Question

How were the beliefs of Macolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. different?

Answer 1

Hint: Both men were descendants of politically engaged preacher fathers and were born in the 1920s. In Georgia, King grew up in a healthy, comparatively affluent middle-class family.

Complete answer:
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are often depicted as competing sides in the fight for civil rights and against white supremacy; King is often represented as a nonviolent insider, while Malcolm X is portrayed as a political renegade who would go to whatever length to achieve his goals.

They both met for the first and last time in Washington, D.C. on March 26, 1964. Malcolm was killed by an assassin's bullet less than a year later, effectively ending the chance of a lasting thaw between two of America's most powerful Black politicians.

Malcolm (born Malcolm Little) grew up in a household plagued by neglect and crime. Malcolm's father, a supporter of Marcus Garvey, was murdered by what his family claimed were white nationalists when he was a teenager.

For a few years, his mother was institutionalised. Malcolm dropped out of school despite his intelligence and finally fell into a life of crime. He was arrested at the age of 21 and while in jail was converted to the Nation of Islam.

Garvey's teachings inspired the group, and Malcolm became one of the most influential followers of Elijah Muhammad, the group's leader, after his conversion and release from prison.

King and Malcolm sparred on the right strategies for combating racial bias and bigotry. Malcolm was a harsh opponent of King's nonviolent style, arguing that his words were too sluggish and welcoming of white Americans, also calling him "a 20th-century Uncle Tom." Malcolm vowed to take a more radical stance in order to achieve freedom and Black emancipation through “any means necessary.”

Note: Despite their disagreements, Malcolm attempted to get King and other civil rights activists together. Malcolm welcomed King to a rally in Harlem in July 1963.