Malcolm X’s life, personally and professionally
Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925, to Baptist preacher with the name Malcolm Little. He came from a violent family; his father abused them and his mother. His mother had a mental breakdown, and Malcolm and his siblings were placed in a foster home. Malcolm dropped out of school and went to New York where he engaged in petty crimes such as gambling, prostitution, and narcotics. He moved to Boston where he was arrested in 1946 for engaging in criminal activities. Malcolm was convicted of the crimes; larceny, burglary, and possession of illegal firearm and sent to Charlestown State Prison for 8 to 10 years. While in prison, he educated himself and later converted to Islamic. He was killed in February 1965 by members of the Nation of Islam.
Malcolm X’s philosophy for achieving equality
Throughout his childhood, Malcolm suffered abuse from the whites and also domestic violence. This life prepared him to reject non-violence and fight for human civil rights. After the release of Malcolm X from the prison, he became actively involved in the Black Muslim organization which had the goal of uplifting the blacks in the community. Malcolm X was not pleased with the non-violent, struggle for civil rights and had the fear that the black community would lose their rights of their own movement. As a result, Malcolm X suggested a strategy for black survival. He was raised power and was made the National Minister who spoke on behalf of the organization across the country. Malcolm was against any form of racism and supported violence to achieve equality. Malcolm was an Islamic minister and preached about separatism and Black Nationalism. He incited his listeners through his speeches to hatred of the white Americans. He delivered a public speech, the Ballot or the Bullet, saying that just like a ballot is exercised with care so should the people vote for equality for African Americans (Malcolm X, 1964).
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, personally and professionally
Dr. Martin Luther King was born in a middle-class environment on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta. He was from a family that was deeply into Christianity. He decided to enter into ministry and renewed his faith upon which he started to envision a career in the ministry. He earned in degree in sociology from Morehouse in College and also attended liberal Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. In his last year in college, Martin met with President Benjamin E. Mays who influenced the spiritual development of Martin Luther King. He was also an advocate for racial equality and therefore encouraged King to use his view in Christianity to change the social life between the blacks and the whites.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy for achieving equality
Martin Luther encouraged both communities; black and the whites to work together to achieve racial harmony. Unlike Malcolm X who believed in violence to bring change and equality, Martin encouraged the black youths to use non-violent ways to gain equality. In his speech, I have a dream, where he addressed over 250, 000 people he urged the black youths not to give up or forget their dreams (American History, n.d). In his speech, he mentioned that all people were equal in the eyes of God. Dr. King was imprisoned in 1963 in Birmingham, and while in there he wrote, Letter from a Birmingham Jail , to defend the authenticity to use violence and protests or engaging in a violent demonstration to achieve equality (Ali-Dinar, n.d).
Similarities
Back in the early 50’s there emerged two black civil leaders by the names Dr. Martin Luther King Junior and Malcolm x. These two men were considered as the greatest black civil rights leaders who ever lived and shared similar ambitions for the black community which was highly underprivileged at that time. As it is said in history, both men were black civil rights leaders who wanted to see a change in how black people were being treated by the American society and government at the time. Aside from being civil rights leaders, both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were religious ministers but from different religions that is; Christianity and Islam. They used their religions as a vessel of channelling their civil rights agendas. Both men were family men since they were both married with children, but they were deeply engrossed in their black rights crusade (Malcolm X, n.d).
As black rights crusaders, Martin Luther King and Malcolm x advocated for black equality in the society that would see black people get the same rights and privileges as whites in the American society, which obviously wasn't met with open arms by the whites. As much as they fought for black equality, one of their strongest fights was against second-class citizenship that was only associated with the black community. They also both strongly advocated for black people to join political and civil rights organizations and also register as voters which would have subjected the black people to second class citizenship. Their fight to defeat white racism and the empowerment of Black people within a racist society eventually led to their assassination in the sixties, but before their assassination, certain elements of all they advocated for was realized.
As mentioned in the first paragraph, both Martin Luther King, and Malcolm x were family men. Martin Luther married his wife, Coretta Scott on June 18, 1953, and together they had four children while Malcolm X married Betty Shabazz in 1958 and together they had six daughters, twins who were born after his assassination. Two of their most famous quotes of all time are ‘I have a dream' by Martin Luther King and ‘by all means ‘by Malcolm X. Both men are said to be the most outstanding leaders of their generation who saw their way to bring justice and equality for black people. Both men were considered as a ray of hope for the black community at that time because of their advocacy and their respect for human lives. Both their wives shared the same common ideologies that they eventually became good friends.
Conclusion
As history puts the two men were in a high calibre of human rights activism. It is true to say that these two men are the greatest activist who ever lived for they advocated for black rights and equality with sheer might and courage which rightfully places them to where they are categorized in the books of history. Their fight for equal rights for the black has brought tremendous changes and a different sense of how people treat each other in the society regardless of their age, religion, and race.
References
Ali-Dinar, A.B. (n.d). Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]. Retrieved from www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
American History. (n.d). Martin Luther King’s I have a dream Speech August 28 1963. Retrieved from www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/1951-/martin-luther-kings-i-have-a-dream-speech-august-28-1963.php
Malcolm X. (n.d.). From History.com Website. Retrieved from www.history.com/topics/black-history/malcolm-x
Malcolm X. (1964, April 3). The Ballot or the Bullet . Retrieved from http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html
