Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X are some of the most recognized leaders of the civil rights movement. However, the two leaders epitomize racial protestors with different techniques and social background. Malcolm X and Luther showed different kinds of leadership in their contribution to the black freedom movement. The two leaders frequently disagreed on various issues, including love and hate, radicalism, integration and disintegration, and the importance of Christianity in the fight against racial inequality. 1 The differences negatively contributed to the association between the two leaders. Nonetheless, irrespective of their ideological and organizational differences, they both displayed genuine love and respect for each other; both leaders were more concerned about liberation than their differences. The ideological choices of these two civil rights movement leaders impacted on their acceptance.
According to many historical representation and media contents, Martin Luther King, Jr., advocated peacefully against racial segregation in the South. The primary influence on King’s philosophical and ideological standings comes from the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi and Christian morality. 2 Luther was presented in the early press as an educated, articulated, and understated but yet a firm leader. 3 Martin Luther was known to appreciate the work of various philosophers, such as Hegel and Kant. 4 The main distinctive nature of King’s leadership was that he adopted a less radical method in fighting against social injustice. The background and social interaction of Martin Luther influenced his actions during the civil rights movement. The leader opted for more composure and toughness when dealing with his oppressors. He preferred peaceful methods of activism, such as boycotts. The leader showed his willingness to suffer to a greater extent to fight for freedom. 5 The national leader proved that his humble fight against racism could help defeat the social injustices of his era. Therefore, the combination of doctrines from his Christian upbringing and the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi helped to shape the model of leadership adopted by King, Jr.; A humble fight that involved peaceful demonstration and boycotts.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Unlike King, Malcolm X opted for a more radical model of leadership. Malcolm X was a member of Elijah Muhammad’s Black Muslim Movement, which was also known as the Nation of Islam. 6 Therefore, Malcolm’s leadership philosophy mostly borrowed from the Black Muslim Movement ideals. The Nation of Islam’s technique of protests was greatly influenced by their historical background as slave descendants. Therefore, the group had a great deal of bitterness towards whites, which shaped their ideals in fighting for racial equality 7 . Therefore, Malcolm X was a more radical leader that preferred violent riots as a means of fighting racial injustice. Malcolm X, unlike Martin Luther, had an Islamic background, a criminal history, lacked formal education, and went with an ambiguous surname, which drew a negative attitude from the white, middle- and upper-class audience of the mainstream media. 8 Unlike King, Malcolm X was known to preach hate for white people. Therefore, he received a greater level of attention from the government authorities. His involvement with the Nation of Islam, in the early years, impacted on how he was perceived by the public and fellow leaders. In sum, Malcolm X’s leadership philosophy borrowed mainly from the Nation of Islam and his Islamic upbringing; the leader supported radical methods of fighting social injustices as a result of racial inequality and preached hate for the white man. 9
The differences in the model of leadership affected the relationship between Martin Luther and Malcolm X. Malcolm’s trait of judging people on the basis of race or color was not supported by Martin Luther. 10 Furthermore, his association with the Nation of Islam made it difficult for the two civil rights leaders to work together. In 1960, Martin made it clear that he and his people did not want anything to do with the Nation of Islam, which frustrated Malcolm and led him into attacking Martin. The philosophical differences between the two leaders led to the general perception of the existence of enmity between them and thus hindering the movement against racial inequality. The image of Malcolm and Martin as bitter enemies, the force of light against the force of darkness, was an image created by the American mass media. Upon leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm was finally able to meet with Martin.
Martin Luther’s leadership, philosophy, and model were received with greater positivity as compared to Malcolm X. The radical model of leadership and the bitterness towards whites hindered Malcolm X’s progress in fighting racial injustice. 11 The Nation of Islam lacked the power and funding of the white community and thus making their technique of fighting racial injustice ineffective. On the other hand, Martin Luther’s act of civil disobedience proved more effective in the fight for freedom. 12 The humble fight adopted by Martin Luther and his team was accepted outside his team and the African American community; some of the white leaders bought into the ideals that were spearheaded by Martin Luther. While both civil rights movement leaders targeted to achieve racial equality, the model of leadership adopted by them influenced the outcome of the quest. Martin was generally more accepted as a civil rights movement leader than Malcolm X.
References
Cruden, D. (2014). A Comparison of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in the Black and Mainstream Press, 1955-2011.
DeWitt, J. B. (2019). Fighting for Freedom: A Sociological Study of Violent versus Nonviolent Forms of Social Movement as Reflected in the Writings of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.
Nimtz, A. H. (2016). Violence and/or Nonviolence in the Success of the Civil Rights Movement: The Malcolm X–Martin Luther King, Jr. Nexus. New Political Science , 38 (1), 1-22.
Procházková , M. (2019). Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X: Search for the Direction of the Civil Rights Movement (Doctoral dissertation, Masarykova Univerzita, Pedagogická fakulta).
1 Cruden, D. (2014). A Comparison of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in the Black and Mainstream Press, 1955-2011.
2 DeWitt, J. B. (2019). Fighting for Freedom: A Sociological Study of Violent versus Nonviolent Forms of Social Movement as Reflected in the Writings of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.
3 Cruden, D. (2014). A Comparison of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in the Black and Mainstream Press, 1955-2011.
4 Cruden, D. (2014). A Comparison of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in the Black and Mainstream Press, 1955-2011.
5 DeWitt, J. B. (2019). Fighting for Freedom: A Sociological Study of Violent versus Nonviolent Forms of Social Movement as Reflected in the Writings of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.
6 Nimtz, A. H. (2016). Violence and/or Nonviolence in the Success of the Civil Rights Movement: The Malcolm X–Martin Luther King, Jr. Nexus. New Political Science , 38 (1), 1-22.
7 DeWitt, J. B. (2019). Fighting for Freedom: A Sociological Study of Violent versus Nonviolent Forms of Social Movement as Reflected in the Writings of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.
8 Cruden, D. (2014). A Comparison of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in the Black and Mainstream Press, 1955-2011.
9 Nimtz, A. H. (2016). Violence and/or Nonviolence in the Success of the Civil Rights Movement: The Malcolm X–Martin Luther King, Jr. Nexus. New Political Science , 38 (1), 1-22.
10 Procházková , M. (2019). Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X: Search for the Direction of the Civil Rights Movement (Doctoral dissertation, Masarykova Univerzita, Pedagogická fakulta).
11 Procházková , M. (2019). Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X: Search for the Direction of the Civil Rights Movement (Doctoral dissertation, Masarykova Univerzita, Pedagogická fakulta).
12 DeWitt, J. B. (2019). Fighting for Freedom: A Sociological Study of Violent versus Nonviolent Forms of Social Movement as Reflected in the Writings of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.
