Four key figures emerged from the Black Power Movement who promoted the following three tenets: self-defense, self-determination and self-respect. Martin Luther King Jr. accelerated the Black Power movement through self-determination and self-respect, but decelerated the process in terms of self-defense because of his nonviolent perspective. Malcom X on the other hand accelerated all three tenets through Black Nationalism. More particularly Malcom X encouraged individualism, separatism through any means possible, including violence. Similarly Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Taft, promoted all three tenets through education. Muhammad Ali accelerated both self-defense and self-determination but his protest of American imperialism focused
…show more content…
on the other hand preferred nonviolent protest and believed integration would be the best way to gain freedom. However his nonviolent efforts decelerated the Black Power Movement’s tenet for self-defense. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in the Americana justice system and liberation was possible if African Americans learned to love the oppressor and forgave the white man. He thought political freedom could be achieved peacefully and that riots were socially destructive and self-defeating. Violence would only create more problems than it would solve. By integrating the divided America both politically and socially, Martin Luther King Jr. would create a unified state. MLK Jr. thought this could be facilitated through laws. For example the government could create a fair housing law and establish a minimum income, while also promoting desegregation. Laws may not cause immediate relief, but it would cause citizens to create habits, thus changing attitudes and hearts. In Malcom X’s eyes, this was a naive way to protest, instead real change would only occur if blacks defended themselves through …show more content…
Although these men facilitated a great leap in equality, they did not solve the problem. Today, African Americans and other racial groups are still suffering from racism, prejudices and discrimination. Similar to the 1960s, the United States is witnessing protest, both violent and nonviolent, from minorities groups across the nation. Whether it is a peaceful March on Washington DC by the Black Lives Matter Movement or killing of White officers by a Black Sniper, we are seeing similar trends exhibited in the 1960s. Hopefully, this time the United States can learn from its past mistakes and push for true liberation for all ethnic
on the other hand preferred nonviolent protest and believed integration would be the best way to gain freedom. However his nonviolent efforts decelerated the Black Power Movement’s tenet for self-defense. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in the Americana justice system and liberation was possible if African Americans learned to love the oppressor and forgave the white man. He thought political freedom could be achieved peacefully and that riots were socially destructive and self-defeating. Violence would only create more problems than it would solve. By integrating the divided America both politically and socially, Martin Luther King Jr. would create a unified state. MLK Jr. thought this could be facilitated through laws. For example the government could create a fair housing law and establish a minimum income, while also promoting desegregation. Laws may not cause immediate relief, but it would cause citizens to create habits, thus changing attitudes and hearts. In Malcom X’s eyes, this was a naive way to protest, instead real change would only occur if blacks defended themselves through …show more content…
Although these men facilitated a great leap in equality, they did not solve the problem. Today, African Americans and other racial groups are still suffering from racism, prejudices and discrimination. Similar to the 1960s, the United States is witnessing protest, both violent and nonviolent, from minorities groups across the nation. Whether it is a peaceful March on Washington DC by the Black Lives Matter Movement or killing of White officers by a Black Sniper, we are seeing similar trends exhibited in the 1960s. Hopefully, this time the United States can learn from its past mistakes and push for true liberation for all ethnic