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Compare And Contrast Martin Luther King Jr And Malcolm X

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The Civil Rights Movement, which lasted from 1955-1968, was a time when citizens were trying to put an end to racial discrimination and segregation. During this time, two men stepped up and became leaders of the movement. While both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were ambitious African Americans with similar dreams for blacks to have equal rights, their ideologies on how to accomplish this were very different. Their opposing ideologies can be heard in many of the speeches they each gave, but it is very evident in each of their most famous speeches. After reflecting on their speeches and the language they chose to use, it is clear why the majority of Americans favored Martin Luther King, Jr. over Malcolm X. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s most …show more content…

However, he also cautioned blacks and any supporters to not use violence or commit wrongful deeds; that real change could happen without violence and hatred. King went on to stress the important role their fellow white supporters played, and that they were needed as allies to succeed. He continued with setting goals of what must stop, such as police brutality and segregation, before they would stop marching. Finally, he acknowledged the struggles the marchers had already endured, and likely would still endure. But King offered them hope. He described his dreams, which were rooted in the American dream of equality, in which black and white Americans would not judge each other based on their skin color, but rather their character. He reminded the marchers of the importance of faith in their struggle for equality and liberty, because without it they would never become a great nation where all races, of all ages, could work together, sing together, play together, and pray …show more content…

The speech used a strong appeal of ethos to try to convince blacks to align their beliefs with his beliefs regarding the Islam religion, black power, and black supremacy. He made references to several past events and trends, including the European colonial days and stories from the Hebrew Bible, and connected these to current events as well as future events that he guaranteed would happen. He stressed how the evils of slavery had brought about the end and demise of many, including Ancient Babylon, Greece, and Europe, and that it would soon do the same to the White America. He also stressed that this destruction was brought on by the divine power and will of God (Allah). Thus, he connected to religious stories that the audience was familiar with and then made similar, but broader, claims about White

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