Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X
Malcolm X - Early Life
Malcolm X was born as Malcolm Little on May 19 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother, Louis Norton Little was a homemaker busy with raising a family of eight children. His father, Earl Little was an outspoken baptist minister and supporter of nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Due to his father's civil rights activism the family was frequently faced with racial harassment from the Ku Klux Klan. "When my mother was pregnant with me, she told me later 'a party of hooded Ku Klux Klan riders galloped up to our home,'". The Ku Klux Klan smashed in all the family's windows which forced the family to move from Omaha to East Lansing, Michigan. Shortly after settling, the Little's were once again faced by a racist mob who set their house on fire. Two years later, in 1931 Malcolm's father was found dead, although it was most likely that he was murdered by white supremacists, the police ruled the death as suicide. In 1937, Malcolm's mother was committed to a mental institution as a result of shock from her husbands death.
Malcolm X attended West Junior High School where he was the only black student in the school. He excelled academically and was popular among his classmates. In 1939, he was asked by his English teacher what he wants to be when he grew up. He answered that he wanted to be a lawyer, his teacher immediately responded by saying "one of life's first needs is for us to be realistic, you need to think of something you can be, why don't you plan on carpentry?". Malcolm dropped out of school the following year, at the young age of 15.
Malcolm later moved to Boston where he began selling drugs and committing crimes. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail on the charges of larceny. During his time in prison, Malcolm read constantly in attempt to make up for the years of education he missed by dropping out of school. Malcolm became acquainted with the Nation Of Islam and the leader Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm was released on parole after serving 7 years in prison. Considering "Little" to be a slave name, he changed his surname to "X".
Malcolm X - Nation Of Islam
The Nation Of Islam is an African-American religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan in July 1930. From 1934 to 1975 the NOI was led by Elijah Muhammad who taught that the white-society did everything they could to keep all African Americans from empowering themselves and from receiving political, economic and social success. The NOI also fought for a state of their own which would be separate from one inhabited by white people. Malcolm was given the position as minister and national spokesman for the NOI. Elijah Muhammad also gave Malcolm X the responsibility of building mosques in cities such as Detroit, Michigan and Harlem. Malcolm used newspaper columns, radio and television to communicate the NOI's message across the United States.
Malcolm attracted an astonishing number of new members to the NOI. The membership number increased from 500 people in 1952 to 30,000 in 1963. Malcolm's faith was tested when he found out that Elijah Muhammad was having secret affairs with as many as six women all within the NOI, some of these relations resulted in children. Malcolm X, being deeply hurt by Muhammad's action, refused to lie and cover up the affairs. Malcolm X left the NOI in 1964 and founded his own religious organisation, the organisation of Afro-American Unity.
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. are very prominent African American individuals in civil rights history. They fought for what they believed in but in many different ways. The two men were brought up differently, Malcolm X grew up in an underprivileged area that was extremely hostile and had little if not any schooling. Martin Luther King Jr. was raised in a middle class family and was well educated. Martin Luther King was always against violence, even though he got physically attacked he always stood his ground and never reacted. Martin Luther King Jr. followed the Christian faith. Malcolm X believed in fighting back physically and that African Americans should achieve what was rightfully theirs "by any means necessary".
Malcolm X delivered a different message than other civil rights activist: whites were not to be trusted. He called on African American's to be proud of their heritage and to set up strong communities without the help of whites. Violence was not the only answer but violence was justified in self-defense. Blacks should attain what was rightfully theirs "by any means necessary". Malcolm rejected King's message of nonviolence but he respected King as a "fellow-leader of our people". Malcolm X is known for his violent action's when approaching civil rights. Unlike Martin Luther King, Malcolm believe that "the common enemy is the white man" and that whites should not be trusted.
Martin Luther king wanted all races to get along and come together to put all the hatred to a halt. King wanted equality for both black people and white people . Martin Luther King Jr. wanted integration in society, "he is very articulate, but i totally disagree with many of his political and philosophical views--at least insofar as i understand where he know stands" said the civil rights activist in regards to Malcolm X.
"The day of turning the other cheek to those brute beasts is over" is a section of a telegram written to King from Malcolm X on the topic of the racial crisis at the time. Malcolm X unlike Martin Luther King and many other prominent figures, believed that his approach was intelligent and correct. "It doesn't mean i advocate violence, but at the same time, i am not against using violence in self-defense. I don't call it violence when its self-defense, i call it intelligence" clearly displays Malcolm X's views.
The two popular men did indeed have separate ideas and views on how the issue of civil rights and equality should be handled, they had respect for one another and could come together to understand that, because both their end goals are the same they should do whatever they can to help each other achieve what they were fighting for.
Malcolm X delivered a different message: "The white man is not to be trusted" that blacks should achieve what was rightfully theirs "by any means necessary". He charged the white man on various accounts. Malcolm X radically differ's from other prominent figures and this is shown through comparing and contrasting him to other prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr..
