Compare And Contrast Malcolm X And Martin Luther King Jr

Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. both made substantial contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, and undeniably altered American history despite their contrasting ideologies. While their approaches to achieving civil rights were different, they were each effective in their own ways. Martin Luther King Jr., however was a more effective leader because of his peaceful protests and civil disobedience take on the Civil Rights Movement. He inspired people with his words and actions and encouraged his followers to remain peaceful in the face of adversity. Malcolm X advocated for more aggressive tactics to achieve civil rights. This made an impact on the Civil Rights Movement concerning the gain of African American rights. Malcolm X believed that

Malcolm X believed in violence to achieve the rights African Americans deserved for so long. Malcolm was a powerful advocate for racial equality and justice and his message of self-determination resonated with many people. In his earlier years Malcolm was led to join the Nation of Islam. This movement had combined elements of Islam with black nationalism. Black nationalism was the main focus of this leader through the Civil Rights Movement. His idea of separatism rooted from the thought that African Americans would never fully be accepted into society. He believed that the presence of racism infected the country so strongly that African Americans would not be able to integrate into American culture (Gross,2020). His strong beliefs got him to second in rank to the leader of the organization, Elijah Muhammad. In this position he preached the superiority of African Americans by writing and speaking about his mission. He founded a newspaper for the Nation of Islam called “Muhammad Speaks”(PBS American Experience, n.d.). He devoted this to his message to encourage others to join the movement. Malcolm X eventually left the Nation of Islam and continued to emphasize black independence. His approach was effective in the way it implemented feelings onto African Americans. He realized the obvious response white people had to African Americans wanting to simply be seen as an equal citizens and thought of it as a pointless relationship to try and reconcile(Gross,2020).He was able to give confidence to black people at the time to fight back. For some African Americans it was refreshing to have a leader who was willing to use any means necessary to fight for civil