In the 1960s, the philosophy of Malcolm X was more practical than Martin Luther King’s ideology because it did not depend as heavily on the shift of the ideas of the white populous. Although Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. both advocated for equal rights for African Americans, their ideas of how to accomplish this goal, including the goal itself, varied (Document 1). Malcolm X grew up through foster homes and dropped out of high school at the age of fifteen and after he became involved with illegal activities in New York, he was arrested. In jail, he found himself inside of the Muslim religion and walked out a changed man and began to advocate for equal rights. Malcolm X believed that it was good for “sincere whites” to work to better
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both had different ideas about how to deal with two other major difficulties in the lives of African Americans. African Americans faced de facto segregation in the north and de jure segregation in the south. In response, King focused on pushing for an end to segregation in an effort to allow for integrated facilities, such as schools (Document 4). In contrast, X felt that it was necessary to being to explore alternative options for African Americans so they would be able to have places of their own to learn (Document 5). X’s idea would have helped African Americans to be able to become educated in an environment that is less pressured than some of the schools in the south, which made it a necessity to use the army to escort African Americans to school. Also, during the 1960s, African Americans struggled to find employment to be economically self-reliant. While Martin Luther King advocated for boycotts of businesses that did not support African Americans (Document 6), Malcolm X took his ideas a step further. X advocated for individuals to patronize their local businesses to improve the quality of their own neighborhoods (Document 7). This thinking would help to grow African American communities and help to bring them to be closer to economic
both had different ideas about how to deal with two other major difficulties in the lives of African Americans. African Americans faced de facto segregation in the north and de jure segregation in the south. In response, King focused on pushing for an end to segregation in an effort to allow for integrated facilities, such as schools (Document 4). In contrast, X felt that it was necessary to being to explore alternative options for African Americans so they would be able to have places of their own to learn (Document 5). X’s idea would have helped African Americans to be able to become educated in an environment that is less pressured than some of the schools in the south, which made it a necessity to use the army to escort African Americans to school. Also, during the 1960s, African Americans struggled to find employment to be economically self-reliant. While Martin Luther King advocated for boycotts of businesses that did not support African Americans (Document 6), Malcolm X took his ideas a step further. X advocated for individuals to patronize their local businesses to improve the quality of their own neighborhoods (Document 7). This thinking would help to grow African American communities and help to bring them to be closer to economic