Comparing Philosophies Of Martin Luther King Jr, And Malcolm X
Contrary to what some would have you believe, Democrats and Republicans have the same goal; to improve America and make it the greatest country on earth. The difference is they have polar opposite philosophies on how to get this accomplished. I feel the same is true for Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcolm X. They both advocate equal rights; however, their basic philosophy is very different. I understand that if I were African American I might see this completely different, but I am not. Therefore, all I can do is give you my opinion from my perspective.
As I listen to Martin Luther King Jr. give his famous “I have a Dream” speech, I feel like he is a unifier. MLK is not only educating and rallying the black people to a cause, he is also
educating the white people to the fact that all people should be treated the same regardless of the color of their skin. That no one should be treated better or worse than another simply because of their ethnicity. I don not feel that he wants anything more from society than the equality that is all of our God given right. Dr. King was a pastor and he preached non-violent reform out of the love in his heart.
I admit that before this class I had not listened to any of Malcolm X speeches, so I very much enjoyed this assignment. The immediate difference I heard was that the content of Malcolm X’s message was one of all the injustices that had gotten us to where we were, and how nationalism was the answer. I did not know what nationalism meant, so I looked it up and here is what I found, “ It refers to the philosophy that African Americans should be both defining and self-determined in relation to the rest of the U.S. society. This form of nationalism include demands for territorial cession, political empowerment or increased cultural autonomy.” ( Black Nationalism, 2005) I understand that both of these men spent their entire lives fighting for equality, but the way I see it, Dr King was a unifier, and Malcolm X was a divider. Martin Luther King Jr. used words like “we” and “together” while Malcolm X used words like “us and “them”.
As I listen to Martin Luther King Jr. give his famous “I have a Dream” speech, I feel like he is a unifier. MLK is not only educating and rallying the black people to a cause, he is also
educating the white people to the fact that all people should be treated the same regardless of the color of their skin. That no one should be treated better or worse than another simply because of their ethnicity. I don not feel that he wants anything more from society than the equality that is all of our God given right. Dr. King was a pastor and he preached non-violent reform out of the love in his heart.
I admit that before this class I had not listened to any of Malcolm X speeches, so I very much enjoyed this assignment. The immediate difference I heard was that the content of Malcolm X’s message was one of all the injustices that had gotten us to where we were, and how nationalism was the answer. I did not know what nationalism meant, so I looked it up and here is what I found, “ It refers to the philosophy that African Americans should be both defining and self-determined in relation to the rest of the U.S. society. This form of nationalism include demands for territorial cession, political empowerment or increased cultural autonomy.” ( Black Nationalism, 2005) I understand that both of these men spent their entire lives fighting for equality, but the way I see it, Dr King was a unifier, and Malcolm X was a divider. Martin Luther King Jr. used words like “we” and “together” while Malcolm X used words like “us and “them”.