In history, everyone knows that no two great men are alike. And when you compare Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, you will know instantly that this is true. There are many differences between the two, apart from the striking one: that Martin Luther King was a very good statesmen who delivered moving speeches about peace, freedom and democracy while Malcolm X was a known eradicator of those who were not of the superior white race. The beliefs of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X may stem from the fact that their childhoods were vastly different, given that the former lived in a very comfortable and middle class home while the …show more content…
Washington High School when he was just 15 and went right to college. Following in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps, he attended Atlanta’s important Morehouse College, graduating in 1948 with a degree in sociology. He then moved north to Pennsylvania to study religion at the Crozer Theological Seminary. During his stay at the seminary, he studied the teachings of Indian spiritual leader
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.
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were arguably some of the most important figures in the civil rights era. Malcolm and King had a lot of similar ideas in a way, but also had very different ones.Which is why I believe they shouldn’t be compared as similar to one another. I would like to go over what each of their beliefs and goals were, as well as future goals, and why those two were so important to the movement.
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.
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were icons of the Civil Rights Movement and it still seen as that today. Though there were many others, these two are the most notable and are discussed frequently in our History classes. Their legacy is apparent because of desegregation. Many compare the two because they wanted they both wanted the same thing, but they had very different backgrounds, beliefs and methods of achieving what they wanted. The two men were profoundly dedicated to social justice, but they preferred dissimilar control techniques to achieve their ultimate goal of justice and liberation for African Americans.
“I have a dream, that one day little black boys and black girls will join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sister and brother.” (de Kay 75)…Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
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
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”-Martin Luther King Jr. “Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.”- Malcolm X. Just by comparing these two quotes said by two very courteous civil rights activists, you can see the contrasting differences between the two. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X both wanted the same thing yet they both drove up very different roads to advocate it. Martin’s method was to fight with love, help the oppressors to understand, and keep the peace. He even referred his love as his main weapon. While on the other hand, Malcolm suggested whatever he thought was necessary. Not metaphorically speaking, Malcolm actually had a real weapon. He fought with words sometimes, but he also precisely suggested to do whatever is necessary to protect himself and his people if words weren’t enough. Both of them
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.
Imagine yourself back in the 1960's as an African American fighting for your own right to be an average human being. It is already well known there were many heroic leaders for these people through their struggle. Two of these well known leaders were Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. While these two people were both influential in the African American fight for equality, they each had their own way of representing their ideas. Dr. King was more of a pacifist in his fight for freedom, while Malcolm X was more aggresive with his strategy. While both men were highly effective in their fights, Martin had the stronger plan overall for several reasons. The first reason would be that peaceful protests will not get as many, if any, people harmed due to violence in the protests. It was also a stronger strategy as it was more convincing to people who were against their cause. Those who argue Malcolm X had the stronger strategy do not realize that to win with aggression, you must be able to fully defeat your opponent. For Malcolm's strategy to really work for him, he would have to have ran his opposition fully out of business, which would have been nearly impossible. Martin Luther King Jr. had the stronger strategy for equality because it would result in less harm, communicate the message more effectively, and, unlike Malcolm's plan, not require fully beating their opposition.
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.