Dr. King vs. Malcolm X

The African American movement of the sixties was by far the most progressive step for racial equality in the history of the United States. But in this movement two extremes emerged that, while fighting for the same end, took very different approaches and audiences. On one end of the spectrum there was Dr. Martin Luther King with his passive and nonviolent approach to achieving equality. He spoke to white officials and middle class citizens, a relatively educated bunch who would rather live with injustice than start a war over it. On the other end of the spectrum there was Malcolm X, a leader of the Black Panthers, a black nationalists group, who promoted violent and immediate action to bring change. His speeches were directed towards the uneducated and afflicted. His language was simpler but far more volatile. Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and Malcolm X’s “Ballots or Bullets” speech are prime examples of their differing rhetorical approaches to the racial injusti...