Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of Sources

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1 How did the goals and strategies of Martin Luther King Jr. differ from those of Malcolm X during the Civil Rights Movement? History of the Americas HL January 19, 2016 Word Count: 2,193 Student Declaration: I assert that this historical investigation is solely my authentic work. I understand that if this work is copied or plagiarized that my historical investigation will not be submitted to the IBO and I will receive no grade from the IBO. Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of Sources 1

2 This investigation will address the question: How did the goals and strategies of Martin Luther King Jr. differ from those of Malcolm X s during the Civil Rights Movement? In order to answer this question, there will be an exploration and analysis of the methods used by each leader to achieve gain equality for African Americans during that time period. This investigation will also examine each leader s beliefs that initiated their goals, significance through their recognition and support by whites and blacks, and the success of their campaigns and organizations. The primary sources of this investigation include speeches that were given by each leader which reveal their intentions and procedures in achieving independence. The secondary sources of this investigation consist of biographies of each leader and brief outlook on the Civil Rights Movement. "Letter from Birmingham Jail," is an open speech written by Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American activist and humanitarian during the Civil Rights Movement of 1954 to The speech was released in April 1963 through King's responses on the margins of the newspaper. These responses were later found and published in June 1963 by a magazine called Liberation. This speech defends the strategy of nonviolent methods of protest to racial discrimination and segregation. The purpose of this speech is to encourage African Americans to pursue nonviolent protest as a response to the harsh racism that they endure from the whites in society. This source is valuable because it is a speech written by a man who experienced the terrible consequences of being African-American in a society that was led by white supremacy; therefore, he was aware of what methods of protest would thrive in order to achieve equal rights. However, this source is limited because it is was a letter written to encourage readers to carry out a movement without King's presence, and thus, provides only evidence that supports their movement, not evidence that contradicts or disagrees with the movement. 2

3 "Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X: A Common Solution" is a magazine article written by Robert Kelly and Erin Cook. OAH Magazine of History published this magazine article in The purpose of this article is to inform and challenge the readers' preconceived notions about the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X's in the struggle to achieve freedom for African Americans. This source is valuable because it has access to primary accounts and other sources from previous years that will lead to a thorough analysis on the roles of each leader during the Civil Rights Movement. However, this source is limited because it is a magazine article, therefore, it is initially designed to sell magazines and this will influence the language and central focus of the article. Section 2: Investigation Historically, blacks have struggled to assimilate into society because of racism and segregation and often dealt with threats, violence, and hate crimes. Therefore, when the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968 occurred, it was a major step for African Americans in achieving equality in society through the goals and strategies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. King's goals as a humanitarian were, to eliminate racial discrimination and to instill hope in blacks to pursue equality in the future. He believed that one day, blacks and whites would live together in peace, and blacks would be able to participate freely in American society without fear. King's strategies consisted of non-violent methods of protests, including sit-ins, bus strikes, and mass speeches. This method of nonviolence is evident in his speech, "Letter from Birmingham Jail" where King states, "In any non-violent campaign there are four basic steps, collection of facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification, and 3

4 direct action." 1 By collecting evidence, the victims can support their argument, by negotiating, there is some form of consult to resolve the issue, self-purification means to make personal sacrifice for the sake of progress, and the last step is to directly get involved. Additionally, King became involved with grassroot campaigns that fought for the equality of blacks from lower and middle classes. Another method used by King was creating organizations consisting of people with similar beliefs as his. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was created in 1957, which was an African-American civil rights organization that heavily impacted the Civil Rights Movement. King also created the Montgomery Association, which united black ministers, and community leaders of Montgomery, who planned the famous Montgomery bus boycott which allowed King to gain national attention. 2 Malcolm X's goals as a human rights activist included the achievement of freedom, justice, and equal opportunities for African Americans. Malcolm X fought for "black nationalism," which encouraged economic self-sufficiency, pride for African Americans and black separatism. In his "Black Man's History" speech, he states, "Then it'll be left up to you and me whether we want to integrate into this wicked race or leave them and separate and go to our own. And if we integrate we'll be destroyed along with them. If we separate then we have a chance for salvation." 3 Malcolm X encourages blacks to separate themselves from the white race and strive for their own independence and freedom as blacks. Additionally, Malcolm X also believed that blacks should reject white names the X symbolized how he rejected his last name and reconnected with their slave ancestors. Malcolm X also believed in the use of violence in 1 Martin Luther King Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Speech. Why We Can't Wait. (Apr. 1963). 2 Stewart, Burns. To The MountainTop: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Sacred Mission to Save America (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2004) "Malcolm-X -Black Man's History. Speech. (New York, Jun 1963). 4

5 achieving independence, as stated in a speech, "We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary." 4 This meant that freedom can be achieved through any methods, including violence. Malcolm X also used organizations as a method of achieving independence. As a member of the Nation of Islam which consisted of other black American Muslims that strived to create an independent, black, Muslim society in America, he promoted the group's values and goals to separate from white society. However, after his pilgrimage to Mecca and corruption of the NOI, he created the Muslim Mosque in Additionally, Malcolm X also created the Organization of Afro-American Unity in 1964 that strived for restoration, reorientation, education, and economic security for all blacks. This organization represented the real goals of Malcolm X and along with other nations fought for these rights of African Americans. Both Malcolm X and King had different goals and strategies in achieving freedom for African Americans. One distinctive difference in each leader s methods in their fight for independence was the significance of violence. Whereas King promoted nonviolent methods of protest, Malcolm X encouraged violence as a form of self defense. Non-violence protest had gained recent attention from Gandhi who was leading the Independence Movement in India and therefore inspired King. Additionally, violent protest implied the use of more violence in the future, thus the publicity of this intention could have affected Malcolm X's supporters. Before each leader created their own organization, both King and Malcolm X participated in groups to understand the reality of African Americans in different ways. King participated in grassroot campaigns that increased King s awareness of African American lives in lower and middle class. These campaigns improved King's protest because he gained more supporters in his 4 Malcolm X. "Malcolm X's Speech At the Founding Rally for of the Organization of Afro-American Unity." (New York, 28 June 1964). 5

