Malcolm X And Black Panthers

The Black Panther Party had a great deal of negative outlooks portrayed on them by not everyone, but more than half of the society. Without a doubt, the Black Panther Party addressed multiple situations with violent acts that implemented negativity towards them. The late Martin Luther King believed that he could obtain equality without having to use violence as a lament, instead the Black Panther’s believed that King’s non-violence movement had failed, and that violence was necessary to get through to the people who saw black communities and minority groups as insignificant. Although, the Black Panther Party only granted membership to African Americans, they weren’t anti-white, the Black Panther Party considered themselves

     Organized in the 1960s at the height of the American Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panther Party emerged as a revolutionist group pioneering a strategy of militancy. The Party’s aims were to eliminate the discrimination challenging African-Americans in America since the time of slavery, and to protect their communities from police brutality. Inspired by contemporary radical leaders such as Malcolm X, the party recognized that in order to restructure American society so that civil equality was obtainable by all people, a much stronger opposition was necessary. Party members felt the passive resistance adopted by their predecessors fighting for equality proved

Malcolm X, an African American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam, was a significant individual in the African American fight for justice and equality. In contrast to the mainstream Civil Rights Movement with its nonviolent pursuit of integration, Malcolm X voiced concepts of race pride and Black Nationalism during the 1950s and '60s. Although many argue that Malcolm X did not actually “do” anything for the black community, his nontraditional programs brought a new perspective to the Civil Rights Movement, and this perspective is of relevance today in the black community.

Imagine it is the 1960’s: conflict in Vietnam had sparked widespread protest at American college campuses, people all over the country were reading the The Feminine Mystique and fighting for increased equality among the sexes, and the Civil Rights Movement was at its peak. African Americans throughout America were uniting for the common cause of equality, however differing ideology and beliefs regarding how equality could be achieved divided them. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X rose as prominent leaders in the fight against racial inequality, the latter typically credited with the development of more violent methodology which excluded white involvement and conceived the movement of “Black Power.” The Black Panthers, members of a political party formed by college students Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966, are typically associated with the idea of black power and the legacy of Malcolm X despite the fact that he had died a year prior to the party’s founding. While the idea of black power is easily and mis-conceivably associated with the idea of black supremacy and violence, The Black Panther Party primarily sought a spot for African Americans next to that of whites, not above. The Black Panther Party, despite its violent appearance and legacy, made a positive influence on American history through its platform based on equality, human rights, and patriotism.

Malcolm X is seen as quite a controversial person. His admirers see him as a courageous human rights activist who campaigned for the rights of African Americans and showed white America how racist it was. His enemies see him as a racist, anti-Semitic and violent person.

In 1966, the Black Panthers began to play an important but short role in the civil rights movement too. The Nation of Islam was very active, but unlike MLK, they advocated retaliation, violence, and separation rather than peace and unity. Around this time, the cops would bring out dogs and have them attack blacks. The blacks felt as though they tried to fight fair for as long as they could, but they were being tired of being pushed around. The process of being equal was taking too long. It drove them to anger, frustration, repression, deceit, and hypocrisy. More vicious dog attacks were being set up by the police, and more police controls became familiar so the blacks began to think they needed to arm themselves. (Document F)

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.

Martin Luther King often advocated for integration between blacks and whites. “I have a dream that one day out in the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood” (MLK, Document B). In contrast, Malcolm X felt that the best way to uplift the black community was not integration, but a type of “black nationalism” (Document G) that would allow the community to take control of its own economy and create employment for itself. He emphasized the importance of keeping money in the community, encouraging his supporters to support black business owners. “When you take money out of the neighborhood you live… the neighborhood in which you spend money becomes wealthier and wealthier, and the neighborhood out of which you take your money becomes poorer and poorer” (Malcolm X, Document G). Malcolm X’s position on integration made the most sense for America in the 1960’s because black communities were in a vulnerable place during the 60’s. Black Americans were being discriminated against in the job market. Integration into white communities at this time would have subjected them to discrimination from white employers and infrastructure. Surrounded by their own community, black Americans would have been able to better elevate themselves from

The Nation of Islam strongly disagreed and forbade its members and especially Malcolm X from taking part in the political scene (Litwack pg 7). Malcolm knew that if the black population continued to act as a separate community while also avoiding political action, they would never achieve equality. The Nation of Islam strongly disagreed and forbade its members and especially Malcolm X from taking part in the political scene (Litwack, pg 7).  These differing viewpoints and the growing jealousy of Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm’s mentor and leader of the Nation of Islam, were the fundamental reasons not only for him leaving the Nation of Islam but for the entire tone of  “the Ballot or the Bullet” speech (Haley, pg 1).

