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Malcom X and Luther King

American has raised great leaders who have had a huge impact on the social, economic and

political growth of the region. However, two leaders have stood out for the efforts to end

racism and oppression. This are Malcom X and Luther King. The two leaders strongly

opposed the oppression of the people at a time when no out dared to challenge the

government. The leaders are remembered in history for their hard work, courage and self-

determination and saw the eras of oppression and preference depending on skin color come to

an end. Though the two leaders emerged from different backgrounds, they are widely

recognized for their influence in society. This paper will look at the contribution the two

leaders made to the African American society.

Martin Luther King and Malcom X were raised in distinct society setting and location. Martin

Luther King was born and raised in a peaceful Christian family. He father was a preacher at

the local Ebenezer Baptist church and this prepared him for his future activities. He was an

intelligent young man who attended school at a young age. He graduated from high school at

15 years and then headed to Morehouse College. During this time, he experienced the

oppression which the African American community went through. His eloquence helped him

preach to his people in a bid to end the bad leadership and hatred shown to his community

(Zolberg and Aristide 1841).

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Malcom was raised in a Ghetto setting. Unlike Martin Luther King who was raised in a

loving family, Malcom X never experienced the strong family. His father was killed when he

was only six years. This put her mother in a mental situation and could not raise their eight

children alone. The poor parenthood motivated Malcom to get involved in crime activities

and then indulged into hard drugs. At twenty one years, Malcom was sentenced to prison for

his involvement in crime. While in prison, he started educating himself and it was then that

he realized his great debating skills. He was less eloquent as compared to Martin Luther King

who attended a modern class setting (McQuade and Atwan 154).

Martin Luther King preferred a non-violent approach to protests unlike Malcom X believed

that violence was the only solution to end racism. He urged his followers to protest with

dignity and respect so that their plea could be heard. The non-violent approach aimed at

creating empathy for the African American community. It was also aimed at pressuring the

white legislators to implement new civil rights that championed for unity rather than

oppression. Martin’s Luther’s philosophy was focused on integrating the two antagonizing

communities without violence (Honey and Michael 273).

Malcom preferred a violent approach to end the oppression faced by the black. He was an

Islamic minister during his time and his teachings emphasized on separation between the

whites and blacks. He blamed whites for being the reason why blacks were suffering under

their rule. His approach was seen as harsh by his followers. He also blamed his fellow black

community for accepting the oppression to continue without taking a step (McQuade and

Atwan 702).

The two leaders had a vision for a united African American society. They believed that self-

respect was crucial to attain the freedom they were fighting for. However, Malcom X used a

revolutionary tone during his speeches to enlighten his community. He openly justified

violence as a way of getting freedom and fair treatment from the whites. Unlike Malcom,
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King encouraged his followers that all races are equal in the eyes of God (Honey and Michael

273). In his speech “I have a dream”, Martin Luther preached about equality for all races and

encouraged them not to forget their dreams. Even though they had varying approach to end

oppression, their main goal was to achieve equality among all races.

Works Cited

Honey and Michael. "Dreams and Nightmares: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the

Struggle for Black Equality in America." Journal of American History 100.1 (2013):

273.

McQuade, Donald and Robert Atwan. "The writer's Presence: A pool of Readings

Paperback." Macmillan Higher Education, 2009. 153-167; 700-703.

Zolberg and R Aristide. "Dreams and Nightmares: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and

The Struggle For Black Equality In America." Ethnic and Racial Studies 35.10

(2012): 1841.