Essay on MLK and Malcolm X

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.

Malcolm X did not have an easy life growing up. After the loss of his father, a Baptist minister and a black nationalist, and the admittance of his mother to a mental institution at an early

He started thinking about the world and the society he lives in. He began to question the way things were, and he realized that a change in his life, and in the society was both possible and necessary. Prior to his imprisonment, Malcolm had been enclosed in the world of the hustler, the player, the pimp, the gangster, the parasite, and he couldn¹t imagine him outside of that world. “Reading exposed Malcolm to new worlds; it allowed him to see that there were alternatives to the lifestyle and values of the social parasite” (Shanna). While in prison, Malcolm began to think, and to read. but only after he had been encouraged to do so by someone that he respected and who had taken an unselfish interest in him. “Malcolm was later motivated by a new sense of self-worth and identity and purpose, as his family introduced him to the religious and political philosophy of Islam, as taught by Elijah Muhammad, and practiced by the Nation of Islam (NOI)” (Estate of Malcolm X). Malcolm X converted to the Nation of Islam while in prison, and upon his release in 1952 he abandoned his surname "Little," which he considered a relic of slavery, in favor of the surname "X" a tribute to the unknown name of his African ancestors.

Malcolm soon picked up tricks of the trade in surviving on the streets of a large Black ghetto. He became a dropout from school at the age of fifteen. Learning the ways of the streets, Malcolm became acquainted with hoodlums, thieves, dope peddlers, and pimps. Gambling, pimping, selling and smoking marijuana and other drugs took over his life. The people that surrounded him that were the ones there for him to follow became a major influence in shaping how Malcolm looked at life and people. He saw life as a big game and lost respect for people and did not trust anyone. From then on his life started to fall. Malcolm was convicted of armed burglary at age 21 and was sentenced eight to ten years at the Charlestown Prison outside of Boston.

This was a turning point in Malcolm's life. While in prison, Malcolm educated himself and became interested in the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm spent his time in jail educating himself and learning more about the Nation of Islam (later known as the Black Muslims). Their belief, which was contrary to Martin Luther King Jr.'s,

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

Malcolm Little was very good in junior high school but dropped out after a white teacher told him racial slurs discouraging him from pursuing his career in law. From when he was 14 to 21 held many odd jobs while he lived with his half-sister Ella Little-Collins. After spending some time in Flint, Michigan, he moved to Harlem in 1943, Where he committed crimes such as drug dealing, gambling, racketeering, robbery, and

Malcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother named Louise Norton Little and father Earl Little. He was the fourth oldest out of 8 siblings. Malcolm’s mother was a housewife and his father was a Baptist minister who was a also a strong supporter of the black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Earl Little was heavily involved with the civil rights activism, so his family faced harassment by white supremacist groups.

Malcolm X is an extremely critical figure that contributed in shaping American social life. He was a famous man who articulated the struggle, anger, and beliefs of African Americans. He was a radical man who fought for change despite the situation. His struggle for equality for the black nation landed him in prison. While in prison, Malcolm was able to study, and earned a college degree. However, most importantly while in prison, Malcolm X was introduced to the Islam faith by one of the prisoners. He received teachings from the Muslim faith, which made him realize that, his people were being oppressed and abused by the whites. While out of prison, he went to visit honorable Elijah Muhammad and later on went around preaching Elijah

During Malcolm X’s early education, he would find himself dropping out of school at an early age, and finding himself becoming

Malcolm Little’s (also known as Malcolm X) family experienced a lot of trouble before he was even born. It all started when the Ku Klux Klan arrived at their house because his father Earl Little was supporting Marcus Garvey, who was an passionate Black Nationalist leader. On May 19,1925 Malcolm was born into a family of eight. Malcolm's father's work is the main cause for the death threats they received, this is what caused them to move two times before Malcolm was four years old. Unfortunately the trouble traveled with them, in 1929, the Littles house was completely burned down in Lansing, Michigan. The family assumed it was the Black Legion which is a group that originated in the midwestern United States and consisted of white supremacists.

Malcolm graduated the eighth grade, but by the age of fifteen he dropped out of school and began running the streets. Malcolm began to make friends with drug dealers, thieves, and pimps. By the age of twenty, Malcolm was convicted of burglary, he then served seven years in prison. While in prison Malcolm, furthered his education. During his prison time, his brother Reginald would visit and discuss his recent encounters with the Muslim religion. His brother Reginald belonged to the religious organization the Nation of Islam. By the time Malcolm was released from prison, he had undergone a transformation from a criminal to a religious priest, for the Nation of Islam. Malcolm had become a student of Elijah Mohammed teachings. Through these teachings Malcolm developed individual views about race in America and around the world. The more Malcolm learned about the teachings, the more he despised white citizens and he blamed them for the struggle of African Americans.

Little never really embraced full stability as a normal child would. During this difficult time young Malcolm did not only face hardships. He excelled proficiently in school and was well liked by his peers. Still living in Lansing, Michigan, Little attended West Junior High School where he maintained a very high average in his courses. Malcolm Little was the only African American in his class but was still recognized for his abilities. He felt and mentions multiple times that he was being recognized in more of a negative way. Growing up, Little had aspirations of becoming a Lawyer but his English teacher explained to him that his dream was unrealistic and this is when he took the turn for the worse. Little did not appreciate the fact this Caucasian teacher limited him work such as carpentry or steel job. At the age of 15, Malcolm Little dropped out of school and moved to Boston to live with his half-sister Ella. Even though Little excelled in school he made this decision to quit school and this is where his education

As a young child, Malcolm Little’s house was burned down by the Ku Klux Klan and his father was murdered. These traumatic incidences as a child enabled him to develop a deep seeded hatred toward white Americans. Malcolm got involved in the wrong crowd and began committing crimes which resulted in him getting arrested.

In his book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm faced with adversity from the beginning of his life. Malcolm was born May 19th, 1925, during times of extreme racial violence and harsh discrimination . His family moved to Lansing, Michigan to avoid the persecution of local white groups, but they could not escape racial injustice. White supremacists burned Malcolm’s family home and murdered his father. Overcome with grief, Malcolm’s mother was confined to a mental hospital. Malcolm was then given to foster parents. He felt out of