Social Justice and Civil Equality: Martin Luther King and Malcolm X

Dr. King and Malcolm X strived to achieve equality for blacks under the law, more specifically, voting rights, desegregation, and more representation in government and politics. However, both men differed immensely in their tactics and strategies. For Dr. King, the negotiations could be brought about by the persistence of a nonviolent plan where, the oppressed people’s determination would overcome the will of the oppressor in the hearts and minds of the nation. He firmly believed in the principles of Mahatma Gandhi’s method of nonviolence resistance, which had been successful in driving the British out of India. For example, according to King, one of the resisters, or black mans goals is not to humiliate the opponent, (the white man) but to win his friendship and understanding. Dr. King proposed a passive resistance, based on “the conviction that the universe is on the side of justice” (“Pilgrimage to Non Violence” King, 112). He claimed the center of nonviolence is based on the principle of love, or understanding. Dr. King emphasized that the white man should not be held responsible for the minorities and blacks being oppressed. Here is where the two leaders oppose each other. Malcolm X felt social injustice and racism had endured too long, and it was

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 used violence as a way to get more black rights and to hopefully lead up to black supremacy. Dr. Martin L King Jr used non violence protesting as a way to symbol that people standing up for their rights are not wrong or barbaric, but the people who are stopping these nonviolent protests look bad because there is no physical harm being done. Malcolm X states, “This is why I say it’s the ballot or the bullet. It’s liberty or it’s death” (The Ballot or the Bullet). This describes Malcolm X warning that if black people are not allowed suffrage and other rights, then there is going to be violence and death involved to have those rights granted. Malcolm X is showing that he is not afraid to have a violent revolution if there has to be one. Dr. King however states, “We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must ride to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force” (I Have A Dream). Martin Luther King Jr is trying to persuade others that a violent protest will only hurt, not help in getting equality and that a peaceful, powerful protest will ensure smoother integration and peace. Dr. King is promoting the opposite of Malcolm X by saying peace is power whereas Malcolm X is trying to bring forth the

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.

The Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s birthed the most prominent figures in the battle against racism in the United States. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. are immortalized as the men who stood up and spoke out during the most crucial time in US History for African American activism. Though often brought up in the same vein, the two had complete opposite ideology about how to reach equality. Their influence created many prominent groups in the 60s against mistreatment of African Americans, including the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). According to the name of this group, they were a nonviolent team of young black activists that stemmed from MLK’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Apparent in their name, they shared the same peaceful approach as MLK, but over time and as the hardships of the movement began to callous the young group they shifted towards the ‘by-any-means-necessary’ approach of Malcolm X. Through the excerpts in “Takin it to the Streets,” one can see the stark difference between Malcolm X’s more aggressive approach, MLK’s loving approach, and the SNCC shifting its views over time but always maintaining a steadfast commitment to the cause and a youthful bravado.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal" (King, “I HAVE A DREAM…,” pg.4 ¶.5). Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were major figures in the fight for racial equality but their ideals were diametrically opposed. In MLK JR’s March on Washington speech, he calls for peaceful resistance and integration into an equal society. Malcolm X, however, disagrees with that in his Message to Grassroots and argues equality cannot be obtained peacefully and that living together wouldn’t be much better than slavery. By comparing the two men’s goals and messages expressed in these speeches we can gain an understanding of the feelings of the general populace on the issues of racial inequity.

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.

     African Americans are fortunate to have leaders who fought for a difference in Black America. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X are two powerful men in particular who brought hope to blacks in the United States. Both preached the same message about Blacks having power and strength in the midst of all the hatred that surrounded them. Even though they shared the same dream of equality for their people, the tactics they implied to make these dreams a reality were very different. The background, environment and philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were largely responsible for the distinctly varying responses to American racism.

