close
Compare and Contrast Essay
Why did Martin Luther King Jr. win the Nobel Peace Prize? Why not Malcolm X? Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are both essential and well-known black heroes in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement. Both of them grew up in the same period of time, 1920-1960, and both were tragically assassinated. Although Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X have some parallels, they exhibit essential and intense differences in the way that they preach about the equal rights between blacks and whites. While Malcolm X long believed that it is impossible to achieve full equality with whites without fierce force and revolution, Martin Luther King Jr., for most of his life, promoted non-violent integration, urging that blacks and whites should be united and live together in peace. Why do these two powerful leaders display considerable discrepancies where it concerns the promotion of black rights?
First of all, the family backgrounds of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X have great influences on their responses to American racism. Martin Luther King Jr., born in Atlanta in 1929, was raised in a middle-class family where his parents gave him all the love they could, and protected him from fear, although blacks suffered considerable injustice at that time. In addition, with significant economic support from family, King’s home was almost dream-like to many people. “King paraded his graduation present in a new green Chevrolet before his fellow graduates,” the example from the book Reflecting Black gives us a rough idea about his carefree childhood.
Malcolm X, on the other hand, born in Nebraska in 1925, grew up in an insecure and underprivileged family. The burning of his house resulted in the murder of his father. His mother later suffered a nervous breakdown, so his family was forced to be split up. As a result, Malcolm X was sent to a foster house and haunted by this early nightmare for most of his life. From that time, he was driven by hatred and a desire for revenge. Malcolm X’s despair about life was fully reflected in his furious and hostile speech to his followers, saying that whites had no moral conscience; therefore, they needed to rise up to protest against their white enemies.
Besides vast discrepancies in their family backgrounds, King and Malcolm X’s educational backgrounds also prepared them to develop distinct philosophies about promoting the black civil rights. King was a smart student, skipping two grades before entering Morehouse College at the age of fifteen. According to “Biographical Outline of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” King graduated from Morehouse in 1948 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Crozer Theological Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951. He received his Ph. D. in Systematic Theology in 1955 at Boston University. Apparently, King was given the best education by going to Ivy League schools early in his life.
In contrast with King’s successful academic studies, Malcolm X learned by himself. He went to jail when he was young after he committed a murder. He learned words from a dictionary, page by page in the middle of the night. In spite of being under a harsh environment, Malcolm X demonstrated strong motivation and determination. “Fortunately, right outside my door was a corridor light that cast a glow into my room. The glow was enough to read by, once my eyes adjusted to it. So when ‘lights out’ came, I would sit on the flow where I could continue reading in that glow,” according to “The Autobiography of Malcolm X(1965). King and Malcolm X’s childhoods are a “study of polarity.”
Moreover, King and Malcolm X have very different religions. King was a Christian Baptist minister. Christianity believes that Jesus is a symbol of unconditional love, promoting peace, compassion and harmony. These entirely shaped King’s the philosophy to preach about equality through non-violent approach. With a positive attitude, King was a peaceful leader who believed that through peaceful demonstrations and arguments, blacks would be able to someday achieve full equality with whites. “He travelled along the country giving speeches that inspired black and white listeners to work together for racial harmony," according to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Movement.
King’s most famous speech, “I Have a Dream,” was delivered to over 250,000 people in the demonstration in Washington. "I have a dream that one day every valley will be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places shall be made plain, and the crooked places shall be made straight, and the glory of the lord shall be revealed, and all shall see it together," King addressed in his “I Have a Dream” speech. King, at the age of thirty-five, was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize.
On the contrast, Malcolm X spent most of his time as an Islamic minister. At that time, Black Muslim was considered a radical religious group which promoted the white man as the enemy of the black man. Only through violation and force could the black attain rights in the society. This religious belief deeply developed Malcolm X’s mindset about nationalist and separatist doctrines. He also preached about Black Nationalism, and as some would call it “black supremacy.”(Reporter from Malcolm X movie)
It should be evident that the influences of family, education and religion play crucial roles in the promotion of Dr. King and Malcolm X’s messages. No matter what approaches they advocate, their end-goals are the same – achieving equality between all races. It is no doubt that both of them have exhibited brilliant merits in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement.
