The Civil Rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s was a movement fighting for African-American rights and integration that was defined by nonviolence and civil disobediences. These nonviolent beliefs were mainly popularized by activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. who believed that civil rights could be gained with as little trouble as possible through nonviolence such as sit-ins and bus boycotts. By showing restraint, African-Americans would give whites as little reason possible to punish them. However, not everyone that was apart of the Civil Rights movement agreed with his nonviolent approach to gaining rights and freedoms. A prominent opponent to Martin Luther King’s beliefs was Malcom X. While King and other African-American leaders
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Malcom X did not advocate violence as a first option to solve a problem, but he was also not scared to resort to violence if the situation called for such measures to be taken. In his speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet” he reinforces this belief by stating, “Well, I myself am a minister, not a Christian minister, but a Muslim minister; and I believe in action on all fronts by whatever means necessary” (Malcom X). This is a very different message to what other leaders of the Civil Rights movement would relay to their people. Instead of completely ruling violence out like these leaders, Malcom X always saw it as an option and was prepared to use it if the time came. Malcom X’s speech is very aggressive throughout and at one point he even tells people to “kill that dog. Then you’ll put a stop to it”(Malcom X). Although, it may seem like he is calling for all-out violence, he later clarifies in his speech that this is not what he is saying. Malcom X states, “I'm nonviolent with those who are nonviolent with me. But when you drop that violence on me, then you've made me go insane, and I'm not responsible for what I do. And that's the way every Negro should get”(Malcom X) This continues to show his willingness to be violent when he is provoked and how he is encouraging people to be just as willing.. Contrary to other activists beliefs, this creates more aggressive upstanders who no longer have a violent reaction completely off of the list of
Malcom X did not advocate violence as a first option to solve a problem, but he was also not scared to resort to violence if the situation called for such measures to be taken. In his speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet” he reinforces this belief by stating, “Well, I myself am a minister, not a Christian minister, but a Muslim minister; and I believe in action on all fronts by whatever means necessary” (Malcom X). This is a very different message to what other leaders of the Civil Rights movement would relay to their people. Instead of completely ruling violence out like these leaders, Malcom X always saw it as an option and was prepared to use it if the time came. Malcom X’s speech is very aggressive throughout and at one point he even tells people to “kill that dog. Then you’ll put a stop to it”(Malcom X). Although, it may seem like he is calling for all-out violence, he later clarifies in his speech that this is not what he is saying. Malcom X states, “I'm nonviolent with those who are nonviolent with me. But when you drop that violence on me, then you've made me go insane, and I'm not responsible for what I do. And that's the way every Negro should get”(Malcom X) This continues to show his willingness to be violent when he is provoked and how he is encouraging people to be just as willing.. Contrary to other activists beliefs, this creates more aggressive upstanders who no longer have a violent reaction completely off of the list of