Comparing Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Essay

Comparing Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr - Essay Example This saying can easily be proven when we want to discuss two people who represented the same ideology in history such as Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who both represented the liberation and freedom of the Black race in America. Indeed, as much as there were some aspects of similarities in the way they went about advocacy programs, there also exists so much lines of differences for what they lived for (Haberman, 1972). In this paper, Malcolm X is compared with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to understand the various perspectives from which each of them approached the fight for the protection of human rights, which they both loved to do greatly. The perspectives from which the comparison shall be taken from are in the areas of political goals, economic issues, and strategic approaches. Political Goals Politically, it has been noted that both King and Malcolm were pressing to achieve the same goal, which was the goal of all inclusiveness in the running and administration of p ublic political office. It is not surprising therefore that at a time that not much of open air and public politicking was associated with acts of religiosity both men came out of their shelves to strongly campaign for political equableness (Malcolm, 1964). In line with the above, it can also be established that politically, both Malcolm and King had a goal of proving to the world that service to God could not be complete and appreciated if social and economic equality was not achieved for all people regardless of their racial background. This is because in their private practice as ministers of the Gospel, both men understood the oneness in God’s creation and view of humankind, where there was not supposed to be discrimination of people based on whether they were Jews or Gentiles (King, 1967). With this biblical understanding of the view of God about all men, the leaders wanted there to be a political reflection of such whereby people will not be judged based on the color of their skin but the content of their character as King declared. Economic Issues Economically, both Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a common goal of liberating the oppressed and abused American from poverty. This is because through words and deeds, Malcolm and King showed that they lived for an era and moment in time when the poverty that the various forms of discrimination had brought on people could be minimized (Haberman, 1972). However in terms of approach to economic issues, the two men have been identified to have had two contrasting perspectives and opinions as to how the approach should be. For instance it has been said that Malcolm had a realization that even though economic liberation and the eradication of poverty among the discriminated, such the African-American people was necessary, it was also very necessary that the African-American people built self-consciousness and pride for themselves (Malcolm, 1963). What this means is that Malcolm saw the answer t o economic liberation in the African-American people themselves, through their attitude towards self-consciousness, rather than through