A Comparison Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Vs. And Malcolm X

Robert Kennedy once said, “Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can walk to change a small portion of the...acts [which] will be written in the history of our generation.”  Small steps usually lead to the goal one tries to achieve, and this is what happened to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.  Both amazing leaders had the same goal, to win racial equality; but, their approaches were very different from one another.  In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message, “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington in 1963, was one of the most inspirational speeches during this harsh and cruel time towards the African Americans.  This gave every African American hope hearing his dream, which was to achieve racial equality

by bringing everyone together, in other words through integration, not through separation.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in an extremely loving and settled home.  While growing up, both his grandfather and father were in the ministry.  Early in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, he had developed a powerful sense of right and wrong.  During his own time, he had viewed racial inequality, but he was against the various teachings of his own religion.  The strong religious background of King’s life is obviously within his inspirational and hopeful message that all men and women could and should peacefully coexist.  On the other hand, during Malcolm X’s speech at the Harlem Freedom Rally in 1960, is rather than aggressive.  His mind had been set that while the Caucasians could never accept any African Americans.  He also thought there was no other solution than to form a new nation for African Americans only.  His demanding tone sends out hints within his speech towards the government to deliver land.  Malcolm X also gives an angry tone; this is caused by his horrible childhood.  Early in his life, his father’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement ended up getting threats towards the family, this had caused the family to uproot more than once.  Sadly, Malcolm X’s family’s house was burned, leaving nothing but the ashy ground.  Down the road during his early life, tragically Malcolm X’s father was found on the local trolley tracks, laying there lifeless.  Many suspicions began to occur after his father’s death was ruled as an accident.  Soon after the death of his father, this caused his mother, Louise, to be committed to a mental institution due to the many tragic breakdowns that had occurred.

Needless to say, the children had been split up between the many orphanages and foster homes.  Due to his unforgettable childhood, Malcolm X got into the wrong crowd, and had run-ins with the law several times, this ultimately left him with an ungenerous amount of jail time.  After a rough childhood to begin with, one can truly understand his anger toward the Caucasian race, in the end this is what felt was the source of all of his problems.  
    In the speech, “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. has many differences compared to Malcolm X’s speech, but both speeches have the same purpose, to earn racial equality.  Martin Luther King Jr.’s message is that racial equality can be only achieved by integrating through nonviolent resistance.  Martin Luther King Jr. expressed his message when he says, “I have a dream that one day the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.  I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering

with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.  I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  I have a dream...I have a dream that one day...little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”  Martin Luther King Jr. uses a great amount of imagery in his speech.  He builds an image in the audience's mind of a nation that swelters with injustice and contrasts that with a wonderful image of an oasis filled with justice and brotherhood.  Martin Luther King Jr. had indicated that the best and only way to truly achieve racial equality was to be able to bring everyone together and live peacefully rather than separately as Malcolm X clearly stated in his solution.  Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a very inspirational tone towards his audience, making this go down in history being one of the best speeches.  His speech gives hope for the African Americans that one day they can live in peace with the Caucasians.  King expressed his message when he delivered, “This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning.  “My country, tis my father of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.  Land where my fathers died of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”  Dr. King used the words such as, God’s children, sing, sweet, and freedom ring to express his tone of inspirational with his speech, “I Have a Dream.”  Martin Luther King Jr. used an incredible amount of imagery and hope in his breathtaking speech of racial equality.  King wants the nation to join hands and brotherhood which completely drove home in his message.  King had his mindset that the only way the racial equality can be achieved way by integrating, to live peacefully, not separation as Malcolm X clearly stated in his solution.  King embraced hope to all Americans, so that everyone can erase the bad habits they learned and to embrace the brand new era of equality.  King reveals his imagery and hope within his speech when he stated, “When we allow freedom to ring - when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last, Free at last, Great God a-mighty, We are free at last.”  With King’s word choices and examples, Dr. King gives the African Americans hope that one day that nation can live peacefully with the Caucasians.  Martin Luther King Jr.’s message in his speech, “I Have a Dream,” is that racial equality can only be achieved by integrating through nonviolent resistance, definitely not through separation.
    In the speech by Malcolm X that was announced in that Harlem Freedom Rally in 1960, he has a totally different approach compared to Martin Luther King Jr.

Malcolm X’s message through his speech is that racial equality can only be achieved by forming a new nation for the African Americans to be separated by the Caucasians, along with billions of dollars for that damages that the government had caused.  In his speech he stated, “The white man should be glad to give his loyal “slaves” some land so we can get out of his way and go for ourselves.”  This quote that he delivered supports his message of wanting a new nation for the African Americans.  His quote supports his message of the government mistreating the African Americans as if they are still loyal “slaves.”  Therefore, Malcolm X demands for some land so that African Americans can feel free.  Unlike Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X has a very angry and demanding tone.  Malcolm X once said, “...God will erase the American government and the entire race that it favors and represents, from this planet...and God will then give the whole earth back to the original owners, the black man!”  Malcolm X’s tone is very demanding.  Malcolm X favorites the African Americans by only talking about his particular race.  Due to his yelling throughout his speech, this is what set his demanding tone.  Malcolm X had a completely different structure in his speech, rather than giving hope to the audience, Malcolm X made his speech simple

and straight to the point.  Malcolm X clarified this by yelling, “WE MUST HAVE SOME LAND OF OUR OWN!”  This showed how Malcolm X is straight to the point by yelling it towards his audience and with the word choice of “must.”  Malcolm X revealed his structure with the shouting at the audience and the constant demanding, making his structure straight to the point.  Malcolm X’s message in his speech at the Harlem Freedom Rally 1960, is that racial equality will not work by integration and can only be achieved by forming a new nation for the African Americans, along with billions of dollars for damages that the government had caused.
    Throughout both speeches, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X show how different they can achieve that same goal of racial equality with completely opposite approaches.  Martin Luther King Jr.’s message can be described as inspirational and a breathtaking speech.  He gives all of mistreated African Americans hope with his choice of words, such as, sweet and God’s children.  This returns hope that one day all African Americans can soon live in peace with the Caucasians.  On the other hand, Malcolm X’s message is described as hostile.  He gives a demanding tone towards his audience and uses the phrase, “WE MUST HAVE SOME LAND OF OUR OWN!”  He is referring to the government, which he believes should give him land and pay billions of dollars for damages.  Throughout both speeches, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X show how different they can achieve the same goal of racial equality with completely opposite approaches.