The Civil Rights Movement, which took place throughout the 1950s and1960s, was a non-violent movement that sought to establish equal rights, privileges, and treatment for African American men and women. The main goals of this movement were to establish voting rights for the African American population, and to do away with segregation and move towards the integration of the American populous. Within this movement were well known leaders, like Martin Luther King, Jr., who helped bring attention to the issues the Black community was combatting on a daily basis. There were also leaders at this time, Like Malcolm X, who opposed the goals of the Civil Rights Movement and sought to defend themselves from racial oppression brought on by White America (ushistory.org). From the documents, “The Ethical Demands for Integration,” “The Black Revolution,” and “Independence, Not Separation” we are able to gain a better understanding of each of these leader’s, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X’s, individual goals, and positions in regard to the Civil Rights Movement. We will also gain a better understanding of how they did or did not contribute to its established goals.
Martin Luther King, Jr., was a minister and a civil-rights activist from Atlanta, GA, who was an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement. His involvement in this movement began in the mid 1950s and span to his assassination in April of 1968 (biography.com). In the infancy of his leadership, King co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) alongside other activists like Ella Baker. After SCLC’s founding King slowly began to gain media attention, making him a ‘celebrity’ in the Civil Rights community (Pitzulo, “Civil Rights Movement”). One of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s main goals was integration, which he outlines in, “The Ethical Demands for Integration.” In this document King states that, “desegregation alone is empty and shallow. We must always be aware of the fact that our ultimate goal is integration, and that desegregation is only a first step on the road to the good society” (Howard-Pitney, 59). King understood that integration would be a long term goal, and that he may not live to see the day that it occurred in America. He justifies the importance of Integration by stating that, “De-segregation then is not enough for it only travels a part of the distance…Only integration can unchain the spirit and mind and provide for the highest degree of life-quality freedom” (Howard-Pitney, 63). Even though King and his followers sought to have an integrated society, they knew that they could not neglect the importance of de-segregation. They knew that the abolishment of laws could not break the mindsets of individuals — that is why integration was not a short-term goal. King’s long-term goal of integration greatly influenced, and encouraged the members of Civil Rights Movement to continue their peaceful fight for what was just, even when King could no longer fight along-side his fellow activists.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was Malcolm X, an outspoken leader of the Black Muslim Faith who challenged the goals and beliefs of the Civil Rights Movement (history.com), and was open to using more violent tactics to achieve his goals. He believed that a non-violent approach was too submissive to the White community, and, instead, encouraged his followers to defend themselves “by any means necessary” (history.com). In an excerpt from his, “The Black Revolution” speech Malcolm X proclaims that, “The black masses don’t want segregation nor do we want integration. What we want is complete separation. In short, We don't want to be segregated by the white man, we don’t wan’t to be integrated with the white man, we want to be separated from the white man” (Howard-Pitney, 69). Within this speech there were also many references to scripture. For example, X concluded that, “Nowhere in the scriptures did God ever integrate his enslaved people with their slave masters. God always separates his oppressed people from their oppressor and then destroys the oppressor” (Howard-Pitney, 69). From this Malcolm fully believed that God wanted African Americans to separate themselves from evil White Americans (Howard-Pitney, 69). Unlike King, Malcolm X did not feel that integration should occur. As we can see in X’s interview on “Racial Integration Versus Separation” he felt that, “the only way [a black man] will become independent and recognized as a human being on the basis of equality with all other human beings … [is by taking] a stand for himself” (Howard-Pitney, 72). Instead of integrating with the white community, X felt that black Americans needed to separate themselves from their white oppressors and stand up for themselves.
Both Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X, made strong contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, and helped facilitate the changes that occurred throughout the United States in the 1950s and ‘60s. Each of these men used their leadership abilities to influence their peers, and achieve their individual goals that they had established. While Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X both wanted equal rights for African Americans, they each had vastly different ideologies, and methodologies for achieving their goals. King implemented a non-violent approach, and used marches and peaceful protests to make a change, and Malcolm X said that individuals should use "whatever means necessary" to get the job done. While they took different positions in regard to the Civil Rights Movement, they each contributed in the propulsion of African Americans towards equal treatment, rights, and opportunities in the United States.
Works Cited
"Black Power." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.
History.com Staff. "Malcolm X." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.
"Martin Luther King Jr." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 05 Jan. 2017. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.
Pitzulo, Carrie. “The Civil Rights Movement.” US History Since 1877, The Civil Rights Movement, 9 February 2017, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. Class Lecture.