Malcolm X And Martin Luther King Analysis

Out of the turbulent political climate of the 1960s, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as some of the most prominent voices of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Both religious ministers took up the fight to advocate for human rights and improve the lot of their fellow African-Americans. The two sought to achieve the same endgame, but differed greatly on the method in which to bring about the change they wanted. A few common threads that linked the activists were their emphasis on human rights, their challenge to the status quo of America, their roles as major spiritual leaders in their respective religions, and the martyrdom they endured for their cause. On the surface Malcolm X and Martin Luther King have many similarities,

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King arose as key figures in the religion of the their communities speaking as ministers. X was a member of the Sunni Muslim faith and prior to his death broke ties with the Nation of Islam. At the very beginning of his essay he distances the issue of religion in his argument explaining, “I'm not here to argue or discuss anything that we differ about, because it's time for us to submerge our differences and realize that it is best for us to first see that we have the same problem, a common problem, a problem that will make you catch hell whether you're a Baptist, or a Methodist, or a Muslim, or a nationalist. (X 1)” Religion is removed from the equation before he even begins to make his stance for Black Nationalism. He does not intend to justify his reasoning through the will of God or the church because the problem that plagues the black community affects them regardless of what faith they subscribe to. This reveals much about the audience that Malcolm X is speaking out to. The Black Nationalism and segregation he advocates for is aimed only for his fellow African-Americans. By excluding his Islamic faith from the mix, he avoids alienating other blacks of different religions and does not seek to establish a common ground with the overwhelmingly Christian white opponents of the movement. Malcolm X reaches out to the victims of the system and avoids starting a

To further understand the effect of language on audience one can look to the classification of class struggle as posed by Karl Marx in his Communist Manifesto. He boils down all struggles in a fashion that creates a binary distinction between groups that are constantly at odds with one another. In regards to class antagonisms he states, “Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other – Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. (Marx 15)” Marx simplifies class struggle into two separate groups: the oppressor and the oppressed. This helpful in understanding who King and X are attempting to talk to in their respective essays. Martin Luther King uses a nuanced and formal voice in his writing. This establishes a tone he wants to set for his readers to better relate to him. Along with his heavy use of biblical undertones, it is clear he speaking the language of the oppressor. His goal of integration requires understanding on both the black and the white sides so framing his work in a style familiar to the oppressor is advantageous. Malcolm X utilizes an informal style with street slang to communicate to his audience: the oppressed. His employment of informality and abrasiveness does not interfere with his message, but strengthens its accessibility to the black