In this week’s discussion post, I ask you to consider the following questions:

Include at least one quotation from each author in your post. You do not have to answer all three questions; they are simply intended as food for thought. The goal here is to find evidence that contradicts the popular characterizations of both figures. In other words, how was King a radical, and how was Malcolm X reasonable and realistic? Reminder that your initial post needs to be 400 words to receive full credit. 

     Malcolm X’s upbringing and life choices led him through a life where he was in constant contact with racism. Therefore, he knew how desperate the situation was to make sure that all Americans knew how severe and evil segregation and lack of civil rights were for African American citizens, young and old. In his autobiography, he says “Anything I do today, I regard as urgent” (Malcolm X 584). He knows that his life is at stake, as well as his fellow men, the stronger they protest and stay in the battle for freedom. Dr. King’s urgency comes from the constant struggle to get direct action through negotiations with no support, hence his philosophy of non-violent direct action through sit-ins and marches. He justifies this urgency by stating “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to control the issue” (King 596). Both men tried desperately to use non-violence and education to get their messages across, but eventually, they knew time was running out, as more people of color were being killed for no other reason than being black or brown.

     Both leaders also knew to be heard and create positive action among the American people, they required a solid plan that was validated with facts. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. summarizes this impeccably when he is justifying why he was protesting in Birmingham- “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist: negotiation; self-purification; and direct action” (595). Regarding Malcolm X having a plan, he knew from his upbringing among the Black Nationalist teachings that there needed to be Black unity before there could ever be white-Black unity. He believed that the Black Nationalist philosophies were the perfect plan to “instill within Black men the racial dignity, the incentive, and the confidence that the Black race needs today… (583). He also knew that he needed to soften his image, which he does by traveling the world and realizing that racism is a social evil not just dedicated to the white man.  

     

-Christian Estefani

Which is why I believe Malcolm X’s philosophies were more attainable. He believed that it was necessary for African Americans to come together first before trying to assimilate with White people. He states, “Why Black Nationalism? Well, in the competitive American society, how can there ever be any white-black solidarity before there is some black solidarity?” (X, 583) In Which I agree with because how can a minority race try to unify with a race that has successfully separated themselves from without unifying first? It is a key component to integration. 

While Martin Luther King performed and encouraged nonviolence such as sits ins, marches, and speeches. MLK was still a successful civil rights leader. He disagreed with segregation which would be considered radical for this time. Since a vast majority of white people believed segregation was necessary.  It was a difficult but also significant fight that he fought for African Americans. He did not agree with X’s violent ideology. King states, “I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle. If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the south, would, I am convinced be flowing with blood.” (King, 601) In this quote he is saying that the struggle of using nonviolence is ultimately successful because it would prevent more bloodshed from occurring in the south. Where a large majority of killings of African Americans was happening. 

Malcolm X was reasonable and realistic when it came to African American civil rights rather than MLK. MLK and Malcolm X both agreed that this country did a disservice to their African American people. I think it is important to note that both of these African American civil rights activists were successful. Despite the fact that they had a rather different approach to gaining equality for African Americans. 

Aside from these details, King also held certain beliefs that not only were radical for the time, but also strike a nerve even today. MLK was quick to criticize the police and call them out for their deplorable behavior, saying, “I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail”, and contrasting it to their supposed goal of preventing violence. He states that the police aren’t the protectors of justice they pretend to be, but that they instead “preserve the evil system of segregation” and “maintain the immoral end of racial injustice” (606). This topic is a point of controversy to this day, as discourse continues over how systemic racism affects the police system and to what extent. According to King, there is no question that the system has been overtaken by racial discrimination and that the media turns a blind eye to it.

Meanwhile, Malcolm X, even in his Nation of Islam days where his philosophy surrounding black and white relations was the most inflammatory, never advocated for direct violence. He instead promoted black nationalism and community, and only endorsed any kind of violence in self-defense to protect oneself from harm. The insistence that Malcolm X was dangerous and violent was an elaborate (and unfortunately successful) smear campaign used to discredit him and his beliefs, one that he was all too aware of. Malcolm writes in his autobiography, that when he is dead, “the white man, in his press, is going to identify me with ‘hate’. He will make use of me dead, as he has made use of me alive, as a convenient symbol of ‘hatred’ (Malcolm X 587). 

                                         In this week’s post I will discuss how Dr.King was a radical and how Malcolm X was reasonable and realistic. I think that Dr. King was much more radical than the history books in school taught us or even that we remember. King states, “My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without legal and nonviolent pressure”.  (596). This quote means that while being kind is wonderful and everyone should always be kind to one another, sometimes it doesn’t always bring about change. And their current tactics were not working. His strategy of a nonviolent process was an enlightened technique that would bring about change. The government at the time (and certainly still is today to an extent) had issues such as racism and economic issues. At the risk of sounding biased, when you examine Dr King’s thought process and actions, I believe he was nothing short of a genius. Dr.King being radical for a certain time in history didn’t necessarily mean it was a bad thing and that one should use violence; it just means that it’s the type of change the country needed at that time. It's sad to see how today he’s so widely celebrated throughout the world today, yet as a society we have failed him by not practicing his teachings. 

  Malcom X on the other hand, used much more reasonable tactics in order to fight for the same cause. Malcom was that of a hero who sacrificed his life for his people. Rather than use symbolism like Dr.King, he called the damage and the frustration of what was happening to black people like it is. The media actually painted him as radicalistic but that wasn’t the intent. Malcolm X states "I think, I hope, that the objective reader, in following my life- the life of only one ghetto-created negro- may gain a better picture and understanding than he has previously had of the black ghettoes which are shaping the lives and the thinking of almost 22 million Negroes who live in America.” (585). This means he hoped people would see him as an example of someone who is fighting for rights and shaping America and that it inspires others to do the same.  

Although they both had the same message, they chose different strategies when one wasn’t working. At the end of the day, it’s all about perception.  

 

Both expressed the importance of sincere whites educating and informing their brothers about equal rights to all men. Dr. King mentioned the importance of whites writing about the struggles of black people so that other whites are exposed to it. He also mentioned the importance of whites marching with blacks and sitting in protest. This in the long run will bring more whites to fight for civil rights because their number are currently too low.  Malcolm X mentioned that sincere whites should form all white groups in an attempt to “convert other white people who are thinking and acting so racist. Let sincere whites teach non-violence to other white people!” (584 ). This is another thing they agree on, whites teaching non-violence to other white people. Although, most would agree that this is a fundamental teaching of Dr. King.  One that Malcolm has criticized but is not a convert and ardent follower of. 

 

Another thing that Martin Luther King and Malcom X has in common is their disappointment in the white church and its leadership. Dr. King wrote that, “I felt that the white ministers, priests, and rabbis of the South would be some of our strongest allies. Instead, some few have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows” (603). And Malcom X mentioned that the greatest failure of the white church in America is its inability to combat racism. He mentioned that “Christian church sowed racism – blasphemously; now it reaps racism” (581).  We don’t need to look far today to see that the white church is still suffering from racism. Many of the January 6 rioter are self-proclaimed white evangelicals. They are using religion to justify the violent insurrection that is rooted in racism. 

Both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were the most recognizable and probably brought the greatest awareness to civil rights and racial injustice more so than any other civil rights activists put together. Where they matched principles, wasn’t just in human rights and the fight against the American government, but also in education. 

 

Malcolm X believed that “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” Although X graduated high school, he at one point dropped out due to racist discouragement by a bigoted white teacher telling X whose passion at the time was to become a lawyer, that practicing law was "no realistic goal for a nigger", which later made him feel as though the white world offered no place for a career-oriented Black man; he too wanted education as depicted when he wrote “Homemade Education,”.  X believed that being literate facilitates communication and written expression. Mr. X was very well articulated, speaking in such a way one that whites could always understand him and could never misconstrue. He stated that “Illiteracy can cause misunderstanding and resulting frustration for both the communicator and the recipient of the communication.” Malcolm X argued for the importance of literacy to express oneself effectively. Learning to read and write whilst incarcerated, showed him, how to be mentally alive in a way that changed his life forever. X even made sure to marry Betty Dean X, a woman with formal education in Nursing.

 

While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was formally educated, having graduated both Morehouse College and Boston University and seminary school. King still felt as though colleges could produce 'close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists. In “The Purpose of Education”, King stated, “It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility, and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.” King’s idea was that one could obtain “power and success by means of education”. He compelled all to reimagine what learning environments could do for a person. Knowledge alone was not enough; integrity and compassion should be integral parts of holistic learning. MLK felt that one shouldn’t be just merely educated in the classroom but also in life, such as morally and possess a sense of open mindedness to truly function throughout life successfully. He too was married to a well-educated woman named Coretta Scott King.

 

Samuel Theron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X seem to have a somewhat similar view on the power that religion had on influencing the fight for civil rights. While Malcolm X is Muslim and King a Christian, both men feel strongly that a solid spiritual bond in communities was important for supporting black Americans, combating racism, and promoting amity. Also, both men feel that the practice of organized Christianity in America at the time was severely lacking the strength needed to properly support the nation. In his autobiography Malcom X writes, “…if this so-called ‘Christianity’ now being practiced in America displays the best that the world Christianity has left to offer—no one in his right mind should need any much greater proof that very close at hand is the end of Christianity.” (581) In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Malcom X shares a similar sentiment as he discusses his profound disappointment in the Southern white Christians he encountered: “If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club…” (605)

 

 

 

If you're discussing American civil rights today and who are historically the most notable, you would have at some point in life heard of Martin Luthur king Junior and Malcolm X. These two notable figures had impacts from the 1950s-1960's which have lasted to this day. Although the men had similar intentions which was equality among the races fighting for blacks to have equal opportunity as the whites did, the two went about it in their own way. The two men although with their differences were able to find some similarity. In his letter from Birmingham Jail, king wrote, “I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it” (King 602). He understood that a man alone is not an island and that not only blacks lived in the America’s but to accomplish his goal he needed the help of the whites. He showed his appreciation for what the select whites did to help what he was trying to build. Malcolm X also came to a compromise and understanding that he also needed white to accomplish his goal for equality. Malcom wrote that, “I tell sincere white people to,” work in conjunction with us- each of us working among our own kind” (X 584) These ideologies from these two Brillant men are still relevant to this day because much like President Obama getting into office was not just on the backs of African Americans but also every other mass citizen which voted him into office. So, the relevance of these two men’s trends of thought is still relevant. 

In saying all this, the two men’s approach were still separable before they got to this point. King had more of a subtle and more humane approach. He fought with words rather than acts of violence. He was very well thought out and strategic with his maneuvers. A reader would know this because he says, “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification, and direction action” (X 595). 

On the contrary, like his most notable quote states “By any means necessary”. Malcolm was cunning and straight to the point as can be. He believed that to get his point across and to attain equality and freedom for his people he had to do it in a violent fashion. This is where he and King disagreed in that regard. Although they both shared their opinions on how they felt about one another’s method of gaining success, history has told us that they only met once. Hence where the famous picture of them comes from. 

Lastly, an idea from the excerpt of Malcolm X’s autobiography still worth striving for today is the concept of religion. This idea which I will present is very opinion based and subjective to your geographic location. Malcom Claims, “I believe that God now is giving the worlds so called “Christian "white society its last opportunity to repent and atone for the crimes of exploiting and enslaving the world’s non-white people” (X 581). Although this is put in a harsh way, indeed the Christian religion especially the church with all its riches should give reparations or aid to black households especially poor black families which have not recovered from slavery. The Christian/catholic church was one of the biggest powers at the time and did nothing to help other human beings being wrongly done. This statement still holds value because now you see all the different religions getting larger and larger and blacks more and more moving toward Islam especially those who go to prison. Malcolm himself is evidence of finding religion more so Islamic religion in prison. It seems like Islam did more for him than Christianity ever did. More to prove a point, it was a Christian man who killed Malcom and Dr. King. However, we will end this discussion with one of his other notable quotes, "the future belongs to those who prepare for it today". This is still relevant today because as a black man in America, apart from my actual passport to get here, education has always been my passport to progress in this society or even be considered part of the community.

 

 

          Dr. King had a radical thinking, he approaches the problems by finding the root cause of racial segregation and injustice. He then seeks to resolve problems based on basic principles and foundation structure. He wrote a letter from Birmingham jail expressing his frustration, which open the eyes of many white people. King Jr sates, “oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro” (king Jr 601). He knows there was no possible way to keep an African Americans from rising, which history has proven many times, much like Frederick Douglass. African Americans in the past started at a disadvantage in life, some mentally chained and some physically chained. However, despite their odds they were able to surpass white race. In today society racial segregation is more concealed, but still exist, white’s race without a doubt is given more privileges. In the meanwhile, African Americans are working twice as hard to get the same recognition and rewards.

         Although, Dr King and Malcolm X had different approach fighting to end racial segregation and obtain human rights. They both agreed with the idea that church has become an irrelevant “social club” without any ethical principles. King Jr states, “If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for twentieth century” (King Jr 605). They refused black race from entering the church.  People all over the world was disappointed in the way church had turn out to be. It has lost it power and purpose in society and will need both the white and the black to repair the moral principles. Malcolm X was also disgust by the so called Christian white society. He urged them to “repent and atone” for the brutal act of enslavement of non-white all over the world.

               Even though Malcolm x believes in a violent approach, he also believes that in order to stop racial segregation African Americans will need the white society help. Malcolm x states, “I knew better than most negroes, how many white people truly wanted to see American racial problems solved. I knew that many whites were as frustrated as negroes” ( X 584). He wanted to have white men standing with the black race, fighting for the African Americans rights and to end unequally treatment by other white. Dr. King Jr also agreed that if Americans going to be great the white society must knowledge the pain and the injustice for blacks. Furthermore, African Americans will need helps from the white’s race to obtain fundamental changes in society to eradicate racial segregation. 

By Hugh Richards

Malcolm X and Dr. Kings were the most dominant leaders of their era  in the civil rights movement and held a similar strong belief of believing black people deserved dignity and human rights as white people did.  The main idea of this discussion post will be focused around how Malcom X’s autobiography has many excerpts that are still worth striving for today. Malcolm X states “I saw that the best thing I could do was get hold of a dictionary-to study, to learn some words. I was lucky enough to reason also that I should try to improve my penmanship. It was sad. I couldn't even write in a straight line”(575). This is still a big issue in today's society, mainly in other third world countries like in Africa. In a country which has little to no education, it is very easy to control the people and that was what Malcom X was trying to express. Not knowing what to do or how to do anything, would lead to no jobs to provide stability in people's lives and this would then lead to violence. “The teachings of Mr. Muhammad stressed how history had been “whitened”-when white men had written history books, the black man simply had been left out” (577).  This can be interpreted in today's society as well and how the powerful can alter anything they want. This could be seen through the multiple wars that have passed and how the winner could just alter the details to fit their narrative better. While in today's world, this can be seen through China and North Koreas governments and how they keep their information tightly secured and only let out what they want the civilians to see and hear. For example, in many documentaries of North Korea many of its civilians think their leader to be a God and as a fair person but in reality, he treats his people poorly but the people do not know that because they have no education of outside countries and how their civilians are treated. In general Malcom X was ahead of his time and only wished best for his people even if they had to fight for it. Dr. King on the other hand wished for the same but he refused to use any forms of violence and performed peaceful protests. Thanks for taking the time to read my discussion post and stay safe.

For this week’s discussion board, I will be discussing how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a radical, and how Malcolm X was reasonable and realistic. Both Dr. King and Malcolm X were very important figures during the civil rights movement key in representing justice for the Blacks. Despite their clashing course of actions, they both portrayed across the same message for the people, to the people keeping their candles of hope lit. Beginning with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King who talks about how the injustices have been solved. Dr. King states, “My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without legal and nonviolent pressure” (King 596). By saying this, he is trying to portray that only through “nonviolent” measures will they be able to move forward in civil rights and gain the justice they are seeking. By not following this course of action, changes in a positive manner will not be seen or will be made. Dr. King advocates a pacifist approach similar to Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and other great nonviolent leaders. On the other hand, Malcolm X takes a more reasonable and realistic approach as he talks about shaping lives. Malcolm X says, “I think, I hope, that the objective reader, in following my life- the life of only one ghetto-created negro- may gain a better picture and understanding than he was previously had of the black ghettos which are shaping the lives and the thinking of almost 22 million Negroes who live in America” (Malcolm X 585). Through this, Malcolm is essentially trying to voice out his wishes to people to follow his footsteps as a role model for fighting for rights and lives for the better. By seeing Malcolm X himself as an example, he is hoping that others are motivated to perform similar actions for the cause. There is an additional quote by Malcolm X where he talks about understanding each other is key to solving these injustices and helping us all to just be better humans. Malcolm X states, “We need more light about each other. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience creates unity” (Malcolm X 578). Malcolm X is trying to express that by getting to understand each other it will create a better atmosphere for us all, “creating unity”. The only difference between the two great leaders that had the same message for the people was that Dr. King adapted to a radical approach, while Malcolm X continued with a realistic or more violent approach.

In King’s work “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, there are many good points that he made about how ridiculous it was that he was locked up and the way that the town and surrounding area had been acting towards African-Americans. Rather than accepting the outlawing of segregation, they were choosing to ignore it, and treating non-white people unfairly. King suggested that the African-American population’s ignorance of laws had been greatly exaggerated, spurred mostly by what he called his refusal to follow unjust laws. King defined unjust laws as “any law that degrades human personality,” though I feel that today that can be seen as somewhat radical. If people were to take that literally, it highlights a flaw, considering that any law can be perceived differently than intended. For example, in today’s world, there are many women facing the issue of how to handle abortions. In some states, the procedure is outlawed, yet if someone thought that not being allowed an abortion could be considered degrading to humans, they could choose to follow through with it, whereas the people who feel that it is immoral to get one will find themselves on the other end of the discussion. As there are two sides to this debate, neither side will feel the other is just, thereby suggesting that this idea can lead down a slippery slope as far as following the law. 

In Malcolm X’s autobiography, I know one quote by heart, as it is written on the wall of my gym. He wrote “Anytime you find someone more successful than you are, especially when you're both engaged in the same business - you know they're doing something that you aren't.” This particularly resonates with me today, as it likely will for many people, as it shows that it doesn’t matter how successful you are, there is always room for improvement, and rather than envying the person who is better off than you, it might be better to ask their advice to open your mind to growth and potentially make a new ally, as well.

Malcolm X. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Grove Press, 1965. Print.

King, Martin L. Letter from the Birmingham Jail. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1994. Print.

   This questioning of the Christian faith by King is very similar to Malcolm X's views on Christianity. While in prison, X converted to Islam and, like King, had many critical things to say about the Christian religion in his book, "The Autobiography of Malcolm X". X expresses that there has been a historical pattern of white people using Christianity as a guise to colonize and oppress non-white cultures. He points out that while black men and women had been Christianity's most devout members, what had the religion ever really done for them? "The black man needs to reflect that he has been America's most fervent Christian -and where has it gotten him? In fact, in the white man's interpretation... where has Christianity brought this world?" (X, 581). X calls out the religion for not doing enough to combat racism, since so many of its followers are at the suffering end of it. He condemns the church for claiming to "sow racism" when in reality they "reap racism" (X, 581), turning black men away from the threshold of their churches because of the color of their skin.
   It's on these grounds where the two leaders find common ground. Both point out their disappointment in the Christian church and its treatment of its black members. While it isn't out of character for X to be critical of institutions, especially Christianity, it was more of a radical move for King to openly criticize the church since he's an active Christian leader. X and King had different methods for going about getting civil liberties for African Americans, but both stood up for what they believed in and weren't afraid to call out corrupt and bias institutions when they needed to be called out.