Essay Example on Two Revolutionary Lives: Martin & Malcolm Fight for Equality

"THE SWORD AND THE SHIELD: The Revolutionary Lives of Martin, Malcolm and the Fight for Equality" By Peniel E. Joseph

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In this article, we read of the rise of Martin Luther and Malcolm, through a valuable script, "The Sword and the Shield" by Peniel Joseph where he describes in details the tough period between 1954 and 1964, this marked the most significant civil rights movement led by these two revolutionaries (THE SWORD AND THE SHIELD March 31, 2020). In this period, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. attracted different imaginations of Negros, handing the subject on the circumstances that traumatized the lives of the blacks in the USA from various vantage and premises. The images of these great men fallen to cliche as the benign King who dreamt of a beloved community where the society of America would be wholly integrated racially. Moreover, Malcolm, who had fostered a black nationalism which sought nothing from the White people and saved for noninterference with the efforts of the blacks to create dignified and meaningful lives.

The shield and sword represent the reality that seems far much sophisticated. Panuel reasons for a modern representation of Malcolm and Martin Luther; they might have been opposites in their debuts but moved towards one another when their public lives were cut short by an assassin. Martin Luther King Jr. would succumb to death at the hand of a racist from whom he sought for friendship while Malcolm at those men of a race where he had placed so much trust and faith.

The greatest strength of the book discussed in this article is seen in the manner in which Paniel Joseph backups his thesis. The lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther had revolved around the subject of winning awards of biographies. Malcolm X established his extensively read autobiography, and Luther resoundingly hailed from the middle class of blacks as a son of the prominent pastor. At the same time, Malcolm lost both his dad and mum through atrocities. However, the biography of Malcolm and Luther appears to mark their ultimate fates, thus enhancing out interpretation of how they both arrived at their prospective conclusions concerning the status of the world and the way to transform it.

In this article, Joseph depicts the significance of the struggle of these two great leaders against ethnicity across the globe. Their indispensable struggle for the black race and their leadership instincts of leadership led them to physical limits s they traveled and worked round the clock to the detriment of humanity and family life. One can gain sense from the ways of Malcolm X alienating from Islam. Unlike Martin Luther King, who believed in Christianity, which gave him support since childhood and the formation of black secular organizations such as the N.A.A.C.P, Urban League, and the legal defense fund. Malcolm, on the other hand, was regularly establishing new groups to help with the fulfillment of his vision for black empowerment. Even though Martin Luther King tied together with the overseas allies, Malcolm X had the most ambitious mastermind to bring together both African descent and the people of color under one umbrella to foster the rights of all negros across the world.

In this article, Joseph also reveals that his parents mostly imparted the demand for Malcolm for the basic dignity of negros Louise Little and Earl ardent enthusiasts of Marcus Garvey whose support on Africa movement concerned the installation of racial pride and self-esteem as a plan to lead back African-Americans to their mother continent. Joseph joined some other voices that wrote about Martin Luther King and discussed his evident figures as being harmless. The mouthing platitudes were so vast and comforting which individuals from all walks of political spectrum complied with. The current writings prove it beyond doubts the consistent quest of the King for the racial freedom of black people not only made him comforting to a considerable section of the US population but also appealed to the general conscience and heart of humanity. The trivial editorials were written against him the government, the consistent death threats, and the monitoring by F.B.I, which also surveilled Malcolm indicated the extreme hostility which might threaten the young generations born from elementary schools to recognize and celebrate him among other globally loved icons whose birthday is presently a national rest (Gallaher, 2020).

I can confidently argue that this particular article by Joseph is neutral as the writings emphasize the radical economic vision of Martin Luther even before becoming a public figure, King himself wrote of his ultimate goal for socialism. Joseph outlines these aspects from the Martin Luther King's idea and presents a convincing account of Luther's lucrative view on the agenda of economic freedom and justice and the function it could execute in promoting racial justice. The evolution or migration of views is an idea that grants Joseph an opportunity to link his subject effectively since Luther King projected his views just like Malcolm X. Joseph also presents that the transformation of Malcolm X commenced before his extended visit to Meccaseemingly; somee changes could be as a result of his tremendous obedience for Martin Luther King and the organization that developed around him.

The reading of this article from both dimensions imparts us with the knowledge to critically evaluate the visons of these two great men project toward convergence as reality hinders the appearance of their first roles. For King, Christianity and nonviolence can defeat hatred and the supremacy of the white people through love and morality. Martin Luther King realized vast concrete policies relied not on changing hearts; hence a sense of self-esteem for the blacks was necessary for fighting white supremacy. Similarly, Malcolm X called for self-defense that sometimes hinted that whites and blacks would engage in the constant battle to face off hard reality. Strategic and respectful formations with civilized whites would bore fruits, and this is what, the movement of Martin Luther King had been advocating for (McElligott, 2020). (

References

Gallaher, C. (2020). Ethnic Conflict. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carolyn_Gallaher/publication/338084339_Ethnic_Conflict/links/5dfd38bb299bf10bc36bba7b/Ethnic-Conflict.pdfMc

Elligott, J. (2020). Highlighting Hidden Figures in Civil Rights History. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12264/156

THE SWORD AND THE SHIELD: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. By Peniel E. Joseph https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/books/review/the-sword-and-the-shield-martin-luther-king-jr-malcolm-x-peniel-e-joseph.html