Malcolm X Dbq

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The 1950s and 1960s were a time of great social change. There was a rising call for equality among many factions of Americans. Immigrants, women, and African-Americans all began to stand up and demand more rights. Arguably the biggest movement for equality during the ‘50s and ‘60s was the African-American civil rights movement. The non-aggressive civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King was more effective than the aggressive civil rights movement led by Malcolm X because the members of the non-aggressive civil rights movement broke common stereotypes of African-Americans and provided a stark contrast between themselves and the violent white ruling class, while the aggressive civil rights movement created and reinforced negative stereotypes …show more content…

While King’s non-aggressive civil rights movement was extremely structured and led by organized protests, Malcolm X’s aggressive civil rights movement was less formally organized but many participants were influenced by his strong rhetoric. Malcolm X believed that his goals should be accomplished by any means possible, even if it meant that African-Americans needed to employ aggressive tactics in order to protect themselves. Malcolm X, who converted to the Nation of Islam while in prison during the late 1940s, worked with the nation’s leader Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X’s conversion was one of the main things that differentiated him from Martin Luther King; while King preached Christian messages, often involving peace and love, Malcolm X preached Islamic messages, often involving justice and respect. Malcolm X believed that African-Americans were never going to get what they wanted by working with white society; he believed that African-Americans had to work alone. Consequently, Malcolm X preached in favor of “separate but equal.” He wanted African-Americans not only to live by themselves, but to govern themselves as well. This was another area in which Malcolm X’s beliefs and King’s were in conflict. Much to Malcolm X’s dislike, King’s civil rights movement was largely financed by whites, which Malcolm X believed made King very dependent on white society. People who disliked this aspect of King’s movement and believed that his form of protesting was ineffective became followers of Malcolm

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