Following the acts of increased racial discrimination in the 20th century, people of color decided to wage war against the whites as they demanded to receive fair treatment. This war was waged on different fronts as some took a radical approach and others opted to go the peaceful way. The radical individuals vandalized property belonging to the whites and engaged any individuals who seemed to protest their activities in a bitter exchange. On the other side, the peaceful one held protests and demonstration without the use of violence as they sought to be heard. This two groups of African American Civil Rights Movements were characterized and influenced largely by their leaders. The radical and harmony disrupting fraction was led by the famous Malcolm X whereas the peaceful divide fell behind Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr 1 . This paper analyzes the differences and similarities in this two individuals and how each of them contributed to ending of racial discrimination against the people of color in the United States.
Events that shaped each of their perceptions of race
Both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were driven by one sole purpose: the urge to ensure that blacks were treated as equals 2 . King was brought up in an era when racism was at its peak, and he experienced a lot of cases where the blacks were oppressed by the whites. Nevertheless, it was until he grew up and had children of his own that he developed the urge to fight for equality of races. He looked at his children and always wanted to ensure that they grew up in a society where people were not judged by the color of their skin 3 . He wanted them to be able to have a free and appropriate education as well as have an equal chance to access job opportunities.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Malcolm X, on the other side, was greatly influenced by the events that were arising from King’s peaceful demonstrations 4 . X is said to have observed that the use of non-violent means was a sign of weakness and, therefore, advocated for the use of force in reciprocation. He always criticized King for being so lenient with the whites and came up with an alternative strategy to peaceful demonstrations. Being a representative of the Muslims, he was utterly angered by how the whites mistreated them and discriminated them.
Their goals and tactics used to achieve them
Whereas they seemed to work towards achieving the same goal: equity of all Americans, the scope of each was quite different. King was working towards an integration of the whites and the blacks 5 . He wanted them to become one and the same people by seeing one another through each other’s eyes. King believed that this was the best possible method of realizing equality for all races and it would be to the satisfaction of both parties. Malcolm X, on the other hand, advocated for equality but with separation 6 . His idea was that the whites needed to be people on their own and so would the blacks.
King rallied for his ideologies through the organizing of peaceful demonstrations all over the United States. He gave key speeches that were aimed at bringing to attention the issue of racial discrimination in the world. One of his most famous speeches ‘I have a dream’ is still used as a reference point to date. Other than this gatherings, King also used his capacity as a church leader to pass on messages regarding racism. Malcolm X was more of an action individual. He organized acts of terror across states through his civil rights movement. They vandalized property, as earlier mentioned, and even took lives of others.
Ways in which the two were in opposition to one another
Their primary difference lied in their goals and how they each worked to get there. King was non-violent and used what he so referred to as “weapons of love.” Through this platform, they would return no violence even when the whites responded with it. Malcolm X was not for this idea. He considered it to be one of the reasons why the civil rights movement seemed not to implying that he would take even the most radical of steps to ensure equality was achieved. The difference in this is visible from two of the documents written by the two. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a representation of his approach whereas “The Afro-American’s right to self-defense” written by Malcolm explains his stance 7 .
Again, whereas King’s actions were largely based on Christianity, especially Protestantism, Malcolm X obtained his from the Muslim religion. King always referred to the doctrine every time he addressed the people. X also referred to Muslim law and the Quran from time to time. However, the religions were in conflict with each other as one is seen to have had little regard for human life than the other.
Moreover, whereas King wanted an integrated form of equality, X wanted a separate one. As earlier on mentioned, King always stated that the best way to ensure that equality was if the whites and blacks worked together for one common good. He always believed that this was the way that America would become a great nation. His ideas, however, differed greatly with those of Malcolm who stated that equality would have best been acquired if these two racial factions were separated from one another. He wanted the whites to have their whites-only states and blacks to have theirs as well. This way, each race could feel free to develop themselves without having to worry about the others intrusion.
Impact of the two
Despite both being considered as great forces behind the civil rights movements, King made a greater impact on the issue of race than Malcolm. King developed himself as an icon or rather an idol for most people not only then but also to date 8 . He has been quoted alongside other prominent figures in the U.S. like Abraham Lincoln and is recognized as a national hero for reformation and change. Most people then were afraid to engage in war as the whites were more superior to them and any resentment could only mean losses to them. Moreover, King had a voice that was influential and heard by many individuals. Though assassinated at the helm of his campaigns against racism, King left behind a force that carried on his works and eventually saw the fight come to an end as America became a more inclusive nation.
King, as it was aforementioned, has been idolized in the recent times and is recognized as one of the significant figures in American history. There are schools, hospitals, and avenues named after him as well as portraits and statues made in his honor. His death is considered a sacrifice for the realization of a unified America where race is just a color. President Obama quoted him a lot in his speeches and praised him for the tireless efforts he put to ensure his dream came true. Again, there is a commemoration day every year that is set aside in the U.S. every year to celebrate the legendary figure. Whereas it’s a recognized and constitutionalized day in the United States, this celebration is experienced on a worldwide scale as people from across the world pass congratulatory and appraisal messages to the deceased.
Malcolm, on the other hand, is a least popularized figure as many individuals resent to his sentiments and approach towards the issue of race in the U.S. Nevertheless, he is recognized as an individual who played a great role in the realizing of a unified U.S. His choice to use force other than considering peaceful approaches is what makes him a lesser popular civil activist as compared to King.
In conclusion, King remains to be the one figure who is forever embedded in the hearts of individuals. He worked through patience and tolerance for a course that he never even lived to see its success. King inspired masses of individuals who had no courage to rise and present their grievances to join him and advocate for a better United States. At a time when being violent seemed to be the only option, King opted to remain peaceful. He even called on to Malcolm one too many times to join him in his quest and avoid violence. Even though cases of racism are still heard of today, the case would not be the same had King not revolutionized the movement. The blacks could have perhaps been deported from the U.S. to their homelands or some reserves. It is through one man’s commitment to a great course that a black person in America today can rise even to the highest authority in the land. Nobody ever saw the day coming when a person of another race other than the white ascend to become president until Barrack Obama disrupted the status quo. Individuals should thus carry on his spirited activities and teachings to ensure that the U.S. remains a place where equality for all is guaranteed regardless of whatever differences they have
Bibliography
Howard-Pitney, D. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: a brief history with documents . New York, NY: Bedford-St. Martins. 2004.
1 David Howard-Pitney, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: a brief history with documents (New York, NY: Bedford-St. Martins,2004), 5.
2 David Howard-Pitney, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: a brief history with documents, 75.
3 David Howard-Pitney, 15.
4 David Howard-Pitney, 17.
5 David Howard-Pitney, 96.
6 David Howard-Pitney, 96.
7 David Howard-Pitney, 104.
8 David Howard-Pitney, 198.
