Malcolm X And The Civil Rights Movement

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley is the story about a man who greatly impacted American history. Malcolm Little, or Malcolm X as he is more widely known, taught what he believed in regards to segregation, racism, and discrimination. Growing up in a large family with a father Earl Little, a Baptist minister, and his mother Louis Little who was a homemaker, Malcolm’s life at the time seemed very promising. His father’s involvement in support of the Black National gained him many death threats at the hands of white supremacists. In 1929, they lost their house to a fire, and two years later the body of Malcolm’s father was found mutilated. This lead to the emotional breakdown of Malcolm’s mother and in turn she was institutionalized. Malcolm and his siblings were separated and placed in foster homes, and from then, his life began a path of drugs, sex, and crime. It was not until he was imprisoned in 1946, that he decided to make some changes for the better. This essay will assess and discuss those changes whether negative or positive, on a micro, mezzo, and macro level. It will also cover some of the effects of racial prejudice on human behavior, and how society today keeps the ideology of Malcolm X alive.

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

During the Civil Rights Movement, there was a famous leader whose protests were peaceful and non-violent. That man was Martian Luther King Jr., but many people have never heard of another Civil Rights leader. Even though his protests were different than King’s protests, he did his part and help with equality. This man was Malcolm Little, more famously known as Malcolm X. After a rough upbringing, Malcolm X led protests that differed which ended with his assassination.

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.

The impetus for the development for this major work arose from the varied and largely, colorful interpretations of Malcolm X. The differences seem to have arisen from scholars and historians use and understanding of many different and varied sources and most important, their own perspective of the events as they unfolded. How historians approached Malcolm X is of paramount importance to future historians and more importantly, to the study of history. Principally, these differences of thought and perspective are greatly determined by the writer's context, which in turn is at the core of the focus question, concerning the historiographical issue whether each generation writes the same history in a new way. Furthermore the purpose of

On 3rd April 1964, Malcom X addressed the Negro community assembled in Cleveland over the controversial issue of the civil rights movement. “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech of Malcom X can be considered as a direct response to “I have a Dream” speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Malcom X and Dr. Martin were taking a stand for the true freedom of the same community but with a diagonally opposite philosophies. Dr. Martin chose a non-violent approach inspired from an Indian freedom fighter Gandhi, whereas Malcom X’s approach was radical and violent. The aim of Malcom’s speech was to invoke a need for action amongst the African-American community while at the same time generating a fear of civil war amongst the Whites.

trouble’ among the ‘good’ Negroes of Omaha.” Malcolm wrote this in his autobiography Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention, describing at the early age of six his first run in with the Ku Klux Klan. Due to his father’s, Earl Little, civil rights activism, the family had frequent harassment from a multitude of white supremacist groups. These moments of intense fear and violence is what shaped X’s views and also led him to be a crucial activist within the Civil Rights Movements through his religious and political views.

The history of the United States has in it much separation or segregation due to race. For a long time our country has seen racism as a large problem and this has caused ethnic groups to be looked down upon and forced into a lifestyle of difficulties and suppression. Due to this, races, particularly African-Americans, have been forced to deal with unequal opportunity and poverty, leading to less honorable ways of getting by and also organizations that support change. Malcolm X is one strong example of an African American man who became apart of a group acted against it, uniting people to promote the advancement of colored people and change. Malcolm's thoughts towards race and civil right in the previous years were displayed in a less

Malcolm X a civil rights activist in the 1950s and 1960s took a stand for African Americans by taking a more confrontational approach in his activist speeches and writings, these actions influenced the lives of many African Americans with black nationalism and encouragement to fight for their civil rights. Malcolm X connects to the theme taking a stand by taking initiative and coming up with his own civil rights movement. Malcolm X was different from other civil rights activists because he believed in fighting back physically but that changed later on when he visited Mecca where he met other Muslims which changed his views. According to (www.biography.com) Malcolm X became the minister of temple no. 7 in Harlem after being released from prison.

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.

Traditionally, examination of the black Civil Rights movement focuses on the careers of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Dr. King and Malcolm X had very different ideas on how to solve the racial discrimination in America. Dr. King was an integrationist who used non-violent protest to focus the media on the moral wrongs the dominant white society imposed on blacks. Dr. King believed that exposing the outrages of segregation would force the government to mend the system. Malcolm X was a separationist who believed in fighting back when attacked and advocated that the blacks in this country should take what by all means is rightfully theirs. The white system was corrupt, argued Malcolm X, and blacks should start their own system rather

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.

When it comes to the African American Civil Rights Movement there are many people that are seen as heroes. Some, like Malcolm X tend to be seen in a more negative light and it is often debated whether or not he was a good addition to the civil rights movement. In 1952 when Malcolm’s recognition rose he became one of the most influential speakers for black americans. His recognition came with controversy and he is often seen responsible for the violence before and after his death. Malcolm was very outspoken and his calls for self defense against white violence intimidated many. In the eyes of many white americans he was seen as a threat, a dangerous radical. They believed that Malcolm’s troublesome past defined him and that he preached

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

Indeed, Malcolm X experienced a very rough and stressful childhood. Before he was born, the Ku Klux Klan had attacked his mother even though she was still pregnant with him.