Another Martin Luther King Essay, Research Paper
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X grew up in different
environments. King was raised in a comfortable middle-class
family where education was stressed. On the other hand,
Malcolm X came from and underprivileged home. He was a
self-taught man who received little schooling and rose to
greatness on his own intelligence and determination. Martin
Luther King was born into a family whose name in Atlanta
was well established. Despite segregation, Martin Luther
King?s parents ensured that their child was secure and
happy. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 and was
raised in a completely different atmosphere than King, an
atmosphere of fear and anger where the seeds of bitterness
were planted. The burning of his house by the Klu Klux Klan
resulted in the murder of his father. His mother later suffered
a nervous breakdown and his family was split up. He was
haunted by this early nightmare for most of his life. From
then on, he was driven by hatred and a desire for revenge.
The early backgrounds of Malcolm X and Martin Luther
King were largely responsible for the distinct different
responses to American racism. Both men ultimately became
towering icons of contemporary African-American culture
and had a great influence on black Americans. However,
King had a more positive attitude than Malcolm X, believing
that through peaceful demonstrations and arguments, blacks
will be able to someday achieve full equality with whites.
Malcolm X?s despair about life was reflected in his angry,
pessimistic belief that equality is impossible because whites
have no moral conscience. King basically adopted on an
integrationalist philosophy, whereby he felt that blacks and
whites should be united and live together in peace. Malcolm
X, however, promoted nationalist and separatist doctrines.
For most of his life, he believed that only through revolution
and force could blacks attain their rightful place in society.
Both X and King spread their message through powerful,
hard-hitting speeches. Nevertheless, their intentions were
delivered in different styles and purposes. ?King was
basically a peaceful leader who urged non-violence to his
followers. He travelled about the country giving speeches
that inspired black and white listeners to work together for
racial harmony.? (pg. 135, Martin Luther King Jr. and the
Freedom Movement) Malcolm X, for the most part,
believed that non-violence and integration was a trick by the
whites to keep blacks in their places. He was furious at
white racism and encouraged his followers through his
speeches to rise up and protest against their white enemies.
After Malcolm X broke away from Elijah Mohammed, this
change is reflected in his more moderate speeches. Malcolm
X and Martin Luther King?s childhoods had powerful
influences on the men and their speeches. Malcolm X was
brought up in an atmosphere of violence. During his
childhood, Malcolm X suffered not only from abuse by
whites, but also from domestic violence. His father beat his
mother and both of them abused their children. His mother
was forced to raise eight children during the depression.
After his mother had a mental breakdown, the children were
all placed in foster homes. Malcolm X?s resentment was
increased as he suffered through the ravages of integrated
schooling. Although an intelligent student who shared the
dream of being a lawyer with Martin Luther King, Malcolm
X?s anger and disillusionment caused him to drop out of
school. He started to use cocaine and set up a burglary ring
to support his expensive habit. Malcolm X?s hostility and
promotion of violence as a way of getting change was well
established in his childhood. Martin Luther King lived in an
entirely different environment. He was a smart student and
skipped two grades before entering an ivy league college at
only the age of 15. He was the class valedictorian with an A
average. King paraded his graduation present in a new green
Chevrolet before his fellow graduates. He was raised in the
perfect environment where dreams and love were generated.
King and X?s childhoods are ?a study in polarity.? (pg. 254,
Reflecting Black) Whereas, Malcolm X was raised in
nightmarish conditions. King?s home was almost dream-like.
He was raised in a comfortable middle-class home where
strong values natured his sense of self-worth. Sure, many
have admired Malcolm X and Martin Luther King for the
way that they preached. ?Both King and Malcolm X
promoted self-knowledge and respect for one?s history and
culture as the basis for unity.? (pg. 253, Reflecting Black.)
Other than the fact that they were similar in some ways, they
also had many differences that people admired, both in belief
and speech. Malcolm X, in many ways, was known to many
as an extremist. For most of the time that he spent as an
Islamic minister, he preached about separatism between
blacks and whites. He also preached about black
nationalism, and as some would call it, ?black supremacy,?
