Similarities Between Booker King Jr And Malcolm X

African Americans living in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement have experienced a tremendous amount of struggle and hardship trying to establish equality for black people. The Jim Crow Laws amplified segregation and discrimination towards African American people so in response, educated African Americans took action and began fighting for equality, thus sparking the Civil Rights Movement. When the Civil Rights Movement was first initiated, the racial discrimination towards African American people was at its worst. Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore insisted that, “The period from 1890-1920, is often called the “nadir” of African American history” (Gilmore). The “Separate but-Equal” ideal was a lie that the government believed in. In the

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King both insisted on equality, but their ideas on how to achieve equality and advance the Civil Rights Movement clashed. Malcolm X challenged the conventional methods of the Civil Rights Movement, especially the nonviolent approach presented by Martin Luther King Jr. (Malcolm X). Malcolm’s approach was less successful because white Americans could say that black people are violent, even though they are just defending themselves. Moreover, Malcolm’s philosophy was similar to that of Booker T. Washington’s. Malcolm tried to establish economic independence, reconnect African Americans with their heritage, and promote African American self determination (Burnett). Malcolm related to Booker T. Washington in the fact that he promoted economic independence. As a matter of fact, Malcolm believed that self defense was a necessity during the Civil Rights Movement. Malcolm X urged his followers to use self defense to defend themselves against white aggression “by any means necessary” (Malcolm X). Simply put, Malcolm believed that self defense was vital during the movement because if African Americans could not defend themselves, then they would not survive. Malcolm X was also a religious man and devoted a lot of his time to his religion. Malcolm X became a minister of the Nation of Islam and was one of the two most powerful members of the Black Muslims, a black nationalist and separatist movement. Malcolm X waged a power struggle against the leaders of the headquarters in Chicago (Handler). This signifies that Malcolm X even had internal issues, which portrays his inability to successfully lead a group. The Nation of Islam believed that only black people can resolve their own problems (Brunner). This was significant because when Malcolm took his position as a minister of Islam in 1952, he gained a leadership role with