Comparison of Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcom X

Martin Luther King and Malcom X, both prominent figures in the Civil Rights movement, had vastly different views on segregation and violence. The first time these two met was at the U.S. Capitol in 1964 to watch the Senate debate on a Civil Rights bill. Of the two, Martin Luther king had the better philosophy for America in the 1960’s because of his views on Integration, economics, and anti-violence.

The two most influential civil rights activists in American history were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. They supported equal rights for every race, but when comparing MLK’s “I Have a Dream’ and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet,” one sees the similarities in their rhetorical styles and differences in their tone and message. As seen in “I Have a Dream,” MLK has a more civilized and peaceful solution to the nation’s problems; whereas in X’s he has a will to do whatever it may take to solve the problems.

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.

Malcolm X used violence as a way to get more black rights and to hopefully lead up to black supremacy. Dr. Martin L King Jr used non violence protesting as a way to symbol that people standing up for their rights are not wrong or barbaric, but the people who are stopping these nonviolent protests look bad because there is no physical harm being done. Malcolm X states, “This is why I say it’s the ballot or the bullet. It’s liberty or it’s death” (The Ballot or the Bullet). This describes Malcolm X warning that if black people are not allowed suffrage and other rights, then there is going to be violence and death involved to have those rights granted. Malcolm X is showing that he is not afraid to have a violent revolution if there has to be one. Dr. King however states, “We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must ride to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force” (I Have A Dream). Martin Luther King Jr is trying to persuade others that a violent protest will only hurt, not help in getting equality and that a peaceful, powerful protest will ensure smoother integration and peace. Dr. King is promoting the opposite of Malcolm X by saying peace is power whereas Malcolm X is trying to bring forth the

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. (History) He was an activist, a fighter for civil rights, and was destined to a life of serving God as a pastor. His father and grandfather were pastors. He later followed in their footsteps and became the pastor of his father. Along with being involved in the church community he became a non-violent activist for human rights and the black communities during the times of segregation. Because he had graduated from high school, received his Bachelor’s Degree from Morehouse College, and then went on to get his doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University proved that he was a well-educated black man. His education and strong beliefs for his race landed him as a chairman in the NAACP and in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as president. King sought

Also, even though he grew up in the segregated Jim Crow south encounters with racial discrimination were mild but formative. According to James Cone, in his book, Martin and Malcolm and America, home and church were the most important influences upon the early life of Martin. In both contexts, he was "introduced to the integrationist values of protest, accommodation, self-help, and optimism." Martin was a very bright student who skipped both the 9th and 12th grades allowing him to enroll in college when he was only fifteen years old. He attended Morehouse College earning a bachelor's in Sociology At last; Martin received his PhD in Systematic Theology from Boston University. According to Cone, it seemed that King's life was socially, religiously, and educationally shaped so that his proclamation of the "American Dream" seemed inevitable

In the early 1960's African American people had barely any rights at all. For the African Americans to get the rights they designated people known as activists to represent them to the nation and to the government. Two of the greatest activists were Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. They both wanted the same thing, love and equality for all, but they had two extremely separate ways of reaching this goal.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American Religious speaker.He was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta. Martin’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were Baptist ministers. Martin although he tried to deny it, he followed their footsteps and became an ordained minister in 1948. King studied at Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, and finally went on to receive his doctorate from Boston University School of Theology. He graduated with his doctorate in 1955 two years after he married his wife Coretta.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and an activist who became one of the most prominent leaders and spokesperson in the Civil Rights Movement. King used tactics of nonviolence and civil disobedience that was based on his Christian beliefs. King became known for his public speaking ability and continued to rise and speak within his ministry. King graduated from Morehouse with a Bachelor’s degree in sociology and enrolled in Crozier Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity. After getting married to his wife, Coretta Scott King in 1953, King then began his Doctoral Studies in systematic theology at Boston University and graduated with a Ph.D. In 1957, King and other civil rights activists founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). This group was created to organize the power of black churches to conduct nonviolent protest in the service of the civil rights reform. He was dedicated to this group and led the conference until the day he died. In April 1963, the SCLC began a campaign against racial segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. King used nonviolent but confrontational tactics. During the protests, the Birmingham Police Department used police dogs and high-pressure water jets against the protestors (women and children included). King was arrested and jailed early in the campaign. From his cell, he wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, which is a response to the calls of condemnation on the

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929; He died on April 4, 1968. His original name was Michael Luther King Jr. he changed his name to Martin Luther King. His grandfather started the family long tradition of pastoring of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; His father had served as pastor from 1916 until death. Martin Luther King was co pastoring under his father, he attended segregated public school in Georgia. Graduating high school at the age of 15; He received the B.A. degree in 1940 from More House college, a distinguished negro institution of Atlanta, from which his father and grandfather graduated from. After 3 years of Theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class. He was awarded B.D. in 195, with a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled graduate studies at Boston University. He met his wife Coretta Scott while in Boston, Martin has 2 daughters and 2 Sons. He awarded leadership of the first negro in 1955. His bus boycott lasted for 382 days. On December 1956, After the Supreme Court of the United States declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, and now the road the bus at equals. During these days king was arrested multiple time for the bombing of his house, which also subjected to personal abuse. He engaged as a negro leader, at age 35 he was the youngest man to receive the “Nobel” prize, and on April 14, 1968, while standing on his balcony in Tennessee he was assassinated.

As a young child he skipped the ninth and the eleventh grade while attending Booker T. Washington High school a result of being a gifted child. At the young age of fifteen years old he attended Morehouse College in Atlanta from the year’s nineteen forty-fourth to nineteen forty-eight. While in college king studied sociology and also begin to accept the calling on his life just like his father to minister the gospel to the people. The president of Morehouse College Benjamin E. Mays was a major influence on king’s spiritual development in his Christian faith in which he viewed Christianity as a main force for social change in American society. Martin just like his father changed his name from Michael king to Martin Luther King in honor of a German protestant.

King was an excellent speaker and preacher at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama and rose in the ranks at the beginning of the movement during the Montgomery Bus-boycott. His teachings encouraged more peaceful movements such as sit-ins; the freedom rides and the famous Selma-Montgomery march for voting rights. Some of this call for peaceful change can be seen in the quote by King when receiving his Nobel Peace Prize,

During the past century, the United States of America has wresled with the problem of inequality between black and white people. Two influential people who helped to combat racism and the inequality of man were Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X had two differentiated approaches to accomplish the same things for black. Both King and Malcolm X started their own organizations, organized rallies, and both gave speeches, but, their beliefs and

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

Martin Luther King attended morehouse college and then went to study at Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University. In December of 1964, Martin Luther King received the Nobel Peace Prize. In his acceptance speech he said “ I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind.” ( Carson). Also in his acceptance speech he said “ I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘isness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ( Carson). Also in his acceptance speech he said “ I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘isness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘oughtness’ that forever confronts him”. ( Carson). He was also a baptist minister that played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid- 1950’s until his assassination in 1968. He was a believer of non-violence and a believer in peace. Both his father and his grandfather were pastors in an African American Baptist Church. Martin Luther King had two