6 fight for independence. Malcolm X joined the Nation of Islam, and gained new insights of blacks being the original people of the world, superiority of blacks to whites, and the evilness of the white race. These ideals lead motivated Malcolm X to become a human rights activist, until he left the Nation of Islam because of the group's intense beliefs that did not reflect what Malcolm X wanted to portray in society. 5 Both Malcolm X and King created their own organizations that promoted their goals and strategies to gain equality for African Americans. King created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, along with other civil rights activists to follow moral values and organize nonviolent protests with black churches. 6 Similarly, Malcolm X created the Organization of Afro-American Unity in This organization consisted of many Muslim African countries that fought for human rights of African Americans and gain equality between African Americans and their descendants. The leaders used similar methods when participating and creating their own organizations, they participated in an organization that used religion as its foundation to achieve independence and when creating their own organizations, they combined minority groups to establish one big group to fight for their cause. Both activists guided their followers through mass speeches. In his, "I Have a Dream Speech," King states, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' " 7 In this statement, King reiterates his dream for equality of all races in the near future. In Malcolm X's "The Black Revolution," speech, he asks, "God wants us to separate ourselves from this wicked white race here in America because this American House of Bondage is number one 5 Bernard Aquina Doctor. Malcolm X For Beginners. (Connecticut: For Beginners LLC, 1992) Stewart, Burns. To The MountainTop: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Sacred Mission to Save America (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2004) Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have A Dream." Speech. (Washington D.C. 1963). 6

7 on God's list for divine destruction today." 8 It is evident that Malcolm X uses religion to support his argument of the separation of blacks and whites in this society. Through their motivational speeches, both leaders clearly guide to their path of freedom. Initially, the goals of King and Malcolm X were similar, to establish equality for blacks. Each leader, however, defined equality differently. For King, equality of African Americans were the natural rights every human of every race was entitled to, whereas for Malcolm X, equality for African Americans was their individual and divine rights. Additionally, both leaders had different beliefs that influenced their approach in gaining their form of equality for African Americans. King focused on the assimilation of blacks in society, whereas, Malcolm X was more interested in equal rights and the separation of blacks from whites in society. Both leaders practiced what they preached, King's beliefs of nonviolence mainly guided his form of protest and for Malcolm X, his beliefs of achieving equality through any means necessary meant using violence as a form of self-defense. Both leaders participated in and created their own organizations that raised awareness of the harsh realities for African Americans. Thus, it is evident that due to their exposure to different religious organizations and participation in varying groups their perspective on the role and significance of African Americans in society varied. Both leaders created a powerful impact during the Civil Rights Movement through their speeches, protest, and involvement in organizations that led to the eventual freedom of African Americans in this society. Section 3: Reflection By completing this investigation, I have gained insight into different methods used by historians as well as the struggles they must overcome when they are researching and analyzing history. I have developed a useful skill in analyzing how influential leaders impact significant 8 Malcolm X. "The Black Revolution. Speech. (New York, Dec 1962). 7

8 movements despite having similar initiatives. In order to carry out this investigation, I read biographies and speeches of the two leaders as well as books about the historical movement which were methods used by historians. In my investigation, I recognized some challenges that historians must overcome with their research. Using biographical books proved to be overwhelming, as they did not provide all of the necessary information about the goals and method of each leader during the movement. These goals were similar and generalized in biographical books such as Kevin Brown s Malcolm X: His Life and Legacy. In order to understand the methods and goals of the leaders, I focused on the speeches of the leaders, and by analyzing the context and content of their speeches; I was able to identify the strategies of Malcolm X. When I researched King, I tried to focus more on the analysis of King s presence during the movement, thus sources such as Stewart Burns To The MountainTop: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Sacred Mission to Save America allowed me to fully understand King s impact during the movement. For this investigation, there were specific aspects of the leaders that I was required to research. Similarly, for most historians, when researching a specific event, people, or idea there is a variety of information to research from. However, it is important to obtain and analyze the information that is solely necessary for their research. Historical events are always biased, thus the details must be obtained from a few reliable sources and then analyzed thoroughly. Overall, the research process of this investigation allowed me to gain greater insight on the historical significance of these leaders. 8

9 Bibliography Brown, Kevin. Malcolm X: His Life and Legacy. Minneapolis, MI: Millbrook Press, Print. Burns, Stewart. To The MountainTop: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Sacred Mission to Save America New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Carson, Carlborn "The Unfinished Dialogue of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X." OAH Magazine Of History 19, no. 1: Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost Doctor, Aquina, Bernard, Malcolm X For Beginners. Danbury, CT: For Beginners LLC, Print. Karson, Jill. Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, Print. King, Martin Luther Jr. "I Have A Dream." Speech. Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. 28 Aug American Rhetoric. King, Martin Luther Jr. "Letter From A Birmingham Jail." Speech. Why We Can't Wait, ed. Martin Luther King Jr., Apr Malcolm X. "Black Man's History." Speech. Harlem, New York. Jun Malcolm-X. Malcolm X. Black Revolution. Speech. Harlem, New York. Dec Malcolm-X. Malcolm X. Malcolm X s Speech at the Founding Rally of the Organization of Afro-American Unity. Speech. Washington Heights, Manhattan. 28 Jun Black Past. McGrath, Garett. "A Great War Among the Brothers of This Earth." Wilson Quarterly (Spring 2015): 1. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost 9