Two of the readings have really stood out to me: Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martian Luther King, Jr and Shakespeare’s Sister by Virginia Wolff, in which both of these readings feature a sense of freedom, equality and calmness. These senses are equally important to each other, without one you can’t have the other. Nothing in life can be maintained until you have freedom, equality and calmness.

Two different men with similar intentions. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were both activists who wanted to see the advancement of African American people. Both men are significant pieces of history when it comes to the civil rights movement. Their past actions have opened up many doors which are still happening today. Even though they are gone their legacies will always live on because they were the stepping stone for the current activists that we see today. Both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were profoundly dedicated to the advancement and social equality for African Americans. However, they picked different paths to fulfill their objectives to enfranchise the African American race.

This sample of Dr. King's writing is from an extremely contested point in American history. He wrote this letter from a jail cell in Birmingham where he was roughly placed after the peaceful protests for human rights that took place in the city in April of 1963. He was responding to an article in a paper from some of his fellow clergymen who denounced his actions in the city calling them untimely and unwise. The response penned by Dr. King in his cell is a lengthy one, written full of emotion in an attempt to show these so called fellow Christians the folly of their thinking. They accused him of being an extremest in his spreading of the message of love and acceptance in the segregationist south of the time. They accused him of leading a movement

Martin Luther King Jr., wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to show how he felt about the government abusing free will. Dr. King had been locked up for trying to bring justice. At the time, many laws had been set in order to keep segregation in play. Dr. King was trying to peacefully protest these laws by writing to the clergymen. Dr. King responds to numerous threats and accusations made against him including extremism and law-breaker. He argued that was he doing was nothing wrong and interfered with his rights and free will. The government was trying to prevent him from succeeding by taking away his ability to help the movements. He was thrown in jail because of this. Overall, Dr. King’s rights were wrongfully taken away due to authority and a false sense of free

The letter started out with him explaining why he was in Birmingham in the first place. Dr. King was invited there by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He goes on to say that he found it important to help the people of Birmingham out even though he didn’t live there because the issues they had there directly, as well as indirectly, effect everyone else. After showing why he was there he goes on to explain the process that lead up to the nonviolent action they took. Dr. King then went on to say that he understands many people thought the timing of this was off. He then took measures to explain why they waited so long, that

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were both known as civil right leaders in the 1960’s. Both men had a different perspective on civil rights and how civil rights should be won. Both men also had strong beliefs on religious and followed on through that path in different ways. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had several differences and several comparisons and had a big impact for the people of The United States.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were leaders with many followers during the 1960’s Civil Rights movement. They were both ministers that had many people already following them and their number of followers only grew with their ideas and beliefs. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X had many great ideas on how America should be.While they both led their followers down the path to civil rights they both met their end by the hands of the people who did not want them to continue to make a difference the way they were for African Americans in America. Although Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X both made real changes regarding civil rights, they did not always agree on how to go about seeking out a