Almost nearly 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, many African Americans in Southern states still inhabited an unequal world of segregation and other various forms of oppression, including race-inspired violence. A perfect example of the segregation that was going on in the South was Jim Crow. The “Jim Crow” law is the former practice of segregating black people in the U.S in which was mostly upheld in the Southern States. The local and state levels secluded them from classrooms and bathrooms, from theaters and train cars, from juries and legislatures. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court induced the “separate but equal” doctrine that formed the basis for state-sanctioned discrimination, in which drew a lot of attention from national and international. In the treacherous decade and a half that followed, civil rights activists used nonviolent protest and civil disobedience to bring change, and the federal government made decisions with initiatives such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Many of the civil rights activists chose the path of nonviolence as a way of connecting and trying to make the people understand. However other chose the other route like violence to let a message out that people of color should not be treated unfairly. Many leaders from the African American community and beyond in which began during the Civil Rights era, includes Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Andrew Goodman and others. They risked and some lost their lives for what they believed to be right, of freedom and equality.
During the decade between 1955 and 1965, while most black leaders worked in the civil rights movement to integrate blacks into the everyday American life, Malcolm X preached the ...
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...also the denial of legitimate voting rights to Blacks.
Malcolm X was an activist on violence, being that it was solution to all of the problems of segregation. He states “We declare our right on this earth, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary, our objective is complete freedom, justice and equality by any means necessary.”
Even though, Malcolm X did not believe in the most positive views of demolishing segregation and discrimination he believed it would work. His views were toward a greater America that everyone would be able to be equal and not be above one another. Malcolm X had a vision and knew how he wanted changed to be.
Works Cited
Malcolm X, the Ballot or the Bullet, Cleveland Ohio, 1964.
If there was any one man who demonstrated the anger, the struggle, and the beliefs of African Americans in the 1960s, that man was Malcolm X. The African American cultural movement of the 1920s lost momentum in the 1930s because of worldwide economic depression. The Great Depression helped to divert attention from cultural to economic matters. Even before the stock market crash of 1929, unemployment and poverty among blacks was exceptionally high. It was under these difficult conditions that Malcolm X experienced his youth in the South. Malcolm X was a very controversial character in his time. He grew up in a very large family. His father hunted rabbits to sell to the white people for money, and his mother stayed home to take care of all the children. Several times when he was young, his family was forced to relocate due to the racist groups that would burn or run them out of their home like the Ku Klux Klan. One of these groups called the Black Legion killed his father by tying him to the railroad tracks. Malcolm’s father had life insurance but was not given to his family because they said that Earl Little had committed suicide. This was quite impossible because his head was bashed in and he tied himself to the railroad. Without his father’s income, Malcolm's family was forced to get government help and food. Applying for this type of assistance brought many white Social Workers into their home. They asked questions and interrogated the entire family. Malcolm’s mother always refused to talk or let them in.
Both Fannie Lou Hamer and Malcolm X rejected the idea that the main goal of the civil rights movement should be based on an aspiration to gain rights “equal” to those of white men and to assimilate into white culture. They instead emphasized a need to empower Black Americans.1 Their ideas were considered radical at a time when Martin Luther King Jr. preached the potential of white and black americans to overcome “the race issue” together and in a gradual manner. Malcolm X’s attempt to achieve his goals through revolutionary top-down methods and Fannie Lou Hamer’s focus on the need for grassroots movements contributed to the Civil Rights movement significantly by encouraging and assisting Black Americans.
From 1954 to 1968 the Civil Rights movement was growing at a fast rate. During this time segregation and racism was alive and in full effect. More African- American people were starting to stand up and believe in the rights that wasn’t giving to them, and that they should be treated as equals. Although African-Americans had some freedoms the constant mistreatment, verbal and physical abuse was enough and it was time to take a stand to make a change. Great leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X made a path way for the moment and even though the two had different views of handling the situation at hand. Malcom X was more of a fight fire with fire type of protester, and that the only way changes were going to be made was if we fight back. On the other hand Martin Luther King Jr. was all for peaceful protesting and that they can make a difference just by speaking words of encouragement to the people.
The civil rights movement was a popular historical movement that worked to allow African Americans to have equal rights and privileges as U.S. citizens. The movement can be defined as a struggle against racial segregation and discrimination that began in the 1950s. Although the origins of the civil rights movement go back to the 1800s, the movement peaked in the 1950s and 1960s. African American men and women, along with whites, organized and led the movement from local to national levels. Many actions of the civil rights movement were concentrated through legal means such as negotiations, appeals, and nonviolent protests. When we think of leaders or icons of the movement we usually think of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Even though Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. are important figures, their participation in the movement was minimal compared to other unknown or forgotten figures. Howell Raines’s, My Soul Is Rested, contains recollections of voices from followers of the civil rights movement. These voices include students, lawyers, news reporters, and civil right activists. Although the followers of the movement were lesser known, the impact they made shaped the society we live in today.
