Reflection Paper On Malcolm X

Organized into six topical groups, the author did an excellent job in comparing and contrasting King and Malcolm’s views on subjects including integration, the American dream, means of struggle, and opposing racial philosophies that needless any improvement. An interpretive introductory essay, chronology, bibliography, document headnotes, and questions for consideration provide further pedagogical support for students. The author explains how Malcolm X came closer than any social reformer in history to embodying and articulating the totality of the African experience in America while Martin Luther King was not only the most important figure in American religious history in the 20th century, he was arguably its most brilliant

DBQ: Martin Luther King and Malcolm X: Rewrite During the 1960’s there was a greatly increased in violence in America. There were riots, bombings, racism, and discrimination. Many African American were mistreated due to the racist people who intervened the African Americans from doing anything. Two civil rights activists wanted change for African Americans and were both fighting for the same cause, civil rights.

Malcolm X was an extensively heavy participant in the fight for equality during the Civil Rights Movement. Malcolm X went above and beyond the call of duty, realizing that every book he read gave him more “sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness, and blindness that was afflicting the black race of America” (Malcolm X 643). Segregation had been going on for some time, and Malcolm X was sick and tired of the poor treatment. This brutal discrimination of African Americans is what called Malcolm X to action. When Malcolm X landed himself in Charlestown Prison, he decided to devote himself to studying and writing to improve his knowledge for his people.

Philosophical differences between martin luther king and malcolm X The philosophical differences between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X have to do with the their protest strategies. MLK never fought with violence. Although he would get physically attacked, he stood his ground and continued to fight for equality peacefully. King believed that whites and blacks should come together to end the hate and violence.

When he joined the Nation of Islam, he changed his family name from “Little” to “X” as it was “a custom among Nation of Islam followers who considered their family names to have originated with white slaveholders” (1). Malcolm benefited the organization by being a spokesman and expanding the movement (“Malcolm X.” History. History Channel, n.d 1). He “became the minister of Temple No. 7 in Harlem and Temple No. 11 in Boston” (“Malcolm X Biography” 1). “An articulate public speaker, a charismatic personality, and an indefatigable organizer, Malcolm X expressed the pent-up anger, frustration, and bitterness of African Americans during the major phase of the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 to 1965”

Although this creates an immediate negative environment urging Malcolm to form his own views and eventually be led to create the Organization of the Afro-American Movement. The encyclopedia also notes that Malcolm’s

Introduction: Malcom X urges the Negro community to fight to gain the equal rights they deserve by taking action against their white oppressors. He emphasizes that blacks will gain their rights either thorough voting, with the ballot, or else through the inevitable violence with the bullet. Thesis [part a] Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., also fighting for the civil rights of black Americans in the 1960s, but in a more peaceful manner, Malcom X takes a different approach.

Malcolm X was a Muslim minister who was also African American. He was a activist for human rights, Malcolm was a bold and courageous spokesperson for blacks to have rights,Malcolm X declared America “white America” to have the most harshest of terms for it’s tenacious treatments against African Americans. In the year 1946, he was sentenced to prison because he was caught breaking and entering. When he was incarcerated, he was chosen to become a member of the Nation of Islam. This is when he changed his birth name from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X. Later he had written,”Little was the name that the white slave master … had imposed upon paternal forebears” After his parole in 1952 his popularity grew and became the organization 's most influential leaders, and served as the public face of the controversial group for a dozen years.

Due to Malcolm X’s struggles in his early life, he dealt with an internal anger and resentment towards the white race, which lead to him rebelling and acting out. When Malcolm X was only 6 years old, criminals murdered his father and sparked an internal flame of hatred. His anger convinced him to commit various crimes such as stealing. This acted as a way to rebel against his family and the white community; he would not accept going unnoticed, nor would he accept others as they treated him as inferior. Not only did young Malcolm steal, but he also fought frequently with his family members.

The Story of Malcolm X Malcolm X was a Black rights activist during the 1960’s, he was regarded as a powerful speaker and a highly intelligent person. He was averse to blacks and white living in harmony, and spearheaded the black separatist movement. Malcolm X was not always the man that is taught to the public in history classes however, “Learning to read”, and excerpt from Malcolm X’s autobiography, recounts the tale of who Malcolm X was before he was well read, and how a prison’s library shaped views during the civil rights movement, and started fanning the flames for his racism.

After he went to Mecca his philosophy about the use of violence change after encountering a wide variety of different races who are all Muslim from the places he visited. Malcolm X views of whites had changed because before visiting Mecca, he believed the whites are “devils”, but after he went to Mecca his views on whites had

Malcolm’s speeches acted more as instruments of provocation than conversion. Unlike Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign, Malcolm’s campaign around the country was a direct assault and it was difficult to see any oppressor that will tolerate such. This obviously accounted for the many police brutalities, imprisonment and deaths among the black race. Malcolm X symbolized black dominance and self-respect, he was one of the greatest forces that shaped the current understanding and interpretation given to conflict and violence in the world politics today. If Malcolm were to live in this era, he would be labeled as a terrorist (http://malcolmx.com/).

From the beginning of Malcolm X’s life he saw the injustices in the country of America, he was only a kid innocent to the world around him. His father was supposedly killed in a car accident, but Malcolm and his family believe that he was murdered by the Black Legion, which was a group of white racist. Even worse the officials claimed that his father had committed suicide, which prevented his family from inheriting the life insurance money. Furthermore, in the midst of all this happening to young Malcolm his mother began to go crazy and as a consequence, she got sent to a mental hospital.

Malcolm X, a man born into a time of extreme oppression based on the color of your skin, joined to Nation of Islam. The Nation of Islam according to the article of Malcolm X, “an African American

Without Malcolm, the White people would have not favored Martin Luther King Jr. over other Civil Rights leaders. Towards the end of Malcolm’s life, Martin Luther King Jr. began to become more like Malcolm in a militant way. Martin Luther king Jr. “was also re-evaluating his presuppositions and was moving toward a greater understanding of Malcolm X, especially regarding black pride, separatism, and White America’s lack of commitment to genuine black equality” (Cone, 1992, p. 256). These transformations of Martin Luther King Jr.’s ideas, likely led him to accomplish the revolution of Civil Rights. Although, this is a possibility, it is extremely unrealistic.