Frederick Douglass And Malcolm X

The life and works of Henry David Thoreau and Frederick Douglass’ has had a lasting impact in the literary field since there work is studied now in most colleges. Although, the writers travelled in the same circle and were both friends of Ralph Waldo Emerson the pair were not friends. In looking at the life and works of the two dynamic literary giants analyzing their common goals, work, and their place in Transcendentalist history will bring more understanding of these authors.

Richard Wright and Malcolm X are two African Americans that struggled so much in the pursuit of knowledge in other to gain power and figure. Richard wright is from Natchez, Mississippi; he was in the south around the year 1925 and worked for the white men helping them get books from the library. During the process of obtaining books for the white men, he wants to read and know of the black history. Malcolm X is from Omaha, Nebraska, he was in prison for burglary, during his time in prison then came the passion for knowledge and he wants to build his vocabulary on how to speak, and write letters appropriately to Mr. Elijah Muhammad. Richard wright becomes motivated when he comes across an article that made mention of H. L. Mencken being a fool and wants to know the reason for such a saying, Richard wrights’ difficulties was how to get a library card without cut reading the novel of H. L. Mencken. Richard Wright becomes transformed greatly not only has his vocabulary improved but had known a great deal of black history. Malcolm X is motivated to read so he can write good letters to Mr. Elijah Muhammad. His difficulties was learning how to read, write and himself not having enough time to read because the lights had to go off and they were watched by a moving guard, he becomes transformed by studying the dictionary to improve his knowledge of vocabulary in reading, speaking and writing good letters to Mr. Elijah Muhammad.

What makes a great leader? Two great leaders from this century were Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. Despite their difference in gender and race and didn 't have political experiences. Martin Luther King Jr. was an African-American, Baptist minister, who was born on January 15, 1968. He lead the civil rights movement. Eleanor Roosevelt, who was born on October 11, 1884, was an influential a First Lady. She was a great social reformer and she was a beyond educated well and came from her wealthy family as well. Both had successful leadership qualities: empathy, conceptualization, and ability to build community.

Douglass and President Lincoln agreed that slavery needed to be abolished and the Nation needed to be united as one. Lincoln realized that he needed to bring in Frederick Douglass; the combination of a strong and influential black leader and the President of the United States could now create a cohesive group of abolitionists and the Union. Frederick Douglass realized that President Lincoln’s own personality and political judgment would help him free slaves across the country. Realizing each other’s strengths, both men were able to be effective through the use strong actions and powerful words of one another; their relationship played a key role in changing the nations views on slavery and race.

By any means necessary” (Malcolm X). During the 1950’s to 60’s Malcolm X was a Black Nationalist speaker for the nation of Islam. The Nation of Islam Impacted Malcolm X with the idea of obtaining freedom, justify, and equality by any means necessary. The Black Panther Party being strongly influenced by Malcolm also shared this idea. Malcolm’s view of ending racial discrimination was by the use of violence and advice his followers to protect themselves toward white assault ‘an eye for an eye’ unlike the views of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Newton and Bobby Seal founder of the Black Panther’s party of the 60’s led their party by the ideology of Malcolm X, and the New Black Panther found by Louis Farrakhan of the 80’s (Black Panther Party). Therefore

On the surface one would find it difficult to believe that Frederick Douglass and Hester Prynne could be anything alike. For starters, Frederick Douglass was a real person. A true historical figure in the Antebellum period of The United States. This was a man who was born a slave, escaped to his freedom and became one of the louder voices calling to abolish slavery. Then we have Hester Prynne, who is a fictional character from the mind of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Her time period was years before that of Douglass, as she lived Puritan New England. Looking at these two comparatively from the outside, it is hard to believe that the two would represent any of the same ideas. However, delving deeper into what they stood for, the hardships they endured, and how the came out better on the other end it is clear that the two of them are one in the same. Douglas and Prynne represent everything that America is supposed to be moving forward out of the Antebellum time period.

Malcom X once said, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” This quotation means that education is an important thing, and we should prepare for our future. Fredrick Douglass and Malcom X are two different men who write similar aspects. Fredrick Douglass is a slave, and Malcom X is a criminal, both were deprived of obtaining a higher sense of education. They are two activists who grew up to realize the importance of an education, in reading and writing. In Frederick Douglas’s essay “Learning to Read and Write” and Malcolm’s “Learning to Read” one can compare and contrast the analysis both essays.

