Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X: Icons for the Civil Rights Movement

938 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The impact of Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were two individuals who not only helped the African-American plight during the Civil Rights Movement, but served as icons to the history of their race. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X grew up in very different environments. King Jr. came from a middle class family where education was a significant value in his home life. Malcolm X, on the other hand, was raised in a foster home after his father’s murder and his mom was put into a mental institution. He was a self-taught individual who did not receive much in the way of a formal education. He grew as a leader with his motivation, intelligence and determination. However, both men were fierce advocates for civil rights and consider their blackness to be a critical component of their identity and their strength.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born into a family whose name was well known. His family was always making sure that their son was safe and happy. Malcolm was raised in a completely different city and environment. His environment was full of fear and anger. This is what made Malcolm such a strong person. The burning of his house by the Ku Klux Klan resulted in the murder of his father, due to his death his mother suffered a mental breakdown and his eight brothers were all split up. From this time on, Malcolm took all of his anger and channeled it as motivation to find revenge. The lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were significant factors that contributed to the way that each other handled racism in America. Both men became icons of the African American culture and were influential to black Americans.

King had a different way of handling situations. He believed that through positivity and peace he would, someday, achieve ...

... middle of paper ...

...r voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King, 62), that Martin Luther King was demanding freedom for his people, and that by playing it on a peaceful manner he will achieve such.

Both men are good leaders after all. Again, Martin Luther King came from a family that loved him, and because the experience of his childhood he was a peaceful leader. Malcolm X on the other hand was a man who suffered through his childhood because white supremacist killed his father and it separated all his family. Malcolm X was raised in foster homes and got to experience the worst. He had revenge in his mind. King however was looking for unity and equality from the white people, and that one day they were all going to live peacefully together. In the end both goals were very similar and both became a big impact on the African-American society.

Show More
Related

  • Ethos Pathos Logos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    If he had not made clear that he was a trustworthy, knowledgeable, and honest man, he would not have made his point clear. King’s statement “Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever,” (Martin Luther King 24) is a strong reminder of history. If people do not realize their emotions in a nonviolent way, they will seek violence until they are heard. That statement is one of the strongest concerns to show why direct action was important, as well as, convincing the reader to consider their immoral practices. King goes above any beyond in sharing his beliefs because if he had not, the audience would not have been persuaded. Furthermore, the information and evidence he demonstrated was necessary at that

    Read More

  • Malcolm X Dbq Analysis

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were both African American civil rights leaders wanting to bring freedom to black people during the 1960s. Even though both leaders wanted to liberate black people; their philosophies were drastically different. Malcolm X was wanted racial separation, while Martin Luther King wanted to both races to coexist. Religion is also a major part of this situation because most African Americans including MLK in America were Christian while Malcolm X’s goal was to turn all people who follow his path to convert into Muslims. Martin Luther King’s philosophy would’ve made more sense to 1960s America because most people who wanted freedom in society would rather consider coexisting than more racial

    Read More

  • Civil Rights Activists: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Huey Newton

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Malcolm X Vs. Martin Luther King Jr.

    1713 Words  | 4 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were two of the most prominent leaders and orators at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement. Although both leaders possessed the same objectives, their outlooks and perspectives differed immensely.

    Read More

  • Fighting Racial Inequality: King and Malcolm's Legacy

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King and Malcolm X are known figures who paved the way towards fighting racial discrimination and demanding equality for black people. Despite being freed from slavery 100s of years ago, African-Americans are still considered inferior to white people. Both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X point this out in their speeches as the United States of America’s failure to achieve racial equality.

    Read More

  • Macolm X

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    Incomplete A man was brought into this world on May 19,1925 to serve his people and help them open many doors. This man started of as a nobody and is now known to the world as being one of America's greatest Civil Rights leaders. Malcolm X Little was the 4th child born to Reverend Earl and Louise Little. He also had 3 half siblings. His dad believed in self-determination and worked for the unity of black people and tried to teach Malcolm the same way. His dad tried to raise Malcolm to be aware of his ethnic background and dignity. Violence was always sparked by white people that were trying to stop black people such as Rev. Little. (Malcolm's father) After he was born his family quite a few times before he they finally settled in Lansing, Michigan. His father became active in the University of Negro improvements Assoc. he also go involved in the Black Baptist Church. Throughout Malcolm's life he was dedicated to black people. I guess you could say that he followed in the footsteps of his father. Even though Malcolm, his brothers, sisters, and parents were all shot, burned out of their homes, harassed, and threatened they still fought for their freedom and for what they believed in. This culminated in the assassination of his father by the white people. When Malcolm was only 6 years of age his father was shot and died. Although all this happened to Malcolm throughout his life he still continued to go to school.

    Read More

  • The Black Power Movement vs the Civil Rights Movement

    482 Words  | 1 Pages

    The two men joined the fight for equality for similar reasons. King’s family were terrorized by all the whites in his area, and X’s father. was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. This inspired and motivated both to challenge the society to be more inclusive. Whilst fighting for the same thing - equality for blacks - the movements they became involved with went about achieving their goals in completely different ways. The Civil Rights Movement is most commonly linked with Martin Luther.

