Compare And Contrast Martin Luther King Jr And Malcolm X

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Martin Luther King and Malcolm X took two very different approaches to the civil rights problem in America. Whilst they both wanted the same thing which was to improve the rights and lives of the African Americans they believed the best way to achieve this was different. Martin Luther King took to peaceful marches and protests. Malcolm X on the other hand encouraged resolution by any means necessary. Both of their approaches were necessary to fix the problem.

In obvious ways these two men were very different but they shared a vision of blacks across America having the same rights as white Americans. Both of these very intelligent people were strongly influenced by what happened in their childhood and in their religious backgrounds and beliefs. Each was able to deliver incredible speeches that inspired many into action.

Martin Luther King Jr was born on the 15th of January 1929. He was born in the south in the predominantly African American city of Atlanta, Georgia. One of three children he had an older sister and a younger brother. Martin's mother was an accomplished organist. His father, Martin Luther King, was a reverend in the Baptist Church. A strict father he was harsh on his kids. Martin senior fought against racism and segregation not just because he thought it was …show more content…

His father was very religious and was a lay person in the Baptist Church. His dad taught him a lot about self reliance and black pride. When Malcolm was 4years old the family had to move because the Klu Klux Klan was harassing them. His father died in what the police said was a suicide.The family believed he was killed by the black Legion, which is a split off group from the Klu Klux Klan. In 1937 his mother had a nervous breakdown and the kids were taken away from her. The children were spilt apart into different foster homes. Twenty four years later Malcolm and his siblings got their mother out of the mental