Compare And Contrast Martin Luther King Jr And Malcolm X

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Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X paved a significant path towards a racially neutral society. There is no doubt that both Martin and Malcolm influenced a whole generation of rebels to fight racism and discrimination. Martin Luther King Jr. had a more peaceful standpoint to attempt to solve racism. Malcolm X on the other hand used violence and force to get the necessary results. They both shared a common objective, but took different actions to achieve the goal. Malcolm X never wanted the black people to integrate with the white folks. He aggressively pushed the idea for black people to just leave the oppressed lands back to Africa. Malcolm strongly stated that:
How can the so-called Negroes who call themselves enlightened leaders expect …show more content…

His family was considered a middle class family. Both of his parents were relatively educated compared to other colored families at the time. Martin Luther King Jr’s mother in particular was very well educated because she graduated from Spelman College. His father was a Reverend at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. From a background and environment so comforting, Martin Luther King Jr. grew up with a peaceful and intellectual state of mind. He was surrounded by knowledgeable people. That is why he was so well spoken with ideas that people can rally behind. Compared to Malcolm Little’s childhood and where he came from, Martin was a privileged person. In Martin Luther King Jr’s speech, he proclaimed …show more content…

If I’m following a general, and he’s leading me into battle, and the enemy tends to give him rewards or awards, I get suspicious of him. Especially if he gets a peace award before the war is over (Ling 14).
Malcolm’s ideals were that of a realist. He did not fall for the idealistic values that Martin Luther King Jr. preached.
On the contrary, both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. wanted justice and equality for their colored brothers. They both strived for freedom and the both fought discrimination. In terms of religion, both of them were very religious people who took the teachings of their faith to convey their message. After Malcolm X visits the holy homeland, Mecca, his ideals and philosophy changed. He became less aggressive and non-violent towards solving racial inequality.
When he was in Mecca, Malcolm saw the diverse groups of people all unified and praying to the same god. He wrote a letter to his group in Harlem sharing his epiphany with everyone in his letter by

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