Founded on October 15th 1966 in Oakland, California, the Black Panther Party for Self Defense was an organization opposed to police brutality against the black community. The Party’s political origins were in Maoism, Marxism, and the radical militant ideals of Malcolm X and Che Guevara. From the doctrines of Maoism they saw the role of their Party as the frontline of the revolution and worked to establish a unified alliance, while from Marxism they addressed the capitalist economic system, and exemplified the need for all workers to forcefully take over means of production (Baggins, Brian). Mao was important to the Black Panthers because of his different stance on Marxism-Leninism when applied to Chinese peasants. The founders of the Black

He was quoted saying that “had a white mob stepped on the campus where I lived, I would have without hesitation sprayed their guts over the grass” (Cain, 1990, p. 332). Blacks formed their own organizations aiming at retaliating against white violence. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, using “the discipline, pride, and calm self-assurance preached by Malcolm X” (Lazerow, Jama; Williams, Yohuru R. (2006). In Search of the Black Panther Party: New Perspectives on a Revolutionary Movement. Duke University: Duke University Press.), founded the Black Panther Party: a formal armed organization which claimed to have used violence only in self-defense. Worgs argues that violence became a part of the African American man as he constantly justifies his use of violence for self-defense. He refers to David Walker’s Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World where the author makes it clear that the use of violence “was justified by the reality of the oppressor and the oppressive conditions of enslavement. Slaveholders were…willing to murder Blacks in order to maintain slavery. Thus, Blacks had to be willing to “kill or be killed” in their quest for freedom”. The realistic views of Robert F. Williams led him to argue that “Nonviolence is a very potent weapon when the opponent is civilized…But nonviolence is no repellent for a sadist” (Tyson, T.). In turn, African Americans were strongly associated with violence in both

Two main black activist leaders of the early 1950's were Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Today, both of these men would be remembered as 'great leaders'. However, these two men had totally different approaches towards meeting the same main goal. Both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X fought for civil rights; however Malcolm X also wanted to have a separate black society whereas Martin Luther "wanted the integration of white people with black people. Malcolm X believed that violence was the key to his goat whereas Martin Luther King chose to take the non‑violent approach This is one reason why some black activists rejected, the approach of Martin Luther King to civil rights.

What comes to mind when you think of the Black Panther Party? Do you even know who the Black Panthers really were? They helped transform the lives of many African Americans in the U.S and helped empower the community. The Black Panther has a huge background of history, goals, and beliefs. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale from Oakland, California founded the Panthers in 1966. Initially, they were an African American self defense force and were highly influenced by Malcolm X’s beliefs. The Panthers had many goals such as;freedom, protecting blacks from police brutality, and helping African Americans obtain a jobs. Despite the negative stereotypes of the Black Panthers as people who ran around with guns, fighting police, they were a major group during the Civil Rights Movement because they practiced self defense, established revolutionary socialism, and stimulated Malcolm X's influence. In the following I will discuss the successful changes the Black Panther Party, had on the African American community during the civil rights movement.

The movement, using the slogan “Black Power,” followed the teachings of Malcolm X, an African American leader who died the same year and who promoted that African Americans separate from white society in favor of forming their own community. The Black Panther Party, a militant organization that viewed themselves as soldiers warring against the white hierarchy, arose from such ideals. Despite the challenge that “Black Power” proposed to the nonviolent movement, civil rights activists continued persevered in finding the end of black discrimination legally. They found success in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which both contributed to legally naming minorities as equal citizens, as well as protecting the same from discrimination. Although the strength of the civil rights movement dissipated after the 1960s, activists continue to make efforts to end entirely the racial discrimination within America’s economic and social policies.

believed in the racial and ethnic equality of all people, he protested in a nonviolent and peaceful way and formed his protests after Mahatma Gandhi, who worked for social change without using violence. Malcolm X offered a different perspective by advocating for and encouraging a separate black community to be established. Malcolm X promoted violence rather than nonviolence as a tool for self-defense and encouraged separation rather than integration. While Martin Luther King, Jr. preached of equality and a dream that all ethnicities would live together in harmony, Malcolm X personified the philosophy of “Black Power” and black self-determination, and promoted an adamant belief in the evils of the white man and white America. Malcolm X also, advocated for black supremacy and lived by the phrase “by any means necessary.” Martin Luther King, Jr. used nonviolent tactics with the influence of Jesus Christ teachings such as “turning the other cheek” even when presented with violence and physical harm. Malcolm X spoke to reporters about the Black nationalist Movement and the need to establish Black Rifle Clubs. These are only some of their ideas on how they did not always agree on how to go about seeking out a