Malcolm X And MLK

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

Malcolm X was also a very great leader during the Civil Rights era. His Islamic religion helped influence how he led those who followed his teachings. He was motivated by anger that was created from white men in the past. When he was younger, his mother was threatened to move out of town because his father’s sermons were starting to cause an up roar in the community between blacks and whites. The leadership Malcolm X brought to the community was rejuvenated energy that gave young black men and women the hope to rise above the

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

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.

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.

Through his readings and new found religion, the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X finds self-pride. He starts to become proud of who he is and where he came from. He realizes that before, all he was trying to do was act like someone he wasn’t and all it had gotten him was seven years in prison. The letters he got from Elijah Muhammad and his family encouraged all of this. He strives to admit his guilt, and “implore the forgiveness of God” (170). He would often “be startled to catch [himself] thinking in a remote way of [his] earlier self as another person” and marvel at how much he had changed (170). All the reading he did “awoke … some long dormant craving to be mentally alive” (179). His trip to prison opened up new doors for him because he gained knowledge that made him rethink his niche in life.

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

Malcolm X became disappointed with the Islamic Nation when he learned that his trusted friend, Elijah Muhammad, had parented children out of wedlock in affairs with two of his

Malcolm X was a man who supported violence in getting equal rights for black citizens. To do this, he assisted the national Muslim leader, Elijah Muhammad by sharing the Black Muslim beliefs throughout the United States. Malcolm X started many Muslim groups and worked hard to develop racial pride in his black listeners by recognizing the suffering whites caused by blacks. With the Black Muslims, Malcolm X practiced a vigorous self-defense against white violence. He also urged blacks to live separately from whites and prevented them from attaining their freedom. He affected his followers so much that when his followers would see white people they would often harass or hurt the white people. Through his travels in the Middle East and Africa, he began to realize and change his views regarding potential brotherhood between black and white Americans and rejected the view that all whites were devils. (Harris 99) He thought that one day his religion could unite people of all races. To do this he formed his own group, The Organization of Afro-American Unity. Many people, both black and whites admired his tireless efforts to build pride in blacks and whoever shared his dreams that someday everyone would be joined in brotherhood. Malcolm X was admired by many people because of his drive to unite the blacks and whites as one, but many people also condemned his as a hypocrite and traitor because of his change in views. Malcolm X

The speaker of the first speech is John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the United States. President Kennedy was instrumental in improving relations with the USSR and improving civil rights in the US. He is seen as one of the greatest presidents America has ever had.

In the pursuit of social justice and civil rights, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael, sought to amend a flawed system. To accomplish this task, these men entered the armory and chose to wield nonviolence as their weapon. Their goal: to combat violence with nonviolence, to fight hate with love, and to spread equality through peace. In the end they succeeded. Violence breeds violence, hate breeds hate, it is an ineffective approach and an archaic mean to resolving societies issues. Malcolm X and Carmichael were both extreme individuals but that does not make them violent. They attacked social justice and civil rights passionately and assertively, not violently. The methods used

MLK and Malcolm X were both avid supporters of the Civil Rights Movement. Although both were assassinated, they played both played a vital role in America’s view on Civil Rights. For MLK, life as a kid was normal. His grandfather began the family ‘pastor line’ and his father took the role after him. After the father’s death, MLK took the role, acting as a co-pastor before his death.

Throughout this summer semester we have attempted to uncover the truths as to whether or not America is truly a liberal nation or if it is a nation made up of a combination of different political ideas. Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. both played key roles in the advancement of civil liberties in the United States, while peacefully and benevolently fighting to uphold the principles of liberty and equality for all citizens, regardless of race. On the other hand, Stephen Douglas and Malcolm X, believed in a more radical and aggressive approach to establishing liberty and equality, which in turn, made them both very popular, as well as, incredibly reviled. These four important figures in American history, and the political beliefs that defined each man’s legacy, have provided a better understanding of the concept of liberalism and how it applies to current American political thought and action regarding race, as well as the relationship and tensions it poses with a democratic government.

There are many people who believe in a philosophy of nonviolence, while others not so much. Two people who have transposed the civil movement of the world dramatically through the philosophy of nonviolence are Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas K. Gandhi. While there are many pros to nonviolence, there are just as many cons. Somehow these two people managed to impact millions of people’s lives and still continue to do so today. Through all of the negativity and discrimination these two people became leaders in our society’s eyes and still remain as role models in our society now. There are always pros and cons to being a leader to millions, but Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi’s “non-traditional” non-violence philosophy triumphed over it all for the greater good of the people.

By this time, 2013, the world has been blessed with a good handful of creative thinkers who have greatly contributed to their communities, thus, to the world. Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr are to excellent examples of outside the box thinkers who strove relentlessly to make a difference in the way society was thinking, and acting The purpose of this paper is to give information about these two thinkers’ contribution to society. To examine their personal, social, and political environments, and