The values of fairness and acceptance gradually establish themselves as the norm in today’s society. It suggests that people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as nations, should be treated fairly and with dignity. On the other hand, due to the institution of slavery and the pervasiveness of prejudice in the past, things were much different in the United States. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were two of the prominent African-American activists that led the charge for the acknowledgment of civil rights and liberties for African-Americans in the United States. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the leaders had such distinct upbringings, they were forced to pursue their goals in a variety of different ways.
Despite the fact that they have quite distinct perspectives on the world, I feel that they might have been able to collaborate in order to accomplish what they had in common. If they had been able to put aside their disagreements and band together in support of a single goal, they might have been able to make a significant impact on the movement to achieve racial equality. I believe that both of them were misinformed about the other and that both of them made errors about the other. Despite this, I believe that they were both in need of the other. When they first began working together, King had the impression that Malcolm was an extremist anti-white Black nationalist. Malcolm had the impression that King was a bourgeois. They were both lacking in those aspects, which is why they were dependent on one another.
Despite their fundamental worldview difference, I believe they could have worked together to achieve their shared goal. If they had put aside their differences and united under a common cause, they could have been a powerful force in the fight for racial equality. My impression is that they were both misinformed about the other and made some blunders in their assumptions about one another despite their mutual dependence. At first, King viewed Malcolm as a limited, anti-white, Black Nationalist. King was just another bourgeois reformist Uncle Tom from Malcolm’s perspective. They needed each other because neither one of them had those qualities.
The civil rights movement’s most well-known figures of the twentieth century included Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. However; King served as the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference while Malcolm X served as the national spokesperson and preacher for the Nation of Islam (NOI). (ROBERT PENN WARREN, 2018) .Despite this, most people think that the two individuals took radically different stances on establishing racial justice and equality in the United States. King continues to play a crucial role as a global political mobilizer, and his definition of racial justice is still incredibly relevant globally. Malcolm X initially declared Black Lives Matter in the contemporary era and is often considered the face of the Black Power movement.
King was brought up in a household that placed a strong emphasis on religion, which inspired him to go on to become a preacher and a political figure who frequently talked about his faith. In his role as pastor for the NOI, Malcolm was able to voice the righteous wrath and sorrow that he felt, and it became clear that his challenging childhood and the catastrophes he endured made a lot of sense.
Malcolm X was, in fact, the prosecutor for Black America, and he sought to bring charges against white America for several crimes committed against Black people. While defending the rights of both Black and white people, Martin Luther King Jr. was more of a defender (Alex Haley, 2018). He later began to support radical Black citizenship as his perspective on citizenship changed. Other than the abolition of segregation and the freedom to vote, he supported several causes.
Malcolm X was still picking up a lot from King’s actions despite his exaggeration. A living wage, health care, food justice, and a universal basic income for all were among them. In Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, where he was met with German shepherds and fire hoses and rose to fame in the international media, King served as the impetus for the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote the now-famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” at that time. Throughout that spring, Malcolm X spent much of his time in Washington, D.C., as the interim head of the Mosque, criticizing King for his pacifism and the brutality against children and women. King’s activism and his ability to motivate large groups of people profoundly impacted his life.
It is essential to compare and contrast their points of view and to determine the underlying motivations that served as the foundation upon which King’s and Malcolm’s points of view were established. Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired to assume the lead of the Civil Rights Movement by observing how his father led the charge, in contrast to Malcolm, whose attitude on life was exclusively motivated by revenge. Because they were working toward opposite ends, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X ran quite distinct political campaigns.
King’s Christian ideas provided the first support for nonviolent measures that did not show hostility against people of different races. For instance, King orchestrated peaceful demonstrations that provided a platform for protesters to voice their grievances and raise awareness of the problem of racism and segregation. King also used speeches to spread his message and advance his pursuit of racial harmony, inclusivity, and respect. It may be argued that King’s goal was to promote tolerance in American society, not to stir up social upheaval. Unfortunately, King’s assertions regarding humanity’s innate wickedness encouraged anti-white hatred (e.g., “groups tend to be more immoral than individuals”).
The retaliation and anger that first motivated Malcolm X’s acts were mirrored in his worldview. Malcolm X believed that the only way forward was through violence, unlike King, who wanted to bring together black and white government officials. Both leaders made their respective cases in front of the public in addresses. On the other hand, Malcolm exploited them to advance his ideas and set up a “black” army that would win fame around the world by battling the white nation (ROBERT PENN WARREN, 2018). He explicitly declared that he could not imagine these two parties coexisting and that only one could play a prominent role in society. In contrast to Martin Luther King, Malcolm X was adamant that racism should be strengthened rather than reduced.
Although I agree that King and Malcolm X were raised in quite different environments, I believe that they were more connected than is commonly believed. In order to create a solid foundation, it is essential to acknowledge the numerous experiences and circumstances that a person goes through in their life that influence how their beliefs and worldview are formed. There is no denying the fact that a person’s upbringing, environment, familial relationships, and values all play a role in the formation of their perspective and personality. As a result of these and other reasons, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X have distinctive perspectives and worldviews.
In a prosperous Atlanta, Georgia, family, Martin Luther King Jr. spent his formative years. In the southern states where King was raised, prejudice and bigotry were tolerated and actively promoted in all spheres of society and government. There is proof that King’s early renown in the black community aided in his later prominence in raising awareness of the problems with segregation. King had a loving home environment, which, despite the widespread discrimination, motivated him to excel intellectually throughout high school and college, and finally led him to pursue politics. In addition to King’s upbringing and the experiences he had, King’s father was also a key influence in his life. It became clear that King wanted to carry on the work of his father because of the twin roles he played as the first leader of the Civil Rights Movement and as a preacher in a local church (Alex Haley, 2018). In the years that followed, these characteristics, together with faith and love, were taken into consideration while establishing the foundational tenets of the evolving philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Malcolm X, on the other hand, experienced a challenging early existence. The Midwest was the region where this American politician grew up. He experienced domestic violence and racial prejudice from an early age. As an illustration of how the anti-black movement impacted his family, his father is missing and may have been murdered. While growing up, Malcolm X encountered prejudice at home, school, and streets (ROBERT PENN WARREN, 2018). Hatred guided both his decisions and actions in the future as a direct result of his upbringing and his desire for retribution. After spending time in prison, Malcolm X went on to become a prominent figure in the African-American civil rights movement from an Islamic point of view. He gained his inspiration and tenacity from his time spent in prison.
In conclusion, even if Malcolm X and Martin Luther King had similar objectives, their varied acts and views can be attributed to their different upbringings and experiences. King was exposed to discrimination at a young age. However, because he came from a supportive family and had access to a wide variety of educational opportunities, he was able to bring attention to the problem, continue his father’s work, and advocate for peace. On the contrary, Malcolm’s desire for vengeance was fueled by the fact that he had been the target of racist bullying in school. Around these core principles, he built the foundation of his patriotic worldview, which held that war was the only viable option. It is crucial, however, to keep in mind that both of these political figures had the same aspiration, which is to live in a society in which their individual rights and liberties were protected. Because of this, none of their efforts should be discounted.
REFERENCES
Alex Haley. (2018, January 1). MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.: PLAYBOY INTERVIEW (1965). Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/admin/Downloads/Martin%20Luther%20King%20Jr%20Interview.pdf
ROBERT PENN WARREN. (2018, June 2). MALCOLM X interview. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/admin/Downloads/Malcolm%20X%20Interview.pdf
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