Similarities Between Martin Luther King Jr And Malcolm X

Kasey Sammis

Question 4 Due: 3/14/18

Malcolm X: Violence Met with Violence

During the 1960 Civil Rights movement, those involved were divided with the same goal in mind. Both sides wanted change for the African American community but were willing to achieve those changes by different means. The community was angry and tired of the oppression put upon them and their day to day lives. Today we still remember two of the most iconic, yet opposing, figures of this movement, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. King Jr. followed in the footsteps of Gandhi by being a pacifist and all about peaceful protest no matter what. Malcom X was a radical who favored violence, when necessary. They both shared a goal but chose to express how to achieve those

Statistically this meant that a large part of the community had little education. Knowing this Malcom X made his speech so that anyone could understand his point. “The Ballot or the Bullet” is Malcolm X’s equivalent of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Its tone, unlike King’s speech, is militant, angry and inspiring to those that agree with his point of view. He frequently used aggressive and rousing statements to spur the crowd into action. He played off people’s emotions to entice them to join his movement and be willing to do whatever it took to get what they truly wanted. He states, “Whether you’re educated or illiterate, whether you live on the boulevard or in the alley, you’re going to catch hell just like I am. We’re all in the same boat and we all are going to catch the same hell from the same man. He just happens to be a white man. All of us have suffered here, in this country, political oppression at the hands of the white man, economic exploitation at the hands of the white man, and social degradation at the hands of the white man.” He said this to unite people on one common ground and make them forget about their differences. He then exposes democrats as liars and shows that even though they have full control of the Senate and House, they still will not help the

Malcolm X uses this to defend his argument that the government will not help the African American population because the democrats hold the majority and thrive off of the oppression. He tells the crowd that they control the majority because they come from states where Negros can’t vote and reminds them that the government is not representative of the people. “…it’s not pitiful for us any longer; it is actually pitiful for the white man, because soon now, as the Negro awakens a little more and sees the vise that he’s in, sees the bag that he’s in, sees the real game that he’s in, then the Negro’s going to develop a new tactic (p.