Selene Maldonado Lopez
Dr. Brandon Wolfe- Hunnicutt
History 3640
27 October 2015
Martin Luther King Jr. vs. Malcom X The Civil Rights Movement was a period of awakening, conflict, and influence. The strength and intensity of the movement was due prominently to the poignant and prophetic discourse of its two most prominent leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. These men helped lead to create a sense of distinctiveness by expressing compacted problems to discourse, direct courses of action, and hope for a future of freedom and equality in America. Through Martin Luther King`s Letter for Birmingham Jail and Malcolm X`s The Ballot or the Bullet speech. Their efforts to improve the lives of many African Americans Martin and Malcolm
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In response to several white southern clergy men who opposed and criticized the civil rights movement. Kings’ Letter for Birmingham Jail, employs the discussion between just and unjust laws. King explains that there are ethical views and perpetual laws that are god given and if man made laws that conflict and have an obligation not to obey these man made laws. King alludes this to St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas in his argument that moral laws exist above secular laws, and he pacifies opposition in his argument that “an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him that it is unjust and willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse that conscience of the community over its injustice in reality expressing the highest respect for law.” Moreover, Malcolm’s X`s The Ballot or the Bullet speech contains a different source of language as compared to King`s. Malcolm places a different aspect between civil rights and human rights. Compared to King, Malcolm addresses the issue many Africans faced. However, instead he places it into two options for the future of the blacks in America by compelling them for their “human rights” either by exerting political power or by …show more content…
Malcolm succumbs to realize that the people of complexions are Muslims and that racial pressures are non-existent in his pilgrimage. Thought he had such a strong political conscious of both African and African Americans. He extended his idea of unity beyond race. In his autobiography, Malcolm describes his vison more towards “humanity”. Which he urges complete “respect”,” non-violence” , and stronger communities which are good and noble ideals. Ultimately, he goes on further admitting that his personal experiences led to him to “respond positively” to the notion that white men were devils and that he was “ignorant” . On the other hand, Martin Luther King`s views were more coherent towards the struggle in Vietnam. Clearly, he saw more than anyone during the Civil Rights Movement. However, his views shifted more towards his growing distress over the war in Vietnam. King became “gripped by the suffering of the Vietnamese” . Significantly, many of his reflections on racism, black empowerment and the war led to shift in emphasis and meaning regarding the themes of “love, justice, and hope” . Like Malcolm, Martin started to develop the earlier ideals Malcolm X had strongly perished. However, instead of Black Nationalism, King was mostly grounded upon his faith in the God of the biblical and black traditions. Which strongly influenced him to stand up for his