Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. are two significant figures in Black American history. These two leaders initiated civil rights movements that sought to advocate for equal rights for African Americans. Both leaders had the same goal in terms of civil rights movements. Despite the similarity in purpose, the leaders differed in terms of their actions, philosophies, methodologies and their utilization of the powers of rhetoric to galvanize their movements.
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr shared the same goals, which was to achieve equality for African Americans, especially in the south, during a period when segregation and oppression had taken root in the society (Al Jazeera, 2017). Malcolm aimed at decreasing discrimination and eliminating the separation of black people. King, on the other hand, sought to create equality among all races. Both leaders had witnessed the oppression of their people and resorted to movements to bring to an end the abuse. As it is, the leaders were similar in the aim of their campaigns, which was to achieve equality of all races.
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Despite the similarity in their goals, Malcolm and King differed in their approaches and philosophies. Malcolm believed in achieving equality through any means necessary, while King believed in the utilization of non-violent protests to achieve the same goal. King's non-violent approach used passive resistance to achieve equality in civil rights, which also protected African Americans from police brutality (Al Jazeera, 2017). On the other hand, Malcolm believed in violent means as he urged African Americans to fight or their equal rights to the whites (Al Jazeera, 2017). The different philosophies showed the discord between the two leaders over which approach was both right and useful.
Malcolm X looked into achieving equality of all races by any means necessary. Malcolm believed that being quiet would not save the oppressed from the oppressor. In this regard, he thought that the use of violence was much more effective as it would create a lasting impact on white Americans (Gallati, 2019).
Malcolm represented the Nation of Islam and the black Muslim movement which violently rejected the values of white, Christian Americans. Contrary to King, Malcolm's approach was segregationist whereby he urged all African Americans to take pride in their heritage and consider themselves superior to white Americans (Gallati, 2019). This approach was meant to equip the public with skills for self-defense as King's non-violence was deemed to be defenseless, thus allowing the oppressor to oppress the oppressed further.
As mentioned earlier, Martin Luther King Jr believed in the use of nonviolent methods to achieve civil equality. His approach was witnessed in Birmingham, whereby he set up boycotts, and sit-ins to advocate against segregation of races (Ware, 2013). In as much as they were non-violent, these approaches led to the use of extreme force by the police against African American protesters and eventually King's arrest. Before the protests, segregation against black people was being witnessed in public spaces, including restaurants and schools. The difference in ideologies was further promoted by such incidences which, according to Malcolm, called for the use of violence to stand up against police brutality. However, King believed in taking the peaceful approach in the hope that it would work for America as it did for India under Gandhi.
The arrest of Martin Luther King Jr.in Birmingham served as the basis for protests advocating civil disobedience and non-violence. King claimed that African Americans had the right to exercise civil disobedience against unjust laws, such as those that encouraged segregation of races and police brutality against African Americans (King, Jr., 1963). According to the letter he wrote from Birmingham jail King justified the disobedience to unjust laws, which formed the basis for negotiations that resulted in the desegregation of restaurants, schools, and stores in Birmingham.
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech at Lincoln Memorial titled 'I Have a Dream.' The statement highlighted the plight of African-Americans against the failed promises of American society in achieving equality for all (Josiah & Oghenerho, 2015). In the speech, King also brings to light the injustices done against African Americans. This speech played a significant role in advocating for equality for all and steering American leadership towards justice and equality (Josiah & Oghenerho, 2015). This speech has been referenced by various modern leaders, who continue to strive for the equality of all races.
Moreover, in his speech, King pointed out that he dreamt that his children would one day live in a nation that was judged by the context of their character, and not the color of their skin. This statement also advocated for equality of all races as it pointed out the need to focus on people's character instead of their races. He also indicated that the existence of stereotypes and conforming to them hinders the achievement of equality. In essence, the presence of color differences need to be accepted and affirmed. However, race should not serve as a barrier for the human community (Kakutani, 2013). This ideology further advances King's dream of living in a society in which people were judged by their character, and not the color of their skin, which will prove the achievement of equality for all races in America.
In conclusion, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King J. defined the quest for civil rights and equality for African Americans. These leaders were driven by the same goal, which was to achieve equality for all races. However, this was the only similarity between the two as their philosophies, approaches, and methodologies differed. Malcolm X believed in achieving equality through any means necessary, while King believed in using non-violent measures to achieve the same result. Despite the differences in their methodologies, the efforts of these two leaders were significant in advocating for civil rights for African Americans as they both had significant roles to play in the movement.
References
Al Jazeera. (2017). Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. Retrieved from
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/face-to-face/2017/07/malcolm-martin-luther-king-170709072506322.html
Gallati, T. (2019). Malcolm X & Martin Luther King Jr: Non-Violent v. Violent Resistance in
the Civil Rights Movement in the American South. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/11426236/Malcolm_X_and_Martin_Luther_King_Jr_Non-Violent_v._Violent_Resistance_in_the_Civil_Rights_Movement_in_the_American_South
Josiah, U., & Oghenerho, G. (2015). Pragmatic Analyses of Martin Luther King (Jr)'s Speech: "I
Have a Dream"--An Introspective Prognosis. Journal Of Education And Practice, 6(17), 43-52.
Kakutani, M. (2013). The Lasting Power of Dr. King’s Dream Speech. Retrieved from
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/us/the-lasting-power-of-dr-kings-dream-speech.html
King, Jr., M. (1963). Letter from Birmingham Jail. Retrieved from http://mlk-
kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/resources/article/annotated_letter_from_ birmingham/.
Ware, L. (2013). Civil Rights and the 1960s: A Decade of Unparalleled Progress. Maryland Law Review, 72(4).
