Malcolm X And Martin Luther King Jr.

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Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. were great influences during the Civil Rights movement. Both men were very influential during this time period, but held very different ideologies on how to serve the black community. These two intellectuals had very different ideologies in order to achieve equality, and they each worked in their own ways. Dr. King delivered his famous and powerful speech, “I have a Dream” on August 28, 1963. The speech was heard by millions and had a lasting impact on the future of equality in America. In King 's speech he talks about the past 100 years of the emancipation of slave. Even though African Americans were technically free, yet they are still discriminated and face social injustice. He uses a metaphor that …show more content…

King and Malcolm X had two very different ideologies. However, both were influential intellectuals during this time period. King was known as the “Father of the Civil Rights Movement,” so people tended to gravitate more towards Martin Luther King Jr. than they did to Malcolm X. The two men had three major differences that allowed for the people to easily be able to choose on who they wanted to follow. They had very different opinions on society, religion, and violence. King wanted all races to integrated, no one left behind, everyone equal. He wanted the black and whites to be able to live in peace and together. While Malcolm X wanted the white race destroyed. He believed them to be wicked, and evil. He wanted each race to live separately with each having their own leader. The second major difference the two had was religion. Malcolm X was an Islam. Islam had not came into America has big as Catholicism or Christianity had. King was a well known Christian minister. He used many examples from the bible when supporting claims made in his speech. The third and last major difference they had is the way they felt on violence. King was a supporter of peaceful protests. He was taught ever since he was a boy that violence is not the answer and can only make things worse than they already are. However, not often did they get treated peacefully back. King and his followers faced a lot of violence from the police, but never once fought back. They stood up for what they believed in. Malcolm X decided though that if provoked he would fight. If you need to fight you fight. He did not see anything wrong with fighting if he was provoked, so he supported fighting. These differences between the two are the reasons that followers would tend to follow Martin Luther King Jr. instead of Malcolm