Comparing Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., And Malala Yousafzai

Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy were two very commendable men. They were two very different men that I feel had the same incredible amount passion for human beings. Both Dr. King and President Kennedy had such high hopes for this country and regardless of the sad and devastating time era, they both spoke with much poise and compassion. I truly believe they are exactly what this country needed and still needs to this very day.

The world as we know it today, is one very different to the world even 50 years ago. Technology has advanced, frontiers have been reached and surpassed, and people are more free than ever. The catalyst for a large percentage of human freedom in particular was the African-American Civil Rights movement, from the mid 1950’s, to the late 1960’s. Headed by multiple prominent figures throughout its duration, the following essay will be comparing and contrasting Martin Luther King Jr., and Stokely Carmichael, and then determining which of the two was a more effective leader. If the definition used were to be “The act of leading, or the ability to be a leader”, (Webster 2003, p.264) then both Carmichael and King would finish in a similar position,

" Character is the way the President orients himself toward life - not for the moment, but enduringly. Character is a person's stance as he confronts experience. And at the core of character, a man confronts himself (Barber 8). " Barber's book is also useful to see how prepared a candidate is to be president. Judging a person's personality, especially a person who is constantly in the spot light, helps you to understand what kind of person they are, what they are passionate about, how they handle themselves in stressful situations, and really anything if you put enough research into it.

Character can be defined by the acts one does when no one is watching. Character can also be thought of as how one reacts when subjected to the face of adversity. An excerpt from The Bible, Luke 6:29-31, says, “If someone hits you on one cheek, offer the other too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well.30 “If someone asks you for something give it to him; if someone takes what belongs to you, don’t demand it back. 31 “Treat other people as you would like them to treat you. 32 What credit is it to you if you love only those who love you?” This scripture perfectly describes the actions of Jackie Robinson when he was forced to face the ugliest of people and situations in order to change America, baseball, and to create history. Jackie Robinson is one of the most influential figures in history as he broke the racial barriers in baseball, changed the way America’s favorite pastime is played, and demonstrated what a good character is even in the most challenging situations.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are prominent African Americans in U.S and around the world. They both fought for what they believed in, but had different approaches and different mind set in what they thought was right, because of what they went through in their early life. Malcolm X had a cruel, early life in contrast to Martin Luther King’s calm life. Martin Luther King believe that whites could help the Civil Rights Movement, but Malcolm X, believed that no white man could ever help a black people. MLk also believed that blacks and whites should have the right to live their own lives, separately When it came to violence, MLK was against, while Malcolm X approved it as an act of self-defense. MLK and Malcolm X were both very powerful men that fought for the rights of their people, but they were very different in their early lives.

Two of the most influential Civil Rights activists were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Both men were fighting for racial equality. However, some of their tactics were controversial. Both Dr. King and Malcolm X died for their causes, fighting for justice up until their last breath. Some of their methods were successful and some were not. In brief, both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X used varying tactics to get their cry for racial equality heard.

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.

Another trait of someone with character is faith. Faith is when you believe in someone or something so much that you would put even your life in danger to prove what you believe in. Take the story of David and Goliath for example. David had faith that God would take care of him while he battled Goliath. Without his faith in God David, more than likely, wouldn't have lived through the battle. Another example of faith is a story of one of the victims from the Columbine shooting. A girl, who had a strong faith in Christ, was held at gun point and asked repeatedly to deny Him or be shot. With a gun pointed to her head she still stood by her faith that God would take care of her and believed she would see Him soon. It takes having strong character to be able to put your life on the line like she and David did.

American icon and former civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." This quote speaks volumes about the message that he is trying to convey towards society regarding racism. He is basically saying not to judge others just because of their skin color, but love them for who they are. We should not be too quick to judge others, and work to remove our own flaws. As a society, we should examine one based on "the content of their character." This quote is very significant and relevant to the topic, who was the most effective civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, or Huey Newton?" When considering this question, I had to look at each civil rights leader and their contribution to ultimately ending/limiting racism. All three of the civil rights activists have contributed there time and effort, to ending a very important cause, such as racism. I believe that, throughout his lifetime, Martin Luther King Jr. was the most effective/important civil rights leader of his era, among Malcom X and Huey Newton.

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.