Compare And Contrast Martin Luther King Jr And Malcolm X

There are two distinct methods that were practiced during the Civil Rights Movement which included violent protesting and peaceful protesting. Some of the most known African-Americans during this time period who clashed in their beliefs of which method was more effective are Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King Jr approached the Civil Rights Movement with the idea of sparking non-violent protests across the nation. On the contrary, Malcolm X believed that violence was needed in order to prove their point. Overall, after seeing the effects of both of these people’s methods, Martin Luther King Jr.’s approach to ending segregation was more effective than Malcolm X’s approach.
First, it is crucial to understand both Martin Luther

He was suspicious of whites, willing to use “by any means necessary” to achieve equality. It started with his upbringing in an underprivileged family and he had barely any education. He grew up in a hostile environment and was exposed to violence from the start. He was involved in crimes from as early as eighth grade. He was charged with running numbers and breaking and entering. He had plans to take the cause to the United Nations, charging the U.S. government with failure to protect its black citizens from racist white terrorism. As he states regarding violence, “Since self-preservation is the first law of nature, we assert the African-American’s right of self-defense. The Constitution of the USA clearly affirms the right of every American citizen to bear arms. And as Americans we will not give up a single right guaranteed under the Constitution” (Ladenburg, 2007, pg. 32). This proves that he was supportive of African-Americans owning and also using guns in order to stand up for themselves. However, his methods of rather violent protests were often unsuccessful. For example, when African-Americans used violent measures in an attempt to prove their point, it only sparked more violence on behalf of the white people. Riots such as the Harlem, Philadelphia, and Rochester riots are examples of when violence went too far and multiple lives were lost (Trethowen, para.