Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. Tactics and Philosophies
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. died over a half-century ago. Even in their death, the two remain to be among the most revered political activists not just in American history but also in global history. Their names are enshrined in the list of influential leaders of the American civil rights movement. They all struggled to undo the social injustices being meted on the African-American community as far as freedom and racial equality are concerned[1]. However, despite their achievements, there is a heated debate on the conflicting manner in which the two used to champion their courses. For instance, while Martin Luther King Jn. Advocated for passive resistance and non-violent direct action as a means to achieve equal rights, Malcolm X supported violent means and segregationist approach[2]. Therefore, this paper seeks to compare and contracts philosophies and tactics used by Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. in championing African-American rights.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born and bred by a bourgeois class family. Therefore, he was well educated and exposed not just to matters religion but also on the history of the United States. On the other hand, Malcolm X was born and bred in a humble background. He dropped out of school and started doing drugs[3]. King maintained a peaceful approach to fighting for freedom and racial justice since he believed that a peaceful dialogue would eliminate them. On the contrary, X supported a different view, which many people have argued that it could be traced back to his upbringing.
X believed in a separatist and nationalist philosophy, while King believed in non-violent resistance. King and Malcolm were both charismatic and prominent leaders of black movements, and their main objective was to fight for the empowerment of the African-American community. The main difference between them was their approach and attitude towards violence. Kind modeled his activities on Mahatma Gandhi philosophy, who used a non-violent approach to earn India from the British rule. As a consequence, he championed the very non-violent means to attain racial equality in the United States. Malcolm wanted the black community to use all means available to them to fight for their rights, including violence[4]. These two philosophies led to conflicting views in the minds of the people as far as sensibility is concerned. However, King’s philosophy appealed the most to American society in the 1960s.
King believed in a philosophy that one must be peaceful and friendly to receive fair treatment. He also believed that if he could manage to stop segregation in Birmingham, there was a possibility of segregation stopping everywhere. It was this philosophy that led to a turning point as far as the fighting of the Black civil rights is concerned. He capitalized on the new technology, for example, the television, which made it possible that both black and white people could see what the innocent people in the sit-inns, matches, and boycotts were receiving from white people. As a consequence, many people were convinced to join the movement and fight for civil rights[5]. This tactic led to the civil rights movement progressed from Birmingham to Selma, Alabama, and Montgomery and drew the attention of the white supremacists on the right of the black people to vote. Even though the protestors were confronted violently by white administrators, the results were positive as the laws were amended, and the blacks were granted the right to vote.
King letters are addressed to the white moderates, while X speeches are addressed to the black people. Nonetheless, they both seek to undo racial injustices facing the African-American community. The letters and speeches respectively engender shame in their audiences. For instance, King makes the white moderates feel ashamed about how they are not living up to moral and religious obligations in society. He invokes the biblical doctrines of Judaism and Christianity and makes his target audience feel as if they have failed to live as per their faith[6]. He compares his plight to that of Apostle Paul and makes an analogy of his sufferings to Jesus. This tactic makes his religious audience to start questioning some of the reservations they had regarding the civil rights movement. Malcolm X shames his African American audience about their agreeing to be mistreated by the political system of the day. This shaming was a tactic by X to encourage black people to improve their lives. He criticizes the political regime and attempts to make the ordinary black voter feel foolish for supporting leaders like Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy.
Both X and King were captivating to their audiences and drew them to their point of view of American society. Even though they communicated a different message, they captivated their audiences. They both used figurative language to persuade their audience. He illustrates the need for justice until all people are equal in his speeches using similes[7]. X also used smiles to demonstrate that all black people are “in the same boat, whether poor or wealthy or illiterate or educated.” They both felt the betrayal and lack of acceptance of the white man in the use of similes. However, even though they both used similar rhetorical devices to convince the same target population, the message they broadcasted was entirely different. For instance, when X says that black people can never be part of the American dream, King says that black people should struggle to be part of the American dream.
Another striking difference in philosophy or ideologies is that Martin Luther King Jr. believed that the African American community would only gain self-respect through integration[8]. On the other hand, X advanced a segregationist approach where he attempted to instill a sense of pride among the black people as far as their African heritage is concerned. For instance, in his famous speech ‘I Have a Dream’ King envisioned a nation void of racism and segregation.
In conclusion, even though both Malcolm and Kind succeeded in attaining racial equality and freedom for the Black community. The two civil rights activists were made of two opposite personalities. They both visualized some kind of change in American history, where black people will enjoy their freedom like free men and also not experience racial injustices. However, they never lived to see these changes. Their approaches were similar and too different. Whatever the case, they brought out a sense of confidence among the African American community, gave them strength and power, which was necessary for overcoming racial prejudice and disparity. Their way of conveying the message was, however, different and unique. King was keener on the wellness and equality of society and the world as a whole. In contrast, the interpretation of the world by X was blinded by bitterness and anger, as well as desire to avenge against the world that he considered having mistreated him.
Bibliography
Burrow Jr, Rufus. “Martin Luther King, Jr.: Non-violent Strategies and Tactics for Social Change.” Encounter 64, no. 1 (2003): 95.
Carson, Clayborne. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Hachette UK, 2001.
Carson, Clayborne. Malcolm X: The FBI File. Skyhorse, 2012Carson, Clayborne. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Hachette UK, 2001.
King Jr, Martin Luther. “Nonviolence and racial justice.” Christian Century 6 (1957): 165-167.
King Jr, Martin Luther. “Letter from Birmingham jail.” Liberating faith: Religious voices for justice, peace, & ecological wisdom (2012): 177-187.
Leff, M.C. and Utley, E.A., 2004. Instrumental and Constitutive Rhetoric in Martin Luther King Jr.’s” Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Rhetoric & Public Affairs, 7(1), pp.37-51.
Malcolm, X. The autobiography of Malcolm X. Ballantine Books, 2015..
Malcolm, X., and George Breitman. By any means necessary. New York: Pathfinder, 1992.
[1] Carson, Clayborne. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Hachette UK, 2001.
[2] Malcolm, X., and George Breitman. By any means necessary. New York: Pathfinder, 1992..
[3] Carson, Clayborne. Malcolm X: The FBI File. Skyhorse, 2012.
[4] Malcolm, X. The autobiography of Malcolm X. Ballantine Books, 2015..
[5]. King Jr, Martin Luther. “Letter from Birmingham jail.” Liberating faith: Religious voices for justice, peace, & ecological wisdom (2012): 177-187.
[6] King Jr, Martin Luther. “Nonviolence and racial justice.” Christian Century 6 (1957): 165-167.
[7] Leff, M.C. and Utley, E.A., 2004. Instrumental and Constitutive Rhetoric in Martin Luther King Jr.’s” Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Rhetoric & Public Affairs, 7(1), pp.37-51.
[8] Burrow Jr, Rufus. “Martin Luther King, Jr.: Non-violent Strategies and Tactics for Social Change.” Encounter 64, no. 1 (2003): 95.