The Civil Rights movement began when African Americans started fighting back against social injustices they faced. From the Civil Rights Movement emerged two black activists, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King believed that blacks and whites should work together in order to achieve equality. Meanwhile, Malcolm X believes that blacks and whites should work separately. Martin Luther king also said that black and white kids should go to school together. Malcolm X however, believes that black children and white children should go to separate schools and that black schools should be run by black parents and teachers. Economics wise, Martin Luther King said that boycotting businesses is the best way to accomplish their goals …show more content…
of economic equality. Malcolm X on the other hand said that in order for them to gain economic equality, blacks should create and operate their own businesses in their communities. Lastly, Martin Luther King thinks that violence is not necessary for them to achieve equality. Meanwhile, Malcolm X believes that blacks should protect themselves by any means necessary, even if they have to be violent. Even though Martin Luther King and Malcolm X had very different views, the two of them were not enemies, as shown in document 1, where the two men shook hands and smiled at each other when they first met. These two great leaders had different views of how to achieve equality in America, however, Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy to achieve equality made more sense. Martin Luther King said in his “I Have a Dream Speech” that he wants people to be able to live and work together, regardless of their skin color. King said, “With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day” (Document 2). Malcolm X however, wants people of different colors to work separately, stating that “ Working separately, the sincere white people and sincere black people actually will be working together” (Document 3). In the 1960s, blacks and white were already separated, therefore they were treated unequally. Malcolm X’s statement of separating the colors would just worsen the treatment of black people and divide the country. A nation can only be successful if its citizens are united, not separated. That’s why Martin Luther King’s dream of blacks and whites working together equally is better than Malcolm X’s idea of separating blacks and whites. Martin Luther King’s idea to stop the unequal treatment of students in schools is to desegregate all white schools, allowing black kids to go to the same school with white children. King Said in a speech at the Alabama State Capitol, “Let us march on segregated schools until every vestige of segregation and inferior education becomes a thing of the past and Negroes and whites study side by side in the socially healing context of the classroom” (Document 4). Malcolm X however, believed that schools should be segregated. Malcolm X said, “We encourage Afro-Americans themselves to establish experimental institutes and educational workshops, liberation schools and child-care centers in Afro-American communities” (Document 5). Malcolm X explained that the purpose of this is to, “Liberate the minds of our children from vicious lies and distortions that are fed to us from the cradle to keep us mentally enslaved” (Document 5). Although Malcolm X provides a good argument on why schools should be segregated and ran by blacks, it would still be unequal to the schools white students have. The reason for this is that the black schools will still receive less funding than white schools do, causing white schools to still be better than black schools. For this reason, Martin Luther King’s idea of desegregating schools is better than Malcolm X’s idea to segregate schools. In order to try and reach economic equality, Martin Luther King said that African Americans need to refuse to cooperate with the institutions that perpetuate evil.
One of the things they can do, as suggested by Dr.King, was to boycott. King said “ Along with the march as a weapon for change in our nonviolent arsenal must be listed the boycott” (Document 6). Malcolm X on the other hand, suggests that in order to achieve economic equality, African Americans need to operate and own businesses in their communities. Malcolm X once said “ We have to learn how to own and operate the businesses of our community and develop them into some type of industry that will enable us to create employment for the people of our community so that they won’t have to constantly be involved in picketing and boycotting other people in other communities in order to get a job” (Document 7). Out of those two methods, Malcolm X’s idea for African Americans to run and own their own businesses is better than Martin Luther King’s idea of boycotting. The reason for this is because if businesses are created, that means there will be jobs, and with jobs being created, African Americans will be able to earn more money. Not only that, but with businesses in black neighborhoods, African American’s won’t have to go to stores owned by whites and make them become richer and richer, meanwhile African Americans become poorer and …show more content…
poorer. African Americans faced a lot of violence in the 1960s, including lynchings and beatings by racist white supremacists, such as kkk members.
In response to this violence, Martin Luther King responded that violence should not be stopped by causing more violence, and there are non violent ways to stop it. In a speech Dr.King had at a staff retreat, he said “ Violence may go to the point of murdering the hater, but it doesn’t murder hate. It may increase hate. It is always a descending spiral leading nowhere. This is the ultimate weakness of violence: It multiplies evil and violence in the universe. It doesn’t solve any problems” (Document 8). Malcolm X on the other hand, had a very different approach on how violence towards the black community should be stopped. Malcolm X said non-violence will not work if it is only being preached to blacks and no one else. In an interview on January 18,1965, Malcolm X said “ I believe we should protect ourselves by any means necessary when we are attacked by racists” (Document 9). Malcolm X isn’t wrong that African Americans should protect themselves, however they should not be violent towards whites just to stop the violence they are facing. Violence on both sides will only cause more conflict between whites and blacks, therefore Martin Luther King’s philosophy of non-violence makes more sense because, you don’t fight fire with fire. That will only cause more
fire. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were both great leaders during the Civil Rights movement. They both had very different views on things such as segregation, education, economics, and the philosophy of non-violence. Malcolm X felt that it would be more beneficial for blacks to work separately from the whites, meanwhile Martin Luther king felt that in order to achieve equality, both blacks and whites must work together. Martin Luther King wanted schools to be desegregated, but Malcolm X wanted blacks to go to separate schools that would be run by black teachers and parents. Martin Luther king proposed the idea of boycotting white stores in order to hurt the economy and bring about economic equality for African Americans, while on the other hand, Malcolm X proposed the idea for blacks to own and operate their own businesses in their communities so that they wouldn’t have to keep giving their money to white stores and to improve the economy in their communities. Lastly, Martin Luther King preached heavily about the importance of non-violence and that it is the only way to fight back against the injustices they face. Malcolm X however said that non-violence will not work if blacks are the only ones that are not violent, and that they must fight back and defend themselves, even if it means being violent. Out of two men, Martin Luther King’s philosophies to fight inequality made the most sense for America in the 1960s.
