Malcolm X and Human Rights Vs. Martin Luther King and Civil Rights

Introduction

During 1950 to 1960s, African Americans were subjected to unmeasurable discrimination. Most African-Americans were not given an opportunity to enjoy the right to public and social services. In most situations, health and education was not a right to the African Americans amid the fact that "the society prevented African-American from boarding public vehicles" comfortably like the Whites (Greer 14). During the period, Martin Luther King Jr. was moved by the fact that all men are created equal to sponsor the bill to safeguard the need for equality. The reasons why Martin Luther King was transferred to lead the movement of civil rights was connected to the fact that he was a minister of Baptist Church. He, therefore, decided to take part in civil disobedience with the help of masses which moved across the famous and infamous streets of America. This paper seeks to point out the comparison between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. ideologies with respect to their vibrant religious approaches.

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Brief Analysis and General Overview

Martin Luther King Jr. believed in the call for equal justice and focused on the fact that skin color does not mean a thing to the fact that civil rights are for all people irrespective of race, and creed. On the other hand, Malcolm X practices and beliefs were concerned on going against the established Civil Rights as he focused on the establishment of human rights concerning the need for the Islam culture to be defended from the immense white aggression (Edwards 43). The most common factor between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. was the fact that all men are equal and are entitled to equal rights and social-religious benefits.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. employed the moral and biblical principle that all men are equal in the eyes of God. He, therefore, preached on the need for equality and justice. Luther focused on his policy that for one to achieve change, there is the need to make changes to the things that an individual does or change in the way of doing things. The principle aimed at urging the political system and the American lawmakers to make laws that could govern the actions of Americans towards justice and equality (Greer 14). The principal made it possible for a change in the rampant violence against the African-Americans to seize. Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for social change which would foster non-violence acts on the African-Americans.

Martin Luther King Jr. outlined that the only weapon to employ in America was protests as a way of reclaiming the glory of all Americans through a change in the democratic right (Edwards 43). Martin Luther King advocated for social change through mobilizing the public and massive groups of people who summed up to 200,000 people with bangles seeking for an end to social injustice and aiming at requesting for the enactment of laws that could safeguard the Americans from the violent acts that were common in America (Greer 14). Luther advocated for the need for non-violent actions against Blacks as a way of enhancing social justice and equality across the American corridors. Indeed, Luther was an advocate for the formation of laws that were to govern peaceful associations among the Americans. In the process of advocating for civil rights, Luther was concerned of banning segregation of whites and Black children in public schools and admission in the most famous schools as a solution to social injustice that brought challenges to both African and American children.

According to Edwards (43), Luther was the founder of the civil rights commitment laws that made it possible for the formation of new commitment towards self-empowerment for the blacks. Luther not only focused on political temperatures since he also involved religious leaders in enhancing the change in the social injustice that was rampant. For that matter, Martin Luther King Jr. focused on the speech that was given by Reverend Jesse to seek a solution to the problems that impounded African-Americans. Luther's declaration made it possible for the court to focus on finding an amicable conclusion to the challenges that the African-Americans faced in during the period. For that matter, Martin Luther King Jr. enabled the Congress to remove the segregation that was enmeshed in the voting process in America.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X is contrasted with Martin Luther King Jr. since he also maintained his radical teachings regarding the views on segregation (Arinde, 6). He was converted from being a Christian having been born as a Baptist in Omaha. He then became a follower of Elijah Mohammad during his service in prison. He changed his surname to X as a way of portraying that Africans were responsible for making a change and lived free from oppression through proper advocacy to the need for human rights. However, Malcolm was mostly revoked due to the ideas that he outlined to mean that Africans were the original race (Arinde, 6). He nevertheless fought for equality and justice and betterment of the of African Americans. Malcolm mostly focused on safeguarding the Islam community in America amid concentrating on the need for the adoption of the fundamental human rights for the black community.

Malcolm X focused on the need for anti-colonialism, nationalism, and internationalism as the key facts that were needed by the Black radical tradition in line with the realization of the value of human rights (Arinde, 6). Malcolm X was not affiliated to his political life but majorly affiliated with enhancing the fundamental human rights that were perpetrated on against African-Americans. Malcolm X was also a selfless political figure who did not focus on the realization of human rights as a platform for safeguarding his political aspirations in American politics. The reason why Malcolm X is considered to be larger than life man who was selfless in his approaches towards the realization of human rights for the African-Americans is the connection to the fact that he advocated for a radical attitude towards the need for human rights for all.

Malcolm X used Human Rights as a de-colonial fighting tool as he understood the subversive potential concept of the separation of legalistic and liberal state-centered genesis ("Remembering Malcolm X" 14). Malcolm X focused on the approach that aimed at internationalizing the concept of human rights whereas Martin Luther King Jr. aimed at enhancing civil rights among the Americans especially the black Americans.

Conclusion

In summation, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. are considered to be larger than life leaders who advocated for the most fundamental changes across the American nation and led to the formation of powerful and influential African-America history. The two key figures had different approaches towards achieving the most fundamental justice and equality. Their ways of fighting for freedom is still in books and are considered admirable until today. Both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. stood string in religious beliefs, and they both knew that change would not come easy. Both of them held by their truth, faith, and determination. They both had the passion for achieving change irrespective of the time change could be realized. Therefore, both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. died fighting for civilization, justice, and humanity.

Works Cited

Arinde, Nayaba. "Remembering Malcolm X." New York Amsterdam News, vol. 109, no. 8, 22 Feb. 2018, p. 6. EBSCOhost, www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp?sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=128299948&site=eds-live.

Edwards, K. "Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." Journal of Cultural Diversity, vol. 17, no. 2, Summer2010, p. 43. EBSCOhost, www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp?sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=105212248&site=eds-live.

Greer, Christina. "Remembering and Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." New York Amsterdam News, vol. 109, no. 14, 05 Apr. 2018, p. 14. EBSCOhost, www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp?sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=129055678&site=eds-live.

"Remembering Malcolm X." Islamic Horizons, vol. 42, no. 5, Sep/Oct2013, p. 14. EBSCOhost, www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp?sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofm&AN=90109845&site=eds-live.