Why Black Activists Rejected Martin Luther King and Follwed Malcolm X

    In “The letter from Birmingham City Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. and “The Ballot or the Bullet” by Malcolm X both authors discuss injustice during the Civil Rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr. got put in Birmingham city jail and made a letter to Fellow Clergymen. Telling fellow Clergymen that there were fighting for their Civil Rights with nonviolence. And examples of how people were being treated and promises were being broken.  Malcolm X Speech took place in Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland Ohio in 1964 on April 3rd. During Malcolm X’s speech he told his followers that he wanted them to realize what they have done for the country and haven't gotten nothing back. And that he need to use violence he's going to use violence if whites keep on taking degrading them. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed nonviolence was the key in order to gain justice and their Civil Rights the deserved because the didn't want whites thinking wrong about them. While Malcolm X believed in violence because he has seen blacks being oppress after all they have have done for the country.

Black protest in America in the 1960s developed into two opposing stances, the non-violence of the Civil Rights movement in the South and the violent protests of the urban poor blacks and black power organisations in the North. In the early 1960's the main protest form was the Civil Rights movement. This was predicated on non-violent protest. It fo0lowed the principles of non-violence successfully used by Mahatma Gandhi

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

In order to achieve this, civil rights activists “used nonviolent tactics” such as “boycotts, marches and sit-ins” (Thomas). From this united black movement rose many prominent figures such as Rosa Parks who “refused to yield her seat” on bus to a white man to rebel against segregation on transportation as well as Martin Luther King Jr. who gave his famous speech and led countless marches (Kronenwetter). These individuals inspired many to come forward and join the movement. Organizations such as Congress of Racial Equality were formed and groups such as Freedom Riders and Freedom Summer took action in different states in the south to fight for equality and justice. Black power finally started to take a major step forward in the late 1950s and 1960s as the “Brown v. Board of Education ruling desegregated schools” (Thomas). The final bill proposed by Kennedy and finally signed by Johnson was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which “ended segregation in public places and employment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin” (Thomas) and ultimately propelled black power forward. However, the civil rights movement ended abruptly when king was assassinated in 1968 (Kronenwetter). All in all, during the 1950-1960, America went through great change. The civil rights movement changed American society forever; all the blood, sweat, and sacrifice paid off as the black society gained more opportunities and improved

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.

During the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1950s and 1960s, two prominent African-American men fought for economical, political and social equality for their race. Even though they were fighting for the same thing, their ideas to attain equality were unusually different. Martin Luther King wanted to a non-violently integrate society; on the other hand Malcolm X thought complete separation was the solution to inequality. Either way both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were some of the most influencing leaders of the Civil Rights period . With their entrancing passion they were able to bring about change in the black community; their voices rose above many other people and left both whites and blacks in awe. At the time, Martin Luther King’s approach towards education and communication between both races made more sense; however when it came to philosophy, Malcolm X’s path toward philosophy made more sense for America in the 1960’s and created broader support for the Civil Rights Movement.

To many million of American americans , Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the prophet of their crusade for racial equality. He was their voice of anguish,their battle cry for human dignity. He forged for them the weapons of nonviolence that withstood and blunted the ferocity of segregation.And to many millions of American whites, he was one of a group of african americans who preserved the bridge of communication between races when racial warfare threatened the United States in the nineteen-sixties.In his dedication to non-violence, Dr. King was caught between white and african american extremists as racial tensions engulfed into arson, gunfire and looting in many of the cities during the summer of 1967.Militant african americans argued that only by violence and segregation could the group attain self-respect, dignity and real equality in the United States. when he led a protest march through downtown Memphis, Tennesse. a group of african american youths suddenly began breaking store windows and looting, and one african american was shot to death.Two days later, however, Dr. King said he would stage another demonstration that attributed the violence to his own "miscalculation.”At the time he was assassinated in Memphis, Dr. King was involved in one of his greatest plans to dramatize the plight of the poor and stir Congress to help african americans. Other times mlk was