Malcolm X was born as Malcolm Little on May 19 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother, Louis Norton Little was a homemaker busy with raising a family of eight children. His father, Earl Little was an outspoken baptist minister and supporter of nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Due to his father's civil rights activism the family was frequently faced with racial harassment from the Ku Klux Klan. "When my mother was pregnant with me, she told me later 'a party of hooded Ku Klux Klan riders galloped up to our home,'". The Ku Klux Klan smashed in all the family's windows which forced the family to move from Omaha to East Lansing, Michigan. Shortly after settling, the Little's were once again faced by a racist mob who set their house on fire. Two years later, in 1931 Malcolm's father was found dead, although it was most likely that he was murdered by white supremacists, the police ruled the death as suicide. In 1937, Malcolm's mother was committed to a mental institution as a result of shock from her husbands death.
Malcolm X attended West Junior High School where he was the only black student in the school. He excelled academically and was popular among his classmates. In 1939, he was asked by his English teacher what he wants to be when he grew up. He answered that he wanted to be a lawyer, his teacher immediately responded by saying "one of life's first needs is for us to be realistic, you need to think of something you can be, why don't you plan on carpentry?". Malcolm dropped out of school the following year, at the young age of 15.
Malcolm later moved to Boston where he began selling drugs and committing crimes. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail on the charges of larceny. During his time in prison, Malcolm read constantly in attempt to make up for the years of education he missed by dropping out of school. Malcolm became acquainted with the Nation Of Islam and the leader Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm was released on parole after serving 7 years in prison. Considering "Little" to be a slave name, he changed his surname to "X".
Malcolm X - Nation Of Islam
The Nation Of Islam is an African-American religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan in July 1930. From 1934 to 1975 the NOI was led by Elijah Muhammad who taught that the white-society did everything they could to keep all African Americans from empowering themselves and from receiving political, economic and social success. The NOI also fought for a state of their own which would be separate from one inhabited by white people. Malcolm was given the position as minister and national spokesman for the NOI. Elijah Muhammad also gave Malcolm X the responsibility of building mosques in cities such as Detroit, Michigan and Harlem. Malcolm used newspaper columns, radio and television to communicate the NOI's message across the United States.
Malcolm attracted an astonishing number of new members to the NOI. The membership number increased from 500 people in 1952 to 30,000 in 1963. Malcolm's faith was tested when he found out that Elijah Muhammad was having secret affairs with as many as six women all within the NOI, some of these relations resulted in children. Malcolm X, being deeply hurt by Muhammad's action, refused to lie and cover up the affairs. Malcolm X left the NOI in 1964 and founded his own religious organisation, the organisation of Afro-American Unity.
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. are very prominent African American individuals in civil rights history. They fought for what they believed in but in many different ways. The two men were brought up differently, Malcolm X grew up in an underprivileged area that was extremely hostile and had little if not any schooling. Martin Luther King Jr. was raised in a middle class family and was well educated. Martin Luther King was always against violence, even though he got physically attacked he always stood his ground and never reacted. Martin Luther King Jr. followed the Christian faith. Malcolm X believed in fighting back physically and that African Americans should achieve what was rightfully theirs "by any means necessary".
Malcolm X delivered a different message than other civil rights activist: whites were not to be trusted. He called on African American's to be proud of their heritage and to set up strong communities without the help of whites. Violence was not the only answer but violence was justified in self-defense. Blacks should attain what was rightfully theirs "by any means necessary". Malcolm rejected King's message of nonviolence but he respected King as a "fellow-leader of our people". Malcolm X is known for his violent action's when approaching civil rights. Unlike Martin Luther King, Malcolm believe that "the common enemy is the white man" and that whites should not be trusted.
Martin Luther king wanted all races to get along and come together to put all the hatred to a halt. King wanted equality for both black people and white people . Martin Luther King Jr. wanted integration in society, "he is very articulate, but i totally disagree with many of his political and philosophical views--at least insofar as i understand where he know stands" said the civil rights activist in regards to Malcolm X.
"The day of turning the other cheek to those brute beasts is over" is a section of a telegram written to King from Malcolm X on the topic of the racial crisis at the time. Malcolm X unlike Martin Luther King and many other prominent figures, believed that his approach was intelligent and correct. "It doesn't mean i advocate violence, but at the same time, i am not against using violence in self-defense. I don't call it violence when its self-defense, i call it intelligence" clearly displays Malcolm X's views.
The two popular men did indeed have separate ideas and views on how the issue of civil rights and equality should be handled, they had respect for one another and could come together to understand that, because both their end goals are the same they should do whatever they can to help each other achieve what they were fighting for.
Malcolm X delivered a different message: "The white man is not to be trusted" that blacks should achieve what was rightfully theirs "by any means necessary". He charged the white man on various accounts. Malcolm X radically differ's from other prominent figures and this is shown through comparing and contrasting him to other prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr..
