Malcolm X is certainly one of the most controversial figures to be engaged in any movement for Civil rights. In large part, the discord and confusion about what he advocated can be attributed to the fact that he was a contemporary of Martin Luther King. In the study of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King tends to overshadow any other Civil Rights leaders during the time and his teaching non-violent resistance and civil disobedience is considered the gold standard for what social progress should be. For this reason, it is helpful to talk about the ideas of Malcolm X in conjunction to King’s ideas. Malcolm X’s rhetoric is viewed as especially extreme when standing next to King’s rhetoric, yet ultimately, these two men longed for
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This brings up an interesting comparison between the two faiths at the core of these individual’s lives. Martin Luther King, a Christian, was heavily influenced by the famous Sermon of the Mount where Jesus Christ taught that one should turn the other cheek and reply to violence with peace. On the other hand, Malcolm X had converted to Islam, which gave complete permission to its adherents to fight back if they were being oppressed. In the Ballot or the Bullet, for example, Malcolm X states “The only thing that I've ever said is that in areas where the government has proven itself either unwilling or unable to defend the lives and the property of Negroes, it's time for Negroes to defend themselves.”2 Which is very different from the advice encouraged by King’s movement, which stated “Violent or potentially violent situations are made worse by violent responses or frightened retreat.” Because of the differences of opinion regarding how to respond to oppression, many of Malcolm X’s detractors accused him of encouraging violence against whites. However, it’s very important to keep Malcolm X’s statements within their context. Malcolm X never advocated for unjustified violence against white people. He simply stated that violence was an acceptable option in response to violence. This is clearly seen in his speeches such as in The Ballot or the Bullet. In addition, …show more content…
Just as their ideas about civil rights were wildly different, so too was their upbringing. King grew up in a relatively well-off family. He was the son of a hardworking minister who payed for all his children’s education. King’s experience of racism and discrimination was also a lot more tempered early on in his life relative to Malcolm X. King states in his An Autobiography of Religious Development about an incident when he was 6 years old where his white friend told him they could no longer be friends. As King put it, “… here for the first time I was made aware of the existence of a race problem. I had never been conscious of it before” (38). However, King had strong and supportive parents who taught him to love even those who hated him. Although King struggled with this idea in his youth and teenage years, he credits the environment of love that he grew up in for allowing him to ultimately truly believe in loving his enemies when he says “It is quite easy for me to think of a God love mainly because I grew up in a family where love was central and where lovely relationships were ever present”3 By the time that Malcolm X was 6 years old, the plaguing of The Black Legion on his family had resulted in the brutal murder of his father and arson of his house. The racial injustice of child protective services drove his
This brings up an interesting comparison between the two faiths at the core of these individual’s lives. Martin Luther King, a Christian, was heavily influenced by the famous Sermon of the Mount where Jesus Christ taught that one should turn the other cheek and reply to violence with peace. On the other hand, Malcolm X had converted to Islam, which gave complete permission to its adherents to fight back if they were being oppressed. In the Ballot or the Bullet, for example, Malcolm X states “The only thing that I've ever said is that in areas where the government has proven itself either unwilling or unable to defend the lives and the property of Negroes, it's time for Negroes to defend themselves.”2 Which is very different from the advice encouraged by King’s movement, which stated “Violent or potentially violent situations are made worse by violent responses or frightened retreat.” Because of the differences of opinion regarding how to respond to oppression, many of Malcolm X’s detractors accused him of encouraging violence against whites. However, it’s very important to keep Malcolm X’s statements within their context. Malcolm X never advocated for unjustified violence against white people. He simply stated that violence was an acceptable option in response to violence. This is clearly seen in his speeches such as in The Ballot or the Bullet. In addition, …show more content…
Just as their ideas about civil rights were wildly different, so too was their upbringing. King grew up in a relatively well-off family. He was the son of a hardworking minister who payed for all his children’s education. King’s experience of racism and discrimination was also a lot more tempered early on in his life relative to Malcolm X. King states in his An Autobiography of Religious Development about an incident when he was 6 years old where his white friend told him they could no longer be friends. As King put it, “… here for the first time I was made aware of the existence of a race problem. I had never been conscious of it before” (38). However, King had strong and supportive parents who taught him to love even those who hated him. Although King struggled with this idea in his youth and teenage years, he credits the environment of love that he grew up in for allowing him to ultimately truly believe in loving his enemies when he says “It is quite easy for me to think of a God love mainly because I grew up in a family where love was central and where lovely relationships were ever present”3 By the time that Malcolm X was 6 years old, the plaguing of The Black Legion on his family had resulted in the brutal murder of his father and arson of his house. The racial injustice of child protective services drove his