The Civil Rights movement was a movement against racial segregation and discrimination in the southern States that became nationally recognized in the middle of the 1950s. Though American slaves were given basic civil rights through the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments of the Constitution, African Americans still had a hard time trying to get federal protection of their newly found rights. A man by the name of Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the American Civil rights Leaders who used nonviolence in order to reach a social change. He used nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice against African Americans like segregation laws. He wasn’t just fighting for the equality of all African American but was also fighting for the equality of all men and women. Malcolm X is another great leader who fought for what he believed in. He was a black activist who, unlike King, promoted a little violence. Malcolm X wanted the nation (African Americans) to become more active in the civil rights protests. Both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. had different methods for gaining civil rights. I believe that Martin Luther King Jr. method was more effective thanMalcolm X methods. In King “’Letter from Birmingham Jail” King defends himself on writing about why he is using nonviolent resistance to racism. Throughout the letter he shows his reasoning using logic, emotion, and ethics. Throughout his life King used this same method to reach how to hundred of thousands of African Americans.
“There must be the position of superior and inferior” was a statement by Lincoln which formed the basis of discrimination towards black Americans as it highlighted the attitudes of white Americans. Although civil rights for black people eventually improved through the years both socially and politically, it was difficult to change the white American view that black people are inferior to white people as the view was always enforce by the favour of having “the superior position assigned to the white race”.
Until the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his life’s work was dedicated to the nonviolent actions of blacks to gain the freedoms they were promised in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. He believed that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King, 1963). These injustices had become so burdensome to blacks that they were “plunged into an abyss of despair” (King, 1963). The nonviolent actions of the sit-ins, boycotts, and marches were so the “individual could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths…to help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism” and ultimately lead to “inevitably opening the door to negotiation” (King, 1963). Not only was King’s approach effective with the older black generation, it was also successful with white people. They did not feel threatened when approached by King. White people gained a sense of empathy towards the plight of black freedom as King’s promise of nonviolence did not threaten their livelihood. Malcolm X viewed the world similarly to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., however; his beliefs to changing the status quo were slightly different from his political counterpart. Malcolm X realized that “anger could blind human vision” (X, 1965). In realizing this, X knew that in order to achieve racial freedom blacks had to “forget hypocritical politics and propaganda” (X, 1965). While Malcolm X was more so an advocate for violent forces against white people than King, X merely used force when it became necessary for defense. According to X, “I don’t go for non-violence if it also means a delayed solution. I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to American black man’s problem” (X, 1965). However, this le...
The 1960s was a time of very unjust treatment for Mexican Americans, but it was also a time for change. Many were starting to lose hope but as Cesar Chavez once said, “si se puede”. The chicano rights movement was a movement that started after World War II when Mexican Americans decided it was time to take back their rights and fight for equality. With many successes there were also some failures, but that did not stop them from fighting back for what they deserved. Chican@s of all ages in the US faced many issues due to their race in which included, but weren’t limited to, unequal education, political power, and working conditions.
The Civil Rights Movement symbolized the challenge and opposition to the racial injustices and segregation that had been engrained in American society for hundreds of years. Events that took place in the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, sit-ins, speeches and numerous protests define this momentous time in United States history. Speeches during this period served as a means to inspire and assemble a specific group of people, for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X it was the black community that needed to rise up in hopes of achieving equal rights and voting rights for the blacks.
The Civil Rights Movement refers to the political, social, and economical struggle of African Americans to gain full citizenship and racial equality. Although African Americans began to fight for equal rights as early as during the days of slavery, the quest for equality continues today. Historians generally agree that Civil Rights Movement began with the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 and ended with the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Malcolm X was particularly firm in his opinions of the nonviolent strategies advocated by Martin Luther King, Jr. During a November 1963 address, Malcolm ridiculed the theory that African Americans could achieve their freedom nonviolently. "The only revolution in which the goa...
