During the tumultuous period of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s, the goal for bettering the lives of African-Americans was desired by many. However, the means of attaining that goal, varied greatly among the representatives of the movement. The African-American civil rights efforts were spearheaded by men of peaceful protest for integration, such as Martin Luther King Jr., and in contrast leaders such as Malcolm X who expressed separatist ideals. Other groups of civil rights advocated took an outright violent approach, such as the Black Panthers. The first leader, Martin Luther King Jr., was a reverend from Atlanta, Georgia, who advocated peace and tolerance between all races. He led huge numbers of people in protests against injustice and inequality, but he always insisted that his protests be peaceful and representative of love between different groups of people. His way of thinking would lead to the advancement of civil rights ideals for decades to come following his assassination, which left the movement in shock. Another leader who had tremendous influence and cultural significance was Malcolm X. X took his name because he considered his original name, Malcolm Little, to be a slave name and therefore unrepresentative of who he was. This mentality of separation from traditionally white culture …show more content…
Some, such as King, believed that life would be better with equality and integration. Others, such as X and the Black Panthers, desired the removal of black people from white society through any means necessary. The methods used by the movement were numerous, but the racism and inherent culture of discrimination in America shows that none of the means for change were entirely successful, and furthermore shows that America as a nation must continue to work towards tolerance and justice for