Martin Luther King and Malcom X Essay - 1666 Words

When people hear the word Civil Rights Movement, two men automatically come to their minds, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. While both these men had very different views and ideas, they also shared similarities. Part of the reason for their different views was because one was in the South and the other was in the North. Martin saw a Dream that could be fulfilled in the South and Malcolm saw a Nightmare, which would never end in the North. Martin and Malcolm were raised in very different homes. Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in Atlanta; his family status was that of the middle class, he never experienced poverty or hunger like Malcolm did. Martin was raised in a loving and supporting environment. His parents instilled in†¦show more content†¦He also went to Crozer Seminary in Pennsylvania. His parents also gave him the support he needed to motivate him to stay in school. Going to school was not always easy for either Malcolm or Martin. Malcolm grew up in Lansing, Michigan, where schools were integrated. At his junior high school, Malcolm frequently heard the words, Nigger, coon, darkie, and Rastus. He heard these epithets so often they ceased to be insulting; he thought of them as actual names.1 The name-calling was not the worst of it though. One of the most devastating moments for Malcolm was when he was in the eighth grade. He told his English teacher that he wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up. His teachers response was that a better career for him might be carpentry. This of course was very insulting and was the main reason why he left school. Although Martin never had to grow up in the integrated North, he did have to go to school in the segregated schools of Montgomery. Martins experiences with white people when he was young were not bad. He even had a white friend whom he played with until he entered school. After he entered school he, which was all black, he did not have the same kind of exposure to whit e people as he had had before. It did not really seem to effect Martin that much until the day the parents of his white friend said that he could no longer play with their son. They told Martin theShow MoreRelatedComparison of Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcom X1700 Words   |  7 Pages that all men are created equal. (Martin Luther King) The other, a man who spoke of a violent revolution, which would bring about radical change for the black race. Anything you can think of that you want to change right now, the only way you can do it is with a ballot or a bullet. And if you re not ready to get involved with either one of those, you are satisfied with the status quo. That means we ll have to change you. (Malcom X) While Martin Luther King promoted non-violence, civil rightsRead MoreMartin Luther King and Malcom X: Construing the Courageous668 Words   |  3 PagesMLK and X: Construing the Courageous Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X are equally categorized as courageous individuals; however the thoughts, actions, and beliefs as evidenced in their writings demonstrate that each chose a path opposite the other in exhibiting courageous actions. Through Martin Luther King Jr.’ speech, I’ve Been to the Mountain Top and Malcom X’s By any Means Necessary, we observe the steps that each of these Black Activist Leaders took in order to grasp the attention ofRead MoreA Comparison Of Malcom X And Martin Luther King Jr.735 Words   |  3 Pagesgranted basic rights through the 14th and 15th amendment. These rights struggled to be locked in place and federally protected for the next century. Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. were two of the many icons this century to come. Which had both come from two different backgrounds and beliefs but had the same exact goal. Malcom X is also known as Malcom Little was a Civil Rights icon. Born May 19th, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska he was the fourth of eight children. His father was a supporter of the BlackRead MoreCivil Rights Activists: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Huey Newton1223 Words   |  5 Pages American icon and former civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. This quote speaks volumes about the message that he is trying to convey towards society regarding racism. He is basically saying not to judge others just because of their skin color, but love them for who they are. We should not beRead MoreWhose Filosophy Made the Most Sense for Merica in the 1960s? Malcom X or Martin Luther King Jr.?1036 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X grew up in different environments. King wa s raised in a comfortable middle-class family where education was crucial, and Malcolm X came from a family of low class. He was a self-taught man who received little schooling and became who he is on his own. Martin Luther King was born into a good family. Despite segregation, Martin Luther King s parents tried everything so that he could be secure and happy. He was a smart student and skipped two grades before enteringRead MoreThe Effectiveness of Martin Luther King Jr, as Opposed to Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois and Malcom X2045 Words   |  9 Pagesideas were known to have contradicted with each other. Malcolm X, a black supremacist was a member of the NOI (Nation of Islam) and based his platforms of teachings off from religion. Martin Luther King Jr.’s approach towards gaining equality was of nonviolent actions. This proved to have been the most effective way to solidify through legislature the civil rights of African Americans within America. With that solid, Mar tin Luther King Jr. was the most productive and influential African American civilRead MoreWho knew the two most powerful African Americans that influence countless of people in history and700 Words   |  3 Pagesup in jail? Martin Luther King Jr. was incarcerated because the city officials issued a court injunction to prohibit the civil rights marches in Birmingham. Whereas, Malcolm x was arrested for burglary while trying to pick up a stolen watch he had left for repairs at a jewelry shop. The fight for civil right was taken in the 1960s, where racism was a problem. Whites discriminated blacks because they thought they werent equal to them. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X come in, theyRead MoreThe Ballot Or The Bullet By Malcolm X1222 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1964 Malcolm X delivered a speech titled ‘The Ballot or the Bullet† aimed to reach the poor black people of America. Born May 19, 1925 one of nine children, to a Baptist preacher whose was hit by a street car, and whose death was said to have possibly been a murder by white people, Malcom X was raised by his mother until she was institutionalized. After being put in foster care, and having issues in school, Malcom dropped out of school and became a troubled teen. A drug dealer, street hustlerRead MoreI Have A Dream By Martin Luther King876 Words   |  4 PagesCivil Rights I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr was a speech given on August 28, 1963. The speech took place on Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. where thousands of blacks and whites joined together to listen. Martin Luther King, Jr stated his dreams of what America should be like, equal for all colored people, including blacks. African Americans should have civil rights equal to that of white men. The system is unfair, but African Americans want to believe that it is not. Even though manyRead MoreHistory of Civil Rights in America Essay1515 Words   |  7 Pagesleaders as Martin Luther King Jr.and Malcom X. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X had contrasting styles that had the same goal. They both wanted fairness in this country and they wanted the discrimination of African-Americans to come to an end. Martin Luther King Jr. was an active pastor in Montgomery, Alabama, who preached passive resistance. â€Å"On August 28, 1963, the historic March on Washington drew more than 200,0 00 people in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. It was here that King made his