    Read More

  • Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.

    1478 Words  | 3 Pages

    Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. African Americans are fortunate to have leaders who have 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.

    Read More

  • Comparative Rhetorical Analysis: Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...artin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X approach the same problem differently. They both use pathos, a central metaphor, and give a warning. However, Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos to create a welcoming and patriotic feeling whereas Malcolm X uses fear. Martin Luther King Jr. uses a check, used on a daily basis, as the object of his central metaphor; Malcolm X uses a powder keg, a very damaging and dangerous object, as the object of his central metaphor. Lastly, Martin Luther King Jr. warns his audience that the people of color will revolt passively. On the other hand, Malcolm X warns his audience that the people of color will revolt violently with bloodshed. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X both achieve their goal. After reading both speeches, Malcolm X seems, in my opinion, to have made a greater impact on the white community because fear is stronger than joy.

    Read More

  • Malcolm X: Paving the Way for the Rights of African Americans

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    Of the people whose names are mentioned in history, some men like Thomas Edison are praised for their genius minds, while others such as Adolf Hitler are criticized for leaving a depressing legacy behind. While it is relative easy to notice the type of legacies these two men left, legacies of other men are often vague and they seem to be imbedded in gray shadows. This is how many people view the life of Malcolm X. Malcolm X during his lifetime had influenced many African Americans to step up for their rights against the injustices by the American government. One on hand, he has been criticized for his hard stances that resemble extremism, while on the other hand he has been praised him for his effort in raising the status for African Americans. The extremes in viewing his life from the modern day perspective have often come from reading his climatic speech The Ballot or the Bullet that he gave in many cities across America in 1964. When he was with the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X favored Blacks to be separated from the Whites, and during this time he strongly opposed White Supremacy. This also seems quite prevalent in his speech The Ballot or the Bullet. However, one events during the last year of his life reveal that he wanted the Blacks and the Whites to coexist as peaceful Americans.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Martin Luther King And Letter From Birmingham Jail

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King and Malcolm x are both strong representations of two different approaches to a common goal. Martin Luther King Jr. preferred a nonviolence approach to the situation. Whereas, Malcolm X handled racism in a violent approach. However, both man believed African Americans deserved their human rights and equal say. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in an integrated society while Malcolm X wanted African Americans to have their segregated neighborhoods just as good as the whites.

    Read More

  • Malcolm X Thesis Paper

    1375 Words  | 3 Pages

    The history of the United States has in it much separation or segregation due to race. For a long time our country has seen racism as a large problem and this has caused ethnic groups to be looked down upon and forced into a lifestyle of difficulties and suppression. Due to this, races, particularly African-Americans, have been forced to deal with unequal opportunity and poverty, leading to less honorable ways of getting by and also organizations that support change. Malcolm X is one strong example of an African American man who became apart of a group acted against it, uniting people to promote the advancement of colored people and change. Malcolm's thoughts towards race and civil right in the previous years were displayed in a less way to the people and "by any means necessary" perspective. After his pilgrimage in 1964 his view of civil rights had quickly changed into a more complete view of civil rights, and the peoples views towards him. No one really knows what kind of impact Malcolm X would have had on history if he had not been assassinated. His beliefs and philosophy did gain him a place in history as one of the best-known Black Nationalist Leaders. Everyone seems to have known who Malcolm X was, and he ranks high with all other Black leaders. His ideas were radical and he was very out spoken. He was a major force in the development of black history. He fought not only for his people but also for all oppressed people everywhere. He was well spoken and he laid the groundwork for the black power movement of the late l960's.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    With this statement, he clearly shows that the peace and justice in the United States is not limited only to the white population, but also belongs to the black population.... ... middle of paper ... ... He also uses the powerful words “Free at last” in order to show the importance of the situation of the black population.

    Read More

  • Integration By Malcolm X

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Malcolm X was a freedom fighter like Dr. King who fought for the right and freedoms for black Americans. Unlike Malcolm, Dr. King called black Americans blacks while Malcolm called them Negros. Malcolm used violence in his fight for freedom when he said, “Revolution was based upon bloodshed”. Malcolm was ready for anything as far as blacks will gain the respect and freedom they needed. In Malcolm’s black revolution, he made it clear how blacks were treated differently no matter their age, what school they came out of, no matter what their intellectual or professional level was, they were still recognized as a boy and were not given the respect they deserved. He also pointed out how whites made them think they had different goals and objectives.

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast the Work of Martin Luther King Jr & Malcolm X

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... In history, we know that no two men are alike, but, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were phenomenal people and leaders. Both had visualized some type of change in the future, yet were not literally able to see it. Both Dr. King and Malcolm X set out to bring a sense of confidence to blacks all over the United States.

    Read More

More about Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X: Icons for the Civil Rights Movement

Open Document