Malcolm X was an African American minister and civil rights leader. Unlike many activists of his time, he took a different approach on the movement. In his lifetime, from 1925 to 1965, he was known as an advocate for the rights of blacks, and has been named one of the greatest and most influential men in history.
Out of the turbulent political climate of the 1960s, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as some of the most prominent voices of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Both religious ministers took up the fight to advocate for human rights and improve the lot of their fellow African-Americans. The two sought to achieve the same endgame, but differed greatly on the method in which to bring about the change they wanted. A few common threads that linked the activists were their emphasis on human rights, their challenge to the status quo of America, their roles as major spiritual leaders in their respective religions, and the martyrdom they endured for their cause. On the surface Malcolm X and Martin Luther King have many similarities,
In the 1960s, the nation was faced tumultuous times. There was racial tension between the white citizens and black citizens of America. Whites could not understand why the African Americans were so upset; they had their freedom from slavery and job opportunities. However, the African American was dissatisfied with the small crumbs of God given rights that all American citizens were entitled to. Two men propelled to the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement as leaders; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Their agenda was to seek equal rights for all Americans. But both men differ on the approaches needed to reach these goals; one believed using nonviolence was the answer while the other advocated violence Many people argue that the
Malcolm X just wanted everyone to live a peaceful and happy life. There is nothing that could compare to what Malcolm did for this world today. People say that he had a very strong head and knew what he wanted and he knew what he was going to get. Malcolm Little made a huge difference in what we call a world
Malcolm X’s cause did not support any advancement in the Civil Rights movement. If anything, his efforts deterred any progress by encouraging separation. Malcolm X looked up to the Black Muslim leader Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad’s campaign was based around whites being “descended from the devil” and “being born to harm blacks”. Malcolm soon adopted and idolized this ideology that not only reached toward separate nations, but frightened whites. Considering this, the group the Black Panthers in which Malcolm X formed later on created their own schools, businesses and newspapers in order to further segregate themselves from whites. This group was encouraged by the ide...
Malcolm X, a civil rights leader in the 1960's believed that blacks and whites should be segregated. He also believed that white man was evil and were trying to brainwash all blacks and that Martin Luther King's "non-violent protests" weren't working and that violence was needed for change.
Malcolm X was a very influential leader during the Civil Rights Era, but he didn’t always have a positive outlook on how White Americans treated African Americans. Malcolm X was a prominent figure during the civil rights era and he wasn’t for integration and peace as other Civil Rights leaders of this time. In fact Malcolm X advocated and suggested an establishment of a separate black community, rather than integration and he provoked and influenced the Panthers to use violence as self defense, rather than non violence and trying to make peace, Malcolm and the Panthers uncompromising and disgusting beliefs of the evil of the white man scared and made the white man frightened the white community. Malcolm and the panthers had a good and bad affect on the Civil Rights era, him and the panthers used violence, criminal activity and anti-racism to get their points across which had a toll on the civil rights movement.
Malcolm X is considered one of the greatest civil rights activists in history. He was known for his somewhat violent message of blacks defending themselves. Despite his original message, he eventually became more peaceful toward whites. However, as his legacy was just beginning to change things for the good, he was abruptly killed by gunmen. Due to his indecisiveness and early death, Malcolm X had a great, yet inadequate impact on the civil rights movement.
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.
I am going to explain more about the Malcolm X that many admire and respect. While he was a child he received the best grades in an all white school and was even class president once. His aspiration was to be a lawyer, but his favorite teacher had told him that he could not keep dreaming unrea...
He inspires his audiences differently. Because he is a true believer of getting what you want through aggressiveness, Malcolm X encourages the African American community that “it’s time to stop singing and start swinging.” (X 214) In other words it’s time to stop being peaceful and nonviolent and start being aggressive and physical to fight for justice. In fact, in his speech Malcolm X shows that peaceful marching, and protesting will not bring justice to blacks and peaceful words will also not guarantee justice. To continue convey his message through aggressive tone he uses Hitler’s example from WW11. He explains how the United States and other countries used violence to take Hitler from power. Because of that, he encourage blacks to stop being friendly to the oppressor and start being aggressive and violence towards them. To add to that, Malcolm X also inspires blacks to control the economy of their community and not let a white men lead the