There were many civil rights leaders and organizations in the 50’s and 60’s that tried to make a difference for African Americans, but none of them compared to Malcolm X. He didn’t just want equality he wanted JUSTICE! Some people thought that he was a terrible person, and that his tactics were too harsh, if anything they weren’t harsh enough. Civil Rights leaders such as John Lewis, Phillip Randolph, Stokely Carmichael, Floyd McKissick, Medgar Evers, and most commonly known Martin Luther King Jr all made great attempts into creating a better life for African Americans, but only had little success if any with their efforts, but because of how passionate and intense Malcolm X was I feel he made the biggest impact during the civil rights
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He returned to America as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and in June 1964 founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which advocated black identity and held that racism, not the white race, was the greatest foe for African Americans. Malcolm's new movement steadily gained followers, and his more moderate philosophy became increasingly influential in the civil rights movement, especially among the leaders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating …show more content…
When he said “ If violence is wrong in America, violence is wrong abroad. If it’s wrong to be violent defending black women and black children and black babies and black men, then it’s wrong for American to draft us, and make us violent abroad in defense of her. And if it is right for America to draft us, and teach us how to be violent in defense of her, then it is right for you and me to do whatever is necessary to defend our own people right here in this country.” That hit home for a lot of African Americans who have served for their country or lost loved ones. another message that I think got African Americans riled up came after he talked about all of the past and present revolutions, he said “ So I cite these various revolutions, brothers and sisters, to show you – you don’t have a peaceful revolution. You don’t have a turn-the-other-cheek revolution. There’s no such thing as a nonviolent revolution. The only kind of revolution that’s nonviolent is the negro revolution. The only revolution in which the goal is a desegregated lunch counter, a desegregated theater, a desegregated park, and a desegregated public toilet: you can sit down next to white folks on the toilet. That’s no revolution. Revolution is based on land. Land is the basis of all independence. Land is the basis of freedom, justice, and equality.
He returned to America as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and in June 1964 founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which advocated black identity and held that racism, not the white race, was the greatest foe for African Americans. Malcolm's new movement steadily gained followers, and his more moderate philosophy became increasingly influential in the civil rights movement, especially among the leaders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating …show more content…
When he said “ If violence is wrong in America, violence is wrong abroad. If it’s wrong to be violent defending black women and black children and black babies and black men, then it’s wrong for American to draft us, and make us violent abroad in defense of her. And if it is right for America to draft us, and teach us how to be violent in defense of her, then it is right for you and me to do whatever is necessary to defend our own people right here in this country.” That hit home for a lot of African Americans who have served for their country or lost loved ones. another message that I think got African Americans riled up came after he talked about all of the past and present revolutions, he said “ So I cite these various revolutions, brothers and sisters, to show you – you don’t have a peaceful revolution. You don’t have a turn-the-other-cheek revolution. There’s no such thing as a nonviolent revolution. The only kind of revolution that’s nonviolent is the negro revolution. The only revolution in which the goal is a desegregated lunch counter, a desegregated theater, a desegregated park, and a desegregated public toilet: you can sit down next to white folks on the toilet. That’s no revolution. Revolution is based on land. Land is the basis of all independence. Land is the basis of freedom, justice, and equality.