During the civil rights movement, the people (African American) and theirs leaders use different methods or approaches to achieve their goal, but I will focus on DR Martin Luther King JR and Malcolm X philosophies towards the “role of violence”. DR King and Malcolm X are two black men living in America when black people are treated and considered inferior human race. They are actually second class citizens in their own country. Although Dr King and Malcolm X goals are the same, but their method or approach towards achieving it are drastically different. Dr King believed that to work against injustice, one must develop a nonviolent frame of mind to achieve that because differences cannot be settled through violence. I think that

Malcolm X was one of the most influential and controversial African American civil rights leader in the United States during the 1960s. In the United States, African Americans were racially segregated by Jim Crow Laws. Jim Crow Laws referred to practices and laws that served to separate African Americans from white people. The most common type of Jim Crow Laws separated black and white citizens in public places. Some of the places that separated the blacks and the whites were restaurants and theaters. States and cities were able to punish whoever broke the laws. During the 1960s, black people did not have the same rights as white people had. Malcolm X was radical as he had the conception that the only way to improve the lives of African Americans was racial separation. Malcolm X believed that it was best for the blacks to create their own society so they would not have to deal with the whites. He did not like the idea of the black people living with white people. Malcolm X remains to be a hero for many young people today. Malcolm remains as a hero and is still remembered to this day because he changed the lives of African Americans by giving them more freedom. He stood up for black people 's rights and made sure they had the opportunity to voice their opinions in everything. Malcolm helped stop racism and made people 's lives better. Although he made some bad decisions in life, he changed and became a huge impact in many people 's lives.

“Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding”. One of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the leading figure in the transcendentalism. Going by what the quote states, one can ask what role does violence even play in life? More specifically what role did it play in the Civil Rights struggle in the South? It’s evident that violence’s purpose in the struggle wasn’t for peace but for something else. Well that’s what it was for Malcolm X, a center figure in the Civil Rights struggle. For Malcolm X, violence was more of a response that anything else. It was a form of self-defense that he could no longer avoid. For Martin Luther King Jr. another center figure just like Malcolm X, violence was something else. For him violence was unnecessary. Violence in the Civil Rights struggle was inevitable for some not only because the segregationist whites were using such methods to assault the black people as well as their homes, but also at that time nonviolence was just another philosophy that some did and others didn’t. Even so violence did play an important role in this movement. Not the violence used by the blacks but instead the methods of violence used by the whites.

Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, many leaders emerged that captured the attention of the American public. During this period, the leaders' used different tactics in order to achieve change. Of two of the better-known leaders, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., the latter had a more positive influence in the progress of the movement.

Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, many came out of the crowd yearning for their voice to be heard. Freedom activists became well known throughout various parts of the United States, all with different ideas about how to approach such an enormous problem of injustice faced by Negros. With racial injustice at its hand, America was blessed to receive civil rights activists Malcolm X. In order to understand Malcolm X’s philosophies, one must look back and examine his past, paying attention to key events which led him to become the black nationalist he is known as today.

During a very significant time period of American History, many leaders, particularly Malcolm X, rose to prominence during the Civil Rights era. The mid 1900’s was a time of racial segregation, and discrimination leading to a worldwide issue between the black and white races. “By any means necessary”, a famous quote breeds from this time of racial discrimination which brought together thousands of people to get what they as humans deserved. 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans in Southern states still inhabited a harshly unequal world of segregation, and forms of oppression. Jim Crow laws were formed during the 1880’s forming a system of segregation and discrimination that barred black Americans from a status equal to that of white Americans. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the constitution granted blacks freedom, citizenship, and suffrage. Malcolm X during his lifetime had influenced many African Americans to step up for their rights against the injustices by the American government. While he has been criticized for his hard stances that resemble extremism, on the other hand he has been praised him for his effort in raising the status for African Americans. Malcolm X was a brave advocate for African Americans as he fought for what him and every other black person in the world deserved, freedom. Both his participation in the civil rights movement, and his promotion of segregation between blacks and whites had a great impact on the worldwide

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.