Civil Rights Activists: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Huey Newton

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American icon and former civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "I have a dream that my four little 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." This quote speaks volumes about the message that he is trying to convey towards society regarding racism. He is basically saying not to judge others just because of their skin color, but love them for who they are. We should not be too quick to judge others, and work to remove our own flaws. As a society, we should examine one based on "the content of their character." This quote is very significant and relevant to the topic, who was the most effective civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, or Huey Newton?" When considering this question, I had to look at each civil rights leader and their contribution to ultimately ending/limiting racism. All three of the civil rights activists have contributed there time and effort, to ending a very important cause, such as racism. I believe that, throughout his lifetime, Martin Luther King Jr. was the most effective/important civil rights leader of his era, among Malcom X and Huey Newton.

Throughout his life, Malcolm X had made the best out of what he had and dedicated his time and effort fighting against racism, proving to be one of the most important figures. In May of 1925, Malcolm X was born in University Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. At an early age Malcolm is ambitious, one day telling his teacher that his goal is to one day become a lawyer,

"...the teacher recommends becoming a carpenter instead, as being a lawyer is not a realistic goal for a "nigger"" (quote from internet source). Grow...

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...to me it becomes clear that Martin Luther King jr. is the most effective activist during this time. I believe this because Martin Luther King jr. was the only one out of the three who wouldn't use force to achieve his goal of a world without racism. Rather he was a law - abiding preacher who used his words, rather than his actions to convey his message. In addition Martin Luther King jr. reached out to all ethnicities white and black because of his peace loving mentality. He wasn't about promoting one race, he was about uniting all races together, to live in a world of peace. If you were to look out to see who attended his rallies you would be able to see a diverse mix of cultures and ethnicities. Today Martin Luther King Jr.'s words still inspire us, as a society, to not be too quick to judge others by the color of their skin but who they are as a person.

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