Why did Martin Luther King Jr. win the Nobel Peace Prize? Why not Malcolm X? Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are both essential and well-known black heroes in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement. Both of them grew up in the same period of time, 1920-1960, and both were tragically assassinated. Although Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X have some parallels, they exhibit essential and intense differences in the way that they preach about the equal rights between blacks and whites. While Malcolm X long believed that it is impossible to achieve full equality with whites without fierce force and revolution, Martin Luther King Jr., for most of his life, promoted non-violent integration, urging that blacks and whites should be united and live together in peace. Why do these two powerful leaders display considerable discrepancies where it concerns the promotion of black rights?
First of all, the family backgrounds of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X have great influences on their responses to American racism. Martin Luther King Jr., born in Atlanta in 1929, was raised in a middle-class family where his parents gave him all the love they could, and protected him from fear, although blacks suffered considerable injustice at that time. In addition, with significant economic support from family, King’s home was almost dream-like to many people. “King paraded his graduation present in a new green Chevrolet before his fellow graduates,” the example from the book Reflecting Black gives us a rough idea about his carefree childhood.
Malcolm X, on the other hand, born in Nebraska in 1925, grew up in an insecure and underprivileged family. The burning of his house resulted in the murder of his father. His mother later suffered a nervous breakdown, so his family was forced to be split up. As a result, Malcolm X was sent to a foster house and haunted by this early nightmare for most of his life. From that time, he was driven by hatred and a desire for revenge. Malcolm X’s despair about life was fully reflected in his furious and hostile speech to his followers, saying that whites had no moral conscience; therefore, they needed to rise up to protest against their white enemies.
Besides vast discrepancies in their family backgrounds, King and Malcolm X’s educational backgrounds also prepared them to develop distinct philosophies about promoting the black civil rights. King was a smart student, skipping two grades before entering Morehouse College at the age of fifteen. According to “Biographical Outline of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” King graduated from Morehouse in 1948 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Crozer Theological Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951. He received his Ph. D. in Systematic Theology in 1955 at Boston University. Apparently, King was given the best education by going to Ivy League schools early in his life.
In contrast with King’s successful academic studies, Malcolm X learned by himself. He went to jail when he was young after he committed a murder. He learned words from a dictionary, page by page in the middle of the night. In spite of being under a harsh environment, Malcolm X demonstrated strong motivation and determination. “Fortunately, right outside my door was a corridor light that cast a glow into my room. The glow was enough to read by, once my eyes adjusted to it. So when ‘lights out’ came, I would sit on the flow where I could continue reading in that glow,” according to “The Autobiography of Malcolm X(1965). King and Malcolm X’s childhoods are a “study of polarity.”
Moreover, King and Malcolm X have very different religions. King was a Christian Baptist minister. Christianity believes that Jesus is a symbol of unconditional love, promoting peace, compassion and harmony. These entirely shaped King’s the philosophy to preach about equality through non-violent approach. With a positive attitude, King was a peaceful leader who believed that through peaceful demonstrations and arguments, blacks would be able to someday achieve full equality with whites. “He travelled along the country giving speeches that inspired black and white listeners to work together for racial harmony," according to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Movement.
King’s most famous speech, “I Have a Dream,” was delivered to over 250,000 people in the demonstration in Washington. "I have a dream that one day every valley will be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places shall be made plain, and the crooked places shall be made straight, and the glory of the lord shall be revealed, and all shall see it together," King addressed in his “I Have a Dream” speech. King, at the age of thirty-five, was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize.
On the contrast, Malcolm X spent most of his time as an Islamic minister. At that time, Black Muslim was considered a radical religious group which promoted the white man as the enemy of the black man. Only through violation and force could the black attain rights in the society. This religious belief deeply developed Malcolm X’s mindset about nationalist and separatist doctrines. He also preached about Black Nationalism, and as some would call it “black supremacy.”(Reporter from Malcolm X movie)
It should be evident that the influences of family, education and religion play crucial roles in the promotion of Dr. King and Malcolm X’s messages. No matter what approaches they advocate, their end-goals are the same – achieving equality between all races. It is no doubt that both of them have exhibited brilliant merits in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement.
全站熱搜
留言列表
