Malcolm X And Violence Essay

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Malcolm X argues that for Blacks to fight for civil rights nonviolently is “insane.” His strongest arguments revolve around the idea of fighting back to get what is rightfully yours or being a “fighter.” As Malcolm X states, “Whites idolize fighters. They idolize the Hungarian freedom fighters, who came to this country and right now work on jobs that the sit-in students can’t get.” This idea of becoming a “fighter” or a “man” is powerful because of the injustices wrought upon the African American community. Though the usage of violence may be preferred to be avoided, Malcolm X uses the ideology of those who “love [their] enemy” or “pray for those who despitefully use you” as being a double standard in our culture, especially when stated by …show more content…

His father, Earl Little, was an active member of the civil rights movement for the African American community, and as a result attracted the attention of the Black Legion which was a white supremacist group related to the Ku Klux Klan. At first, there were only death threats against Earl which caused the family to relocate several times. However, things escalated when the family relocated to Michigan and their home was mysteriously burned to the ground. Some time after that incident, Malcolm X’s father was found dead by some trolley tracks one day. Instead of a proper investigation being conducted for those incidents, the authorities claimed them to be “accidents.” However, the exposure to violence did not end there. After serving seven years in prison, Malcolm X gained some popularity by becoming active in the civil rights movement as a member of the Nation of Islam or NOI. As a result, Malcolm began to experience the same consequences his father suffered by becoming involved in the movement. Malcolm’s home in New York was firebombed and burned to the ground, similar to the tragic event of his parents’ house in Michigan. Additionally, just as Earl Little received death threats from the Black Legion, Malcolm X received them in the form of NOI members telling officials that he was a target for

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