Martin and Malcolm Essay - 2150 Words

Although Martin Luther King and Malcolm X both provided exceptional leadership during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, both took different paths in fighting for African American rights. The two, separately, were the defining figures of the 1960s black freedom struggle. On one side, you had a comfortable middle-class family southern Baptist: King, who advocated nonviolence learned through the studying of Gandhi juxtaposed with X, advocating social awareness who learned by experiencing injustice in society while studying lessons on Islam and black power. Popular understanding has King on top of the list as the more influential leader during the Civil Rights Movement but is this really the case? Through the study of analyzing each†¦show more content†¦Also, even though he grew up in the segregated Jim Crow south encounters with racial discrimination were mild but formative. According to James Cone, in his book, Martin and Malcolm and America, home and church were the most important influences upon the early life of Martin. In both contexts, he was introduced to the integrationist values of protest, accommodation, self-help, and optimism. Martin was a very bright student who skipped both the 9th and 12th grades allowing him to enroll in college when he was only fifteen years old. He attended Morehouse College earning a bachelors in Sociology At last; Martin received his PhD in Systematic Theology from Boston University. According to Cone, it seemed that Kings life was socially, religiously, and educationally shaped so that his proclamation of the American Dream seemed inevitable Malcolm, on the other hand, had a much darker childhood. Malcolms social, educational, and religious upbringing was not as fortunate as Martins. Malcolm was the child of political activists who supported the militant black nationalist movement. In contrast to Martins southern middle class upbringing, Malcolm was a product of the northern poor black masses. His father died violently when he was six in which there is question whether or not the Black Legionaries, a split of the Ku Klux Klan had killed his father. Malcolm X in hisShow MoreRelatedMartin Malcolm : A Dream Or A Nightmare951 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Martin Malcolm America Peace† If one man never steps forward to show all the others that change is possible, nothing will ever change. When you look back at history of the American civil rights movement, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are still often two of the first names even someone of today’s society may think of. They were, and still are, some of the most influential men to ever live. As young African-American men living during a time of harsh global, but most importantlyRead MoreMartin Luther King And Malcolm X1424 Words   |  6 Pagesegalitarian society. They were promulgated by Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, leaders of this movement, that despite having the same aims, its methodology for achieving them was radically different. While King advocated nonviolence and peaceful means, the attitude of Malcolm X was much more radical, making a common trait of aggression. Both leaders used the speech as a way to spread their ideology. In the problem is still here, mainly, what Malcolm X wants to convey to your audience is that theRead MoreMartin Luther King and Malcolm X1715 Words   |  7 Pagesmen automatically come to their minds, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. While both these men had very different views and ideas, they also shared similarities. Part of the reason for their different views was because one was in the South and the other was in the North. Martin saw a Dream that could be fulfilled in the South and Malcolm saw a Nightmare, which would never end in the North. Martin and Malcolm were raised in very different homes. Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in Atlanta;Read MoreMartin Luther King And Malcolm X988 Words   |  4 Pagesand why the way we are today. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X are two very great examples and representations for this. What people do not realize is that there are a lot of similarities and differences between Malcolm and Martin. Martin was born and raised as a middle classes men and was extremely educated. On the other hand, Malcolm was not raised like Malcolm at all. Malcolm grew up in a deplorable environment and no school was around for Malcolm. Martin believed that violence was neverRead MoreMartin Luther King And Malcolm X1171 Words   |  5 Pages Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were pioneers in America’s Civil Rights Movement, with the goal of protecting and developing the black community. They wanted to achieve the same goal but, with very different approaches. While King was more of the â€Å"peaceful protesting† type, X was the â€Å"eye for an eye† type, in the beginning of his journey. Both of these men demanded respect and acquired it. Their wives Coretta Scott King and Betty Dean Sanders took over their legacies after their passingRead MoreMartin Luther King Vs Malcolm X1436 Words   |  6 PagesSelene Sandoval Professor Solheim History 108 CRN # 20244 16 October 2016 Martin Luther King VS Malcolm X Ronald Regan once said: â€Å"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.† In fact, American history has had a great deal of leaders that brought change by improving the lives of others. These leaders introduced new ideas, models, and theories toRead MoreMalcolm X And Martin Luther King Essay1131 Words   |  5 PagesWhen it comes to the American Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. has often been portrayed prominence. Though this is true, the Civil Rights Movement involved other activists like Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Andrew Goodman, etc. Who all contributed to its success. Racism has always been a problem right from the United States’ creation. It involved discrimination and segregation of non-white races, and refusal to recognize and protect non-white citizenship rights enumerated in the constitutionRead MoreMar tin Luther King And Malcolm X Essay882 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were two freedom fighters who shared the same goal, which was freedom, justice and equality, but differed in their methods. Martin Luther King, Jr. meeting Malcolm X in the U.S. Capitol, 1964., 2017 Radical reform made sense to King while rejection and revolutionary rage made more sense to to Malcolm X (Waldschmidt-Nelson and Waldschmidt-Nelson, 2012). Dr. King was a Baptist minister who believed in the equality of all people beforeRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. And Malcolm X Essay836 Words   |  4 PagesWithout Martin Luther King, there is no Malcolm X. Without Malcolm X, there is no Martin Luther King. There couldn’t have been one without the other. They were complete opposites; they were two of the most different men. Nevertheless, they were fighting for the same thing. They were fighting for the civil rights of African Americans in a country thought to have been based on â€Å"freedom† and â€Å"equality†. These two men were brave enough to stand up for what they believed in, for what was right. They wereRead More Martin Luther King And Malcolm X Essay606 Words   |  3 Pages Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had a common purpose for African Americans; justice and equality. Illustrated through their speeches, Martin Luther King Jr’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† and Malcolm X’s â€Å"Talk to Young African Americans†, the two did not share techniques or ideas. Yet both men had the support of millions and millions of people. One of the worlds best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies was Martin Luther King Jr. He synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural