...Martin & Malcolm & America In this paper, there will be a primary focus on two of the most prominent leaders during the civil rights era. These two leaders are Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. The paper will discuss how these extraordinary men made their phenomenal contributions to America by offering to bring about their own political, racial, and social views that were affecting the people of color. Their ability to voice their strong opinions about the injustices that were taking place among African Americans and the oppositions that were before them gave them the durability to prolong the fight for freedom and justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were both men of purpose, dignity, and pride. The ongoing effort they gave for the people and to the people helped them to earn the respect that has followed them for decades. For that reason, this paper will reflect the ways in which both men contributed to the African American culture and the shaping of America in an effort to bring about a change that was needed to move forward. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X had different political philosophies; however, they both went about using different methods to campaign for civil rights. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a champion of non-violent protests and peace marches. His speeches entranced both blacks and whites into action for the civil rights movement. MLK knew that if the blacks worked for peace, peacefully, then equality was inevitable. “What they...
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...his name was Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X. Malcolm X got his point across and successfully improved the Civil rights of African Americans with the support of not only African Americans but Muslims too. There will be three focal points I will be discussing in this research paper. The first one being the nation of Islam made a huge difference in the popularity growth of Malcolm X which allowed Malcolm to have a louder voice in public and be able to speak to the people. The second one consist of Malcolm being smart with how he approached communicating with the people, he spoke and...
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...Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X. The book traces the story of Malcolm X’s upbringing and displays how he rose to become the person that he is known for to this present day. Throughout his...
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...Malcolm X Labeled as one of the greatest speakers in African-American history, Malcolm X delivered a powerful speech entitled “Ballot or the Bullet” on April 3, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. In the profound speech, Malcolm looks to unite all blacks in America, disregarding their religion, and to promote Black Nationalism. Black Nationalism, through the eyes of Malcolm, mainly causes for blacks to take over the politics in their communities. Along with the political aspects, Black Nationalism requires blacks to stop supporting white businesses and only invest in black-owned businesses and companies. Malcolm’s Black Nationalism has a “self-help” philosophy, in which blacks control the jobs, housing and culture of their communities. In addition to uplifting the black community, Black Nationalism also called to unite blacks from different religions to fight for freedom (according to Malcolm, second-class citizens, which most black were classified as, were 20th Century slaves.) Another one of Malcolm’s viewpoints is on a black revolution in America. He seemed upset that in his speech that blacks in the south were choosing the lax methods of sit-ins as a form of desegregation. Malcolm felt that if blacks were to gain freedom in America, blood must be shed, referring back to the term revolution. In Africa, he mentions, blacks did not gain their independence from European nations peacefully, however, that they had to fight, kill, and be killed to gain liberty. He also mentions how bloody...
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...Ever since the Reconstruction era after the Civil War there has been the issue of race and equality and rights. A movement occurred and two men gained power and influence the African American community. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X two men having experienced different things in their lives held different beliefs and morals and influenced people based upon those things. Martin Luther King Jr., came from a Baptist home with a fairly easy childhood, he was educated when he was younger and attended Morehouse College, an all black college, where he had several role models that shaped his beliefs. Malcolm X, on the other hand, experienced a hard childhood and used drugs and committed other crimes in his early adult years. While in prison he found a father figure in Elijah Muhammad and joined the Nation of Islam. There are many differences between Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X in the way they acted and influenced the African American community. This paper will look to describe their differing views and analyze their actions and their lives. In most cases a person’s childhood has a lasting affect on the rest of a person’s life. In comparing Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X this seems to be the case. Martin Luther King Jr., was born January 19, 1929 and was raised by a strong supportive family. He had a somewhat privileged life and “never experienced the feeling of not having the basic necessities of life.”[1] His father “was a community leader in Atlanta...
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...Malcolm X A Controversial Leader Iris Robinson Central Michigan University PSC 785 Dr. Robert Boggs Abstract This paper is going analyze the leadership traits, behavior and power that made Malcolm X the type of leader that he was. Malcolm X was considered a great leader to some people because of what he believed in. Malcolm X was a very controversial leader because of his views on different subject. This paper will show how Malcolm X went from follower to a leader. Malcolm X possess a lot of good trait that people look for in good leader such as motivator, responsible, assertive, self-confidence, firm and task orientate and most of all honesty. Leadership can be defined as a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Leadership is also a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. There are certain trait that a good leader must possessed such as excellent communication skills, be direct, be fair, capable and kind yet firm. Good leader also possess certain personal qualities. A good leader needs to have an exemplary character. A good leader should be enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as leader. A good leader should be confident. A leader also needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty. Good leaders...
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...“The Ballot or the Bullet” by Malcolm X In 1960’s America, the Civil Rights Movement was divided. Both sides sought change for the black community but by different means, and to different ends. They were all frustrated and fed up with the oppression with which they were forced to live. Today we especially remember two iconic figures as a representative of each side. The two great civil rights leaders of the 1960’s, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, held diametrically opposed political philosophies. King was a pacifist, in the tradition of Gandhi before him. Malcolm X was a radical, who advocated for violence. Both, however, shared a common goal—real freedom for African Americans. Malcolm X’s speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” was a direct response to Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech of a month before. The speech is directed at Americas black population. At this point in history black people in America often belonged to the country’s lowest social- and economic group. This meant that a large part of the black community had little to no education. Malcolm X adjusted his rhetoric accordingly. In Malcolm X’s attempt to reach and address this part of society he used different types of language. His use of negative connotations is an example of the low style language which appears in his speech. He used these connotations when he for example referred to white people as “crackers”. “The Ballot or the Bullet” is Malcolm X’s equivalent of King’s “I...
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...Malcolm did not condone outright violence for he wanted his people to always be prepared for it and if there is a just cause then it shall be deemed justifiable. He firmly stuck to this stance for he felt that due to the oppression the african americans have faced throughout the history of the United States, if anyone had the right to use self-defence it was african americans. As he stated in his speech, “We are not non violent with anyone who is violent against us.” (X,M) for, any force brought upon him and his people are to met with force themselves. He wanted his supporters to be prepared for a revolution as well as wanting the numbers of his people to stand against the individuals in power for all of his people deserved their rights as human beings. Malcolm explicitly expressed his views on manhood in standing up for oneself and one’s people for one can not wait around and let others step up to the plate for them. In his speech Malcolm X stated, “Its time...
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...Malcolm X Malcolm X in my eyes can be one of the most inspiring human in anyone’s life. When he was young he was adventurous and did not stay tied down to one city or town. He was born in May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. The family had soon moved to Lansing, Michigan where Malcolm spent most of his childhood. Soon after Malcolm dropped out of junior high, his sister Ella opened an opportunity for him to leave Lansing and go to Roxbury, Boston. Ella was a strong independent black woman, who supported Malcolm in any time of need. In Roxbury he meets Shorty, who becomes Malcolm’s best friend; also the man who got him his first job as a shoe shiner. This is when he first gets his experience in dealing with white customers. Slowly but steadily learning street knowledge from Shorty. Later he would move again to Harlem. There he met Sammy, who was a pimp. Sammy was able to read women like a book. Malcolm would learn how and use it to read people later on. He was fast on his feet and adapting and taking in anything he can benefit from to survive in Harlem. Soon after West Indian Archie ran him out of Harlem because of a bet that neither was sure of who lost or won. He was well known gangster who ran the numbers racket. This is the beginning as to where Malcolm’s life would change. He ran away to back to Boston and starting burglarizing the neighborhood. February 1946 Malcolm was sentenced to jail and sent to Charlestown state prison along with shorty. They had an eight to ten...
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...Malcolm X and his views on white people “For the white man to ask the black man if he hates him, is just like the rapist asking the raped, or the wolf asking the sheep, ‘Do you hate me?’ The white man is in no moral position to accuse anyone else of hate!” (Malcolm X, Autobiography of Malcolm X, 1965) Malcolm X (b.May 19, 1925; d.February 21, 1965) is also known as El-Hjaa Malik El-Shabazz, but he changed his name after he became a Muslim. Malcolm is best known as one of the most influential leaders in the African American liberation movement and a national figure as a human rights activist. He was a spokesman for the Nation of Islam where he was influenced by Elijah Muhammad and Marcus Garvey. Detractors accused him of preaching racism, black supremacy, and violence and today some people still think of him as a racist. In this essay we will look deeper into that particular allegation and answer the question posed, “Was Malcolm X really a racist?” Early on in life Malcolm experienced racism from both white and black people. He was the fourth child of eight and happened to be born with the fairest complexion. Based on his fair skin colour, Malcolm’s father, Earl, treated him better than his other sons. Malcolm had a difficult childhood as his father, Earl, was killed by the KKK and his family was left to suffer in poverty. Malcolm’s mother, Louise, was then institutionalized when suffering a complete breakdown after she was driven crazy by a white welfare agent, and...
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...------------------------------------------------- The Ballot or the bullet Malcolm X Cory Methodist Church Cleveland, Ohio April 3, 1964 Garret Feucht COM 250 – Prof. Heins 10/29/15 Garret Feucht COM 250 – Prof. Heins 10/29/15 (Daniels, 2014) The Ballot or the Bullet is the title of one of the many speeches given by human rights activist Malcolm X. In his speech he focuses on the oppression of the African American, and how African Americans are able to stand up against the illegal segregation. Malcolm also focuses on the African American’s right to vote, and how effective each vote actually is. He also warns the government that if he and his people are not able to vote that they may have to take up arms. The Ballot or the Bullet is among one of Malcolm’s most famous speeches being ranked at number seven in a Top 100 list of speeches in the 20th century. (News, 2008) On May 19, 1925 Malcolm Little was born to parents Earl and Louise Little the fourth of seven children. Born in Omaha, Nebraska the Little family shortly after moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and then to Lansing, Michigan to avoid any further harassment from the Ku Klux Klan. In 1929, just four years after Malcolm was born, the LIttle family house was burned down. This was no accident it was believed to have been burned by members of the Black Legion. At the age of six Malcolm’s father passed away in an automobile accident. Rumors spread that Earl had been murdered by white racists. His mother believed...
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...Great Racial Debate; and Differences of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. for Racial Equality America in the 1960s was marked by an era of unfortunate segregation, violence and unrest towards African Americans in the country. They faced often-brutal violence and a government that had forgotten them in regards to human rights. Blacks needed something to be done about the harm and inequality they were facing at the time. Fortunately, two men in particular rose to the occasion to fight for what they believed in. They focused on achieving the same goal of a better society for Blacks. However, they differed greatly in regards to how they sought to complete this goal. While Malcolm X often viewed the problem as a war and wanted to ensure that his people would have the means and the power to fight back against the harmful Whites. Martin Luther King Jr. believed it would be more beneficial to both parties if the violence ceased to exist. The struggle for racial equality caused Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. to seek separate and contradictory methods of achieving what they felt was right for African Americans. One main difference between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. was their distinctive childhoods. The two men were raised under dissimilar circumstances and environments. It can be supposed that the way they grew up directly relates to the views they had on the racial problems and the way they dealt with them. Malcolm X (1925 – 1965) had a terrible way of life...
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...Science and Technology Malcolm X and the effect of his literature On the Black Civil Rights Movement Ohoud Al-Awadhi Ibrahim Al-Hiyari American Literature 12/1/13 Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on the day of May 19, 1925. He decided to withdrawal from middle school at the age 15. This resulted in the him being convicted of robbery and as a result, being sent to prison at the age of twenty one. In that facility, the Nation of Islam which were a group of Black Muslims, were a group of which he found interest in. After he left prison in 1952, he devoted himself to helping the Black Muslims, and later adopted the name; Malcolm X. Unfortunately, the group eventually decided to overthrow him, due to remarks made about John F. Kennedy (Helfer 34). This led him to depart from that movement. During March, 1964, he was occupied in arranging first the Muslim Mosque, Inc., and the Organization of Afro American Unity. He travelled twice to Africa and the Middle East also in the same year. That would end only three months after he returned (X &Perry 14). Once he landed in United States, he was assassinated in the city of New York on February 21, 1965. Since his child hood, Malcolm X was born into a society that embarked the ideas of radical Black tradition. Once he left prison, Malcolm joined the Nation of Islam and was taught by Elijah Muhammad. As with all Nation of Islam members, Malcolm little transformed to Malcolm X, to counter his slave name...
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...Rhetorical Analysis of the “Ballot or the Bullet” and “Somebody Blew Up America” The purpose of this essay to compare and contrast the rhetoric in Amira Baraka’s “Somebody Blew up America” and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet in regards to ethos, pathos, and logos. Amiri Baraka, born Everett LeRoi Jones, was an African-American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism. Baraka read his poem “Somebody Blew up America?” on the September 11th attacks and was heavily criticized for anti-Semitism and attacks on public figures. His poem is free verse and has no set structure but maintains its rhythmic elements for oral sharing. The poem was meant to be shared orally so that Baraka would be able to emphasize and share lines specifically for an audience. Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, was an African-American Muslim minister...
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...Patrick Brown Mr.Challandes AP Language and Composition 24 February 2015 Malcolm X: Building Up the Fire of the Civil Rights Movement “Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it” (Malcolm X). This quote from one of Malcolm X’s speeches embodies who he was as a person and what he valued. As a civil rights activist, Malcolm learned not to let the hate of others prevent him from living out his life the way he wanted. While others pushed a pacifist movement, Malcolm understood that there would be no peaceful way to resolve the civil rights issues. Malcolm was prepared to fight for his own rights, and even put his own life at risk. The impact that he had on the Civil rights movement was rivaled only by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and all of his ideas were culminated into one speech, called The Ballot or the Bullet. Malcolm X’s speech comes during April of 1963, a critical time during the American Civil rights movement, and Malcolm’s ability to target and rile up the emotions of his African-American audience is what makes his speech so powerful. During the 1960’s, America was a hostile environment for an ambitious African-American citizen. Although executive leaders, such as John F. Kennedy, were promising that they had been doing as much as possible to improve civil rights, not enough actual progress had been made to improve the lives of African-Americans. In 1963 alone, a year in which the civil rights...
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