Slavery began in the late 16th century to early 18th century. Africans were brought to American colonies by white masters to come and work on their plantations in the South. They were treated harshly with no payments for all their hard work. In addition, they lived under harsh living conditions, and this led to their resistance against these harsh conditions. The racism towards the African Americans who were slaves was at its extreme as they did not have any rights; no civil nor political rights.

In 1619, when the first Africans were brought into Jamestown, Virginia to aid in the production of crops on the farms of Caucasian landowners, a period in our country’s dark history began, and with it a struggle for equality and freedom. For over 200 years, slavery consumed the United States, compelling blacks to long and later fight for the freedom their fair skinned counterparts had stripped from them. Decades later, the oppression of black rights marked the beginning of another struggle; one for basic rights that the black population had been denied. During these struggles, several names would come to mind for their achievements and efforts against racism and slavery, names like Frederick Douglass and Anne Moody. Frederick Douglass paved his own road to freedom while Anne Moody put her life on the line fighting for the rights that she knew she deserved. Although time frames apart, both Frederick Douglass and Anne Moody were able to resist and fight racism due to their thirst for knowledge, the help they extended towards other blacks, and their faith in succeeding despite previous failures.

Leaders, Achievers, Courage are only a few words that describe Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Abraham Lincoln and what they achieved. Frederick Douglass was a very courageous man and leader because he stood up for what was right and he escaped slavery, For Example in the text it says “ The more I read , the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers”. What that sentence means is that he was reading a book about a slave and his master and the more he read the more he wanted to enslave all slaves. Sojourner Truth was a courageous leader. She stood up for what she thought was right and for her that was women rights and ending slavery. In fact, in the text is says “ Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much right as men, cause christ wasn't a women! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a women! Man had nothing to do with him. ANother sentence was “ Then they talk about this thing in the head;what’s this they call it? [Members of audience whispers “ Intellect”] That's it honey. What's that got to f with women rights or negroes rights. She would always stand up for what was right. Abraham Lincoln was a Achiever and a Courageous leader. He was the man that stopped slavery. It's Important to realize, that in the text it said “ My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and

African American’s first legal sight of freedom came in 1799 with the Gradual Emancipation of slaves that were born on or after 1799. Many whites against slavery helped with their efforts in bring the Gradual Emancipation’s approval. The Quakers were the first to help the slaves fight for freedom. The New York Manumission Society contributed the most for the emancipation of slaves, but let’s not give all the credit to the whites. Black efforts undeniably helped in the process of gradually abolishing slavery as well.

Frederick Douglass was an American slave.  Henry David Thoreau was a writer from the 17th  century.  The narrative read about Frederick Douglass was about his life as a slave, and how it changed as time went on, including his eventual release from enslavement.  The article about Henry Thoreau was in regards to the theory of Civil Disobedience, and his role in the creation of that theory.

Africans have long faced racism in their long history in America. They have had their identities and rights lost under centuries of slavery. Even after the Civil War, the inequalities between African Americans and Caucasians did not cease to exist. From these troubles, many strong people have risen and been able to tell their stories. Among these include a former slave who traveled north and gained freedom, Frederick Douglass and civil rights activist, Malcolm X who both wrote their own autobiographies about their journeys against racism. While Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass lived about a century apart, they share similarities in how they faced and combated racism through education, inspiration by other people, and their eventually finding of freedom.

We are all pretty familiar with Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King Jr., both being significant historical figures, fighting for different ideas. During the 1700s’, Jefferson was growing up in a rich white environment and privileged to the extent where he is later classified as an American founding father. A very different background compared to the majority of the colonies’ population at that time and two distinct relations shared between them. Unlike Jefferson, Dr. King was raised by a faithful family and a religious environment while being targeted in a discriminative and racist atmosphere, resembling the expected stereotypical lifestyle of an African American male during the 1900s’. Unlike many other African Americans, King achieved the near impossible in getting as far as an education; the pressure in even attending a segregated school was overwhelming for a lot of African American individuals. Since we looked at both very distinct lifestyles, we can probably guess how and where the motives behind Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence” and Dr. King’s I Have A Dream” came about. Comparison and contrast wise, what are the propositions Jefferson and King have for the topic of equality? Does Jefferson’s perspective on equality contradict or corroborate with Dr. Kings’? But when you really get down to it, do either ones’ perspective have similar traits to what kind of society we are living in or is it too irrational to justify?

Last week Conor McGregor wrote, “All men are equals, it’s the ones who put in more hard work that are considered talented or special, if you do work hard you will reach the top and that's that”. People who have worked very hard to learn to need and use words effecting include Guy Montag, Frederick Douglass,Malcolm X, and Kurt Vonnegut.