(reporter from Malcolm X movie). Malcolm X had been
misled all through his life. This can be shown especially at the
time when he broke away from the black Muslim party,
because he realised that they were misleading him by telling
him that separatism between blacks and whites is the only
way to go. They also misled him by telling him that
separatism is a part of the Islamic religion. Malcolm X?s life
was known to many as a nightmare because he was abused
and haunted by both blacks and whites. Malcolm X blamed
many of the conditions that blacks in the United States lived
in on the whites. He also talked about how the white man
still sees the black man as a slave. Martin Luther King
appeared to many as calm and idealistic. Many say his
calmness came from his peaceful, middle-class life. For
instance, King preached about equality for blacks and
whites. He also preached about getting this equality through
a non-violent way. King?s popularity was more than any
other black leader?s popularity. ?King urged blacks to win
their rightful place in society by gaining self-respect, high
moral standards, hard work and leadership. He also urged
blacks to do this in a non-violent matter,? (pg. 255,
Reflecting Black) The difference is in Malcolm X and Martin
Luther King?s backgrounds had a direct influence on their
later viewpoints. As a black youth, Malcolm X was
rebellious and angry. He blamed the poor social conditions
that blacks lived in on the whites. ?His past ghetto life
prepared him to reject non-violence and integration and to
accept a strong separatist philosophy as the basis for black
survival,? (Internet, Malcolm X anniversary). He even
believed at one time that whites were agents of the devil. As
a result, ?Malcolm X recommended a separatist and
nationalist strategy for black survival,? (pg. 57, Malcolm X:
The man and his times) He believed that only through
violence would conditions change. He saw no evidence that
white society had any moral conscience and promoted the
role of the angry black against racist America. King?s
philosophies presented a sharp contrast to those of Malcolm
X. He believed that through hard work, strong leadership,
and non-violent tactics, blacks could achieve full equality
with whites. His belief in non-violence even extended to a
woman who nearly killed him. He was reported as saying,
?don?t persecute her, get her healed,? (pg. 52, Martin Luther
King Jr. and the Freedom Movement). Near the end of their
lives, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X?s beliefs became
more similar. Malcolm X corrected himself after his break
with the black Muslim movement. He now emphasised unity
and change through black pride and respect for oneself
rather than through hate and revenge. King, on the other
hand, became somewhat angry at the lack of progress made
on equality. He started promoting non-violent sabotage,
which including blocking the normal functioning of
government. At one time, Malcolm X actually wanted ?to
join forces with King and the progressive elements of the
Civil Rights Movement,? (pg. 262, Malcolm X: The man and
his times). To many, King and Malcolm X were heroes of
the Civil Rights Movement. However, many have also seen
that King was more pessimistic, while Malcolm X was more
optimistic about separatism for most of his life. Some have
said that later on in their lives, they had taken the opposite
roles and changed. The speeches of King and X reflected
both men?s visions on improving America. Both men
believed that if blacks were to attain freedom, they first
needed to achieve self-respect. However, Malcolm X?s
speeches were delivered in a revolutionary tone which could
incite his listeners to hatred of white America. Malcolm X
used direct and to the point language which could be
understood by all levels of society. ?He had mastery in
language and could project his ideas,? (Internet, Remember
Malcolm X) This creativity in language helped build the
Black Muslim Movement in the United States. In his
?Definition of a Revolution? speech, delivered in November
1963, Malcolm X openly justifies violence as a way of
gaining equality. ?And if it is right for America to draft us and
teach us how to be violent in defence of the country, then
isn?t it right for you and me to do whatever is necessary to
defend our own people right here in this country,? (pg. 253,
Malcolm X: The man and his times). He encouraged blacks
to hate white America and to revolt against them.
?Revolution is bloody, revolution is hostile, revolution knows
no compromise, revolution overturns and destroys
everything that gets in its way,? (pg. 255, Malcolm X: The
man and his times). In his speech ?God?s Judgement of
White America?, delivered on December 1, 1963, Malcolm
X again promoted his separatist philosophy. ?America must
set aside some separate territory here in the Western
Hemisphere where the two races can live apart from each
other, since we certainly don?t get along peacefully while we
are here together,? (pg. 287, Malcolm X: The man and his
times) After Malcolm X?s pilgrimage to Mecca in 1964, he
reappraised white America and modified somewhat his racist
and anti-white beliefs. This change is reflected in his
?Communication and Reality? spoken to the American
Domestic Peace Corps. ?I am against any form of racism.
We are all against racism. I believe in Allah. I believe in the
brotherhood of man, all men, but I do not believe in the
brotherhood with anybody who does not want brotherhood
with me,? (pg. 289, Malcolm X: The man and his times)
Martin Luther King was an equally strong speaker.
However, most of his speeches were given to encourage
white and black people to work together for racial harmony.
He especially wanted to teach impressionable black youth
that equality could be gained through non-violent methods.
These ideals are reflected in his famous ?I have a dream?
speech, where King addressed to over 250 000 people. In
this speech, King urges black people to never forget their
dreams. King preaches that in the eyes of God, the blacks
are as good as any other race and should be treated as
equals. ?I have a dream that one day every valley will be
exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough
places shall be made plain, and the crooked places shall be
made straight, and the glory of the lord shall be revealed,
and all shall see it together,? ( Internet, Martin Luther King?s
I Have a Dream speech) Unlike Malcolm X, King does not
incite his followers to riot and hate, but encourages his
followers to remember that all people are God?s children
and that hopefully one day all American can join together to
sing ?My country tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, of thee I
sing?? King?s eventual disillusionment became because of
the lack of success the blacks were making in America. This
discomfort is reflected in his ?A time to break the silence?
speech. In this speech, he openly condemns American
involvement in the Vietnam war. He preaches that America
should solve its own racial and social problems before
sending vulnerable young men, especially black men, to fight
other country?s battles. ?So we have been respectfully
forced with the cruel irony of watching Negroes and white
boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation
that has been unable to sit them together in the same
schools,? (Internet, A time to break the silence speech)
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King are both remembered as
leaders who fought for a difference in black America. Both
tried to bring hope to blacks in the United States. They also
tried to instil within blacks power and strength so they could
rise above all the hatred that surrounded them, but both of
them had very different ways of promoting their message.
Malcolm X had a much more extremist approach. Many say
that this approach came from his neglectful childhood and
early adulthood. King had a much more calm approach.
Some have said that this non-violent approach came from his
safe, middle-class environment. Even though they were
different in addressing their messages about black respect
and pride, they both had the same goal in mind. That goal
was to achieve equality between all races.