Martin Luther King Jr. And Malcolm X helped shape American black and white culture today. MLK and X seemingly preach two opposing futures for black politics. Martin’s call for nonviolent resistance and Malcolm’s insistence on “any means necessary” were often juxtaposed by society. Malcolm X is often misrepresented as the `black Klu Klux Klan” of racial extremists. Others often misrepresent Martin L. K. as a “religious Uncle Tom pacifist”[1]. These are both gross caricatures of both legendary men. Even decades after their deaths, Martin and Malcolm remain great American icons. However were they ideological opposites? What were the personal, social, and political factors that influenced their leaderships? Where do they differ and where do they converge? What did liberty and justice mean for both leaders? Did victory mean two different things for them? What ways do their ideas converge? What major events shaped their lives? Did their ideologies begin to converge? Church, enemies, allies, family, socioeconomic background, upbringing, faith, education, social environment, experiences with whites and blacks: these were all agents in the formation of their strong views. Through this paper, I posit that although their ideologies sometimes clashed, in the long run they were more conducive to one another than destructive. Martin was a pastor and civil rights leader, later he became the spokesperson for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Martin was born January 15th, 1929
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X was one of the most influential civil rights activists of their time, as well as throughout American History for their core beliefs in the 20th century. Despite having the same goals, which is equal rights for all races, both conveyed their messages drastically from one another. In Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have A Dream” speech, he believes in a non-violent, civilized protest to resolve the problem which has plagued our nation for over a century. On the other hand, Malcolm X was in favor of using violence to achieve his ideals even if it ends up harming others, which can be seen in his speech, “The Ballot or The Bullet.” By comparing and contrasting their rhetorical styles, tones, and purposes, it can be
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and 1970s paved a way towards a more racially harmonious America. Two famous men during this movement for the black community were Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Two very different men with two very different ideologies and two very different strategies towards equality. One was credited as the “Father of the Civil Rights Movement” while another one was a “hostile extremist” who encouraged violence only for self-defense. Both men made an impact on civil rights for the black community, but people were more gravitated towards King than they were to Malcolm X.
The 1960’s signified a time of progress in the struggle for African American rights. Two prominent leaders in this movement were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was a Muslim minister who believed the injustice that existed against African Americans could be solved through separatism and self-defense. On the other hand, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist preacher, felt that the road to justice would be paved through nonviolent protest and integration. Both figures challenged the oppression inflicted on the African American community, however each individual championed different portrayals of their appeal to ethos, pathos, and logo to convey their belief that America needed an immediate change in the unjust social, economic, and political systems that existed at the time.
There are two major leaders during the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. In this paper I will first be looking at each of these two leaders individually including their backgrounds and what they are most well-known for. Then, I will be looking at the similarities and differences between these two famous leaders.
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior and Malcolm X were the two particular most prevalent, most influential individuals of the Civil Rights Movement. Their tactics, ideologies, childhoods, and ideas of freedom differed in virtually every aspect. The ways in which these men sought transformation in society are where the majority of their differences existed. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a huge proponent for peaceful demonstrations, silent marches, and nonviolent public sit-ins, where he and his supporters made open, unrestricted declarations for equality and integration. His entire philosophy on optimism and love originated from his Baptist roots and was a direct cause of his peaceful, nonviolent upbringing. In contrast, Malcolm X had a turbulent and traumatic childhood that led to a more forceful, direct form of demonstration that never pushed for peace and love and national social harmony. His religion and main area of support, the Nation of Islam, did not believe a simple sit-in or peaceful protest would create a change in society. Instead, he advocated for Black Nationalism, not for integration. Malcolm X encouraged the black community to become autonomous, to function separately from white society. A number of striking similarities existed between these men, however. Both men were intelligent from a young age, were raised in the same religion, had a staggering awareness of the national racial tensions in America, fought for justice for their people, pushed for social and
In the 1950s and 1960s both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr were very prominent and influential men. These men were both the voices of Black America at the time, but they had different messages to send. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr had opposing philosophies on topics such as integration, religion, and defense tactics; however, they still shared some similarities.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were very influential civil rights advocates during the nineteen-fifties and nineteen-sixties, and continue to have an influence on people today. However, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X have quite different legacies, of which are based on quite different philosophies and tactics. To understand why Dr. King and Malcolm X had drastically different thoughts and approaches to civil rights in the United States, their lives must also be looked at — as their lives leading up to their leadership were drastically different.
Are rights something you're born with or something you earn through hard work? In some cases it would be something you earn like African-Americans during the early to mid 20th century. The Civil Rights Movement was at work. During this time two leaders were introduced, Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King Jr was born into christianity and lived in a segregated neighborhood. Throughout his years he would learn of good morals and God. Malcolm X on the other hand went to prison for a 10 year sentence. In jail he learned about segregation from black muslims. This is where he earned his nickname “X” and learned of black heritage. Although both leaders seem very similar due to their want for change, they are very different.
During the 1960's, there was a great deal of civil rights injustices addressed by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Although Malcolm X was a prominent civil rights activist who used several examples of distinctive tones and a harsh point of view, along with a self-educational background, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) used a more refined method including justice and integration towards African American rights. Both men addressed religious, education, justice/injustice, and both were supporting integration towards the end of their life in “The Ballot Vs. the Bullet, Learning to Read, and Letter from Birmingham” will display the indistinguishability and variance of the 2 activists.
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
These two men have differents outlooks on civil rights movement for African Americans to be treated equal as white people. They both grew up entirely different from each other, for instance Martin Luther King Jr. was raised in a middle class home, and he also had education. On the other hand Malcolm X came from a broken home due to his father being murdered and his mother suffered from mental illness, which causes Malcolm X to have strong beliefs the way he did. “Malcolm X, attained prominence for criticizing the timidity of mainstream civil rights protesters. The Nation of Islam’s leaders rejected the integrationist perspective of these leaders, calling instead for an independent black nation-state.”
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.
After reading an excerpt of “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” and Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, I felt that both men were conveying their alarm for equality for the African-American race. Malcolm and Martin had already experienced the atrocities that extreme racism brought on to their families. Martin projects a peacemaking, and more rational demeanor Malcolm showed a more radical, controversial, and an unwavering unwillingness position on compromise. The characteristic of standing up for what he or she believes in is one influence that these men have on my life.
Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X were very huge leading figures during the Civil Rights movement. Though they had many differences, they had some similarities. Both men’s fathers were preachers and both men were religious preachers themselves. Dr. King and Malcolm X were around the same age and they were both assassinated. Coincidentally, both men had the same number of children and eventually they had the same ideologies for the Civil Rights Movement. However, Dr. King and Malcolm X were different in ways such as Malcolm X wanted black supremacy and Dr. King wanted equality, Malcolm X saw violence as an option to achieve his goals if peace did not work and Dr. King believed in complete nonviolence, and Malcolm X
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal" (King, “I HAVE A DREAM…,” pg.4 ¶.5). Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were major figures in the fight for racial equality but their ideals were diametrically opposed. In MLK JR’s March on Washington speech, he calls for peaceful resistance and integration into an equal society. Malcolm X, however, disagrees with that in his Message to Grassroots and argues equality cannot be obtained peacefully and that living together wouldn’t be much better than slavery. By comparing the two men’s goals and messages expressed in these speeches we can gain an understanding of the feelings of the general populace on the issues of racial inequity.