When you think about key people in Civil Rights, the names of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X probably both come to your head right away. They are two of the influential people in not just African-American history, but also American history in general. Even though they were fighting for the same reasons, they are very different people. Martin Luther King Jr. had some great methods when fighting against segregation, but his methods were extremely different from those of Malcolm X. Malcolm X’s ideas were very similar to King’s, but he took action in less peaceful way. Even though many people believe that King was more peaceful than Malcolm X, most historians will tell you that they were equally as powerful. The reason that these two important people had very different methods is that they grew up in different places and their childhoods were very different. …show more content…
King had completely different upbringings. Malcolm X was four years older than King, and was born on a different side of the country. Malcolm was orphaned very early in his life, where as Dr. King was sheltered and raised by his successful parents. This explains a lot about the way they handled business when they became Civil Rights activists. Malcolm X’s lack of family and his struggle growing up is part of the reason why he was so intense in his fighting tactics. Dr. King’s close relationship with his family and his education growing up is part of the reason why he was peaceful, but effective in his fighting for black rights. Malcolm X and King’s differences in lifestyle growing up is key to understanding the messages they portrayed in their fights throughout their careers of being human rights