Malcolm X : An Influential Leader Of The Civil Rights Era

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were two of the most prominent leaders and orators at the heart of

In 1964, Malcolm X gave a speech entitled “The Ballot or the Bullet” which described how African Americans should fight for civil-rights in America. Malcolm X emphasizes the importance of voting as a solution to ending discrimination against African Americans. He addresses both the poor voting decisions and also the denial of legitimate voting rights to African Americans. Because elections had been so narrowly decided in recent elections, the Black vote is the deciding factor in elections. Whites also have prevented African Americans in the electoral process. Malcolm X says that either "the ballot or the bullet" will come next in the civil rights struggle. This meant that government must allow African Americans to legitimately vote or

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 challenged the mainstream Civil Rights Movement in his efforts to defend and separate the African race. Activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. changed the Civil Rights movement with the sound of his voice. Martin Luther King was the most powerful activist for equal rights because of his peaceful marches, and speeches. The March on Washington and the I Have a Dream speech were the most important events he participated in. The “I Have a Dream” speech took place in August, 1963, in Washington D.C. The speech was monumental for the Civil Rights Movement, as it was broadcasted nationwide. The speech consisted of how African Americans have been discriminated against as time progress since the Gettysburg Address one hundred years before. Dr. King then went on to explain some of the problems African Americans still face today. As the speech went on he gradually raised

Malcom X gives his speech during a time in American history when equality and civil rights between blacks and whites had not yet been established. Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X also fought for the civil rights of Black Americans in the 1960s, but using different tactics. Malcom X was angry that Congress had opposed bills that were intended to support the equality and civil liberties of African Americans. In the North, where Blacks were allowed to vote, White politicians came to Black communities with promises they did not intend to keep in exchange for black votes. Malcom X urged the African American community to fight in order to gain the equal rights they deserved, by either through immediate grant of the vote (the ballot) and if denied the vote, blacks should engage in violent opposition to the white rule (the bullet). Malcom X’s stature as a civil rights leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam helped strengthen these appeals. Throughout his speech, Malcom X shifts between various tones to make his speech more impactful towards his audience. He mainly spoke in an assertive tone, which proved the seriousness of his arguments. During his rhetoric appeals, it is evident that X moved into subtle changes of mood and tone to captivate the emotions of his audience.

rights of people around the world.  He rose to prominence in a time when segregation was legal in America and black people were being lynched by white mobs, especially in the South.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X left legacies filled with instances of resistance against social and legal oppression as well as working to convince other of race equality.

Probably the most famous part of the march was Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. A lesser known fact is that King did not plan this speech and that the speech was scheduled for four minutes but ended up lasting around sixteen minutes. He threw out his preplanned speech and delivered what is highly recognized as one of the most famous speeches of the Civil Rights Movement.

Malcolm X made more of an impact on the Civil Rights Movement than Martin Luther King JR. Malcolm X lived through extreme hardship and poverty leading to a life of crime; prison eventually altered his whole perspective about his role in society. Unlike MLK JR, whose purpose was predetermined in a household with strict boundaries and Christian love. Most notably, it was his excellency as a scholar that gave MLK JR his signature; being that at only 15 years of age he enrolled into Morehouse College. However, it was Malcolm X with the intelligence of peace through the Nation of Islam and spirituality of Black Nationalism, these components made him the one who is best to philosophize accurately about removing blacks from oppression in the USA.

On April 12 of 1964 Malcolm X delivered his “The Ballot or The Bullet” speech on the steps of King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. During his most well-known speech Malcolm uses a plethora of rhetorical devices, but to narrow it down he uses rhetorical appeals, metaphors, and syntax.

Malcolm X can always be remembered as a great leader and a person who was inspirational. He brought about change and fought for his rights and the rights of his people to be

Malcolm X was a muslim, black man who cared very much about gaining equal rights. He was, in a way, an extremist. Though only taking action when he felt necessary, when he did take action, it often had drastic effects on the people and events occurring around him. Unlike Martin Luther King or other leading civil rights activists, he did not believe in peaceful protest. He believed in “whatever means necessary” to accomplish his goals. Because of his strong efforts and his unmatched determination, Malcolm X, formally known as Malcolm Little, changed the course of the civil rights movement. If not for him, the events that played out to cause the eventual conclusion of the struggle would have been forever altered.

There have been many people throughout United States History who have greatly influenced the nation, including Malcolm X. Malcolm X both positively and negatively affected American society. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history, while being a tremendous public speaker and human rights activist, specifically advocating for the rights of African Americans. However, numerous individuals view him as controversial figure due to the widespread portrayal of Malcolm X as a violent and racist character often considered to be the opposite of Martin Luther King, Jr. Overall, it is clear that Malcolm X is one of the most significant people in United States history because of his various positive

He was an avid advocate for the rights of African Americans.He was very dedicated to making sure that African American had a right to vote, could use public facilities, and could attend public schools. During a speech in 1961, he committed to civil rights for all citizens of the United States. "We will not stand by or be aloof. We will move. I happen to believe that the 1954 [Supreme Court school desegregation] decision was right. But my belief does not matter. It is the law. Some of you may believe the decision was wrong. That does not matter. It is the law." In 1962 he sent US Marshals to make sure that African American students could go to the University of Mississippi (Alden Whitman, 2001).