How would you feel if you were told you can’t sit in the front of the bus or you can’t dine in a certain restaurants because of the color of your skin? The civil rights movement was a movement that held massive numbers of nonviolent protest against racial segregation and discrimination in America especially the southern states during the 1950’s and 60’s. The struggle of African Americans to gain equal rights in America during this time was a major problem. The civil rights movement was not only about stopping racial segregation amongst African Americans but also to challenge the terrible economic, political, and cultural consequences of that time. But with the help of great leaders and organizations in the civil rights movement, help brake the pattern of African Americans being discriminated against and being segregated. Martin Luther King Jr. And Maya Angelou were great leaders who had a huge impact on the civil rights movement; even though Dr. King was in the field marching and protesting to fight against segregation and Angelou wrote poetry to inspire the movement and people aware of segregation, they both helped put an end to segregation here in America (American civil rights movement).
the segregationists, resulting in the injury and deaths of many of King’s followers. With these points in mind, King came to the conclusion that the best strategy in gaining the rights of African American was the use of non-violent protest. He believed that violence only “intensifies evil,';
Johnson: Savior of the Civil Rights Movement? The Civil Rights Movement and President Johnson are closely linked in history. Though there were many other faces to the Civil Rights Movement, Johnson’s was one of the most publicly viewed and instrumental in its passing. It was Johnson who carried the weight and responsibility of the issue after the assassination of JFK, and it was he who would sign it.
The 1960’s were a time of freedom, deliverance, developing and molding for African-American people all over the United States. The Civil Rights Movement consisted of black people in the south fighting for equal rights. Although, years earlier by law Africans were considered free from slavery but that wasn’t enough they wanted to be treated equal as well. Many black people were fed up with the segregation laws such as giving up their seats on a public bus to a white woman, man, or child. They didn’t want separate bathrooms and water fountains and they wanted to be able to eat in a restaurant and sit wherever they wanted to and be served just like any other person.
The Civil Rights Movement began in order to bring equal rights and equal voting rights to black citizens of the US. This was accomplished through persistent demonstrations, one of these being the Selma-Montgomery March. This march, lead by Martin Luther King Jr., targeted at the disenfranchisement of negroes in Alabama due to the literacy tests. Tension from the governor and state troopers of Alabama led the state, and the whole nation, to be caught in the violent chaos caused by protests and riots by marchers. However, this did not prevent the March from Selma to Montgomery to accomplish its goals abolishing the literacy tests and allowing black citizens the right to vote.
For many years after the Civil War many African-Americans did not truly enjoy the freedoms that were granted to them by the US constitution. This was especially true in the southern states, because segregation flourished in the south wwhere African-Americans were treated as second class citizens. This racial segregation was characterized by separation of different races in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. In addition, Blacks were not afforded justice and fair trials, such as the case of the murder of Emmet Till. This unjust treatment would not be tolerated in America any more, which spurred the civil rights movement.
Again, Mr. King uses religion as a guide to explain why violence could never be used to get the end of the segregation. At that moment and as a strategy, he was probably right. The forces between the parts were to uneven. Besides, Mr. King knew that the federal government barely has capacity of action since they were stuck in a horrible and unpopular war in Vietnam, and riots and demonstrations were happening everyday in the universities across the country. However, if we look at his decisions from today’s point of view and attending to the fact that minorities are still suffering the injustice of economical segregation and the police force abuse, among others injustices, we can say that he didn 't go to far. Then may be we can rethink if appealing to violence to avoid those problems could be considered just as self-defense. For example: when communities are being devastated by poverty, drugs, and criminality, and the authorities don’t do anything to protect them just because they are black, Latin, or American Natives, don’t they have the right to fight back? Moreover, when they have to watch everyday in television the awful crimes that some authorities commit against minorities with no punishment in most of the cases. Don’t they have the right do defend their own life? It is a fact that violence is not desirable, but we have to remind that the end of slavery in the United States cost a civil war, that the
Historically, the Civil Rights Movement was a time during the 1950’s and 60’s to eliminate segregation and gain equal rights. Looking back on all the events, and dynamic figures it produced, this description is very vague. In order to fully understand the Civil Rights Movement, you have to go back to its origin. Most people believe that Rosa Parks began the whole civil rights movement. She did in fact propel the Civil Rights Movement to unprecedented heights but, its origin began in 1954 with Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka was the cornerstone for change in American History as a whole. Even before our nation birthed the controversial ruling on May 17, 1954 that stated separate educational facilities were inherently unequal, there was Plessy vs. Ferguson in 1896 that argued by declaring that state laws establish separate public schools for black and white students denied black children equal educational opportunities. Some may argue that Plessy vs. Ferguson is in fact backdrop for the Civil Rights Movement, but I disagree. Plessy vs. Ferguson was ahead of it’s time so to speak. “Separate but equal” thinking remained the body of teachings in America until it was later reputed by Brown vs. Board of Education. In 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, and prompted The Montgomery Bus Boycott led by one of the most pivotal leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. After the gruesome death of Emmett Till in 1955 in which the main suspects were acquitted of beating, shooting, and throwing the fourteen year old African American boy in the Tallahatchie River, for “whistling at a white woman”, this country was well overdo for change.