Dr. King was looking for support from members of society in order to create an effective change in society’s ethics. Moreover, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s large audience and public movement used nonviolent tactics, such as sit-ins, marches, and freedom rides to put the Civil Rights Movement in action. Before directly acting against the law, Dr. King had used other means to try to obtain justice for all; he used the four basic steps of a nonviolent campaign to decide how he would approach this cultural issue of racism: determination of whether injustices exist, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action (King 1). After the first three steps of his nonviolent campaign proved to be ineffective, he decided to seek direct action through a large demonstration of civil disobedience. Dr. King had a tremendous impact on the segregation issue in not just Birmingham, but the entire country, by leading the Civil Rights Movement, which eventually helped influence anti-segregation legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that affected a massive population of the entire country. Although Dr. King’s journey ended in his assassination, his relentless passion for equal rights was empowering to many and helped to create a more just society.

and his supporters were making plans for a massive demonstration on the nation's capital composed of multiple organizations, all asking for peaceful change. On August 28, 1963, the historic March on Washington drew more than 200,000 people in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. It was here that King made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, emphasizing his belief that someday all men could be brothers.

The 1950's and 1960's were a time of racial turmoil throughout most of the United States. Segregation between blacks and whites was still in full effect, African Americans had to drink from different water fountains, eat at different restaurants, and even shop at different stores than their Anglo "neighbors". Many people and organizations fought valiantly for equality in the U.S. such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King jr. and the NAACP. The roles they played were critical in the civil rights movement were critical, the actions they took included peaceful demonstrations and marches, public speeches, and boycotts such as the one that took place in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. One man stands out among all of these leaders though, Malcolm X.

The most famous leader of civil rights movement is Martin Luther King, Jr. and the man who fought for the civil rights of the African-American people. He used a non-violent method to gained and protected the rights of African-American. It started on the refusal of buying at Alabama and refusal of seating at the back of the bus. One of the well known march he did was “more than 250,000 protesters to Washington, DC, where King delivered his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech in which he envisioned a world where people were no longer divided by race” (Tutu). Many civil rights protesters supported his belief that all race should have equality, freedom and justice. As Tutu continues to explain, he concluded that the “Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act in 1964.” It was a breakthrough for the African-American because it was a law that approved Martin Luther King’s goal to protect their rights. It became an American tradition to use civil disobedience in hundreds and hundreds of different movements.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks were both all about peaceful protesting and felt like it got their message through better. One way Martin lead a peaceful March on Washington for jobs and freedom took place in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963, and was attended by some

The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power movement were two monumental movements advocating for the rights, liberties, and equalities of African Americans in the 1960’s. While both had similar interests and long term goals for African Americans, these movements, their leaders, actions and influences were vastly different than one another. The Civil Rights Movement which largely credits their accomplishments to the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr based and grounded itself on moral principles that were distinguished by the importance of non-violence (HistoryNet). The Black Power Movement aligned itself and defined its actions by leader, Malcom X. Malcom X, like Dr. King, pushed for the rights of African Americans and drew a wide following. However, he differed from Dr. King, in that he did not condemn violence, especially when he believed it was in self-defense, for him this was a justified action to fight against the oppression the African American faced by white supremacy (History.com). The stance on violence is the essential and most critical division of these two movements in their principles and actions. In addition, this dividing stance would result in differences in the way they were perceived by established society. Although, they would have differences with each other, in the end, this would not be enough to stop either from focusing on their long term goal of improving the rights, liberties, freedoms and equality of African Americans.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were leaders with many followers during the 1960’s Civil Rights movement. They were both ministers that had many people already following them and their number of followers only grew with their ideas and beliefs. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X had many great ideas on how America should be.While they both led their followers down the path to civil rights they both met their end by the hands of the people who did not want them to continue to make a difference the way they were for African Americans in America. Although Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X both made real changes regarding civil rights, they did not always agree on how to go about seeking out a