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BradLoeffler
ProfessorEanes
IntrotoAmericanGovt
27October2015
Duringthecivilrightsmovementofthe1950s,therewerethreegeneralattitudesabout
blackrightsthatbecameprevalentintheAfricanAmericancommunities,theideaspresentedby
MartinLutherKing,Jr.,MalcolmX,andtheideasoftheBlackPanthers.Summedupshort,
MartinLutherKingbasedallofhisideasonhisIHaveADreamSpeech,andtheideasof
peace,fromMahatmaGandhi.WhileMLKJr.supportedtheideasofpeace,MalcolmXandthe
BlackPanthersbothtookoppositeapproachestheybelievedtheirprotestsmustbedonewith
force.Theideasofthethreearealldifferentintheirviewpointstowardgainingcivilrightsfor
theAfricanAmericanpopulationoftheUnitedStates.
MartinLutherKingJr.wastheunspokenleaderoftheblackcivilrightsmovementinthe
1950s.MartinLutherKingbecamefamouswhenhegavehisIHaveADreamspeechin
WashingtonD.C.in1963.Hisattitudeonhowtoearncivilrightswereverymuchsimilartothat
ofMahatmaGandhiinthewaythathesupportedonlyusingpeacefulprotests.MartinLuther
KingwasresponsiblefororganizingtheMontgomerybusboycottafterRosaParkswasarrested
forrefusingtogiveupherseatonthebus.Thebusboycottwasapeacefulprotestinwhichthe
basicideawasforAfricanAmericanstonolongergivethebussystemthebusiness.Ontopof
thebusboycott,MartinLutherKingalsoleadmanyotherpeacefulprotestsinhistime,before

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beingassassinatedin1968.Overall,MartinLutherKingJr.hadapeacefulandveryeffective
attitudetowardsearningcivilrightsforblackAmericans.
MalcolmXheldadifferentattitudetowardhowcivilrightsforblackAmericansshould
beearned.MalcolmXheldastrongbeliefthatAfricanAmericansshouldbeconsidered
separatefromthefreewhitepeopleinAmerica,butshouldbefreewhilebeingseparate.Add
whatMLKthoughttohelpshowthecontrasthereMalcolmXbelievedthatAfricanAmericans
shouldhavecontroloverthepoliticsandeconomiesoftheAfricanAmericancommunities.
MalcolmXwasconsideredtobeoppositeofMartinLutherKingwhenitcametothecivilrights
movementofthe1950s.MalcolmXwasresponsibleforleadingmanyofhisownmarchesand
protestsinthe1950sand60s.TheseprotestsweredifferentbecauseMalcolmXwas
assassinatedin1965,hisviewsgavetheangryportionoftheAfricanAmericansadifferent
attitudeotherthanMartinLutherKings,andultimatelywasresponsibleforpeoplefinding
MartinLutherKingsapproachmuchmorereasonable.
In1966,HueyPercyNewtonandBobbySealeformedtheBlackPantherParty.The
BlackPantherPartybelievedthatthenonviolentviewsofMartinLutherKingwouldnotwork,
andbecauseofthis,theywereviolentintheirprotestsandmarches.Between1967and1968
therewereanumberofshootingsbetweenthepoliceandBlackPanthers,resultinginmanydead
frombothparties.TheBlackpantherswerewillingtospeakoutandactforanytypeofminority,
notjusttheAfricanAmericans.TheBlackPantherswishedforarevolutionarywarbetweenthe
minoritiesandthewhitepeople.Thepartyhadanelaborate10pointplantoearnitsdesired

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goals.ThepointsfromtheBlackPanthersplanbasicallysummedupwhatrightstheywantedfor
theminoritycommunity.
Allinall,therearemanydifferencesbetweentheattitudesofMartinLutherKing,
MalcolmX,andTheBlackPantherParty.MartinLutherKingsattitudeprovedtobepeaceful,
whiletheattitudesofbothMalcolmXandTheBlackPantherPartywereseenasviolentactsof
protest.IfIwereanAfricanAmericanlivinginthisera,IthinkthatthepoliticalattitudethatI
wouldhaveadoptedasmyown,wouldhavebeenthatofMartinLutherKingJr.Ibelievethat
MLKhadthemostreasonableviewpointonearningcivilrightsforAfricanAmericansbecause
itwaspeaceful.IthinkthatthepeacefulmotivesofMartinLutherKingJr.wereultimatelywhat
earnedtheAfricanAmericanpopulationtheirrights,andthisiswhyiwouldchosetoagreewith
MLK.
Finally,IinterviewmyclassmateMadisonVerlaconthesubjecttoseewhatviewpoint
shewouldhavetaken.Madisonrespondedthatshewouldhavefollowedtheattitudesof
MalcolmX.MadisonwasdrawntoMalcolmXbecausehewassomeonewhowasn'tafraidto
stickupforanyone.MadisonlikedthatMalcolmXwasareligiousmanandwouldstandupand
speakouttoprotectanyonefortheirrights.MalcolmXmayhavebeenviolent,butMadison
believesthatitwashisprotestsandmarchesthatfinallymovedthingsalongforthe
AfricanAmericancivilrightsmovement.IhoweverdisagreewithMadisonandwouldmuch
ratherstandbythepeacefulattitudesofMartinLutherKingJr.

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Sources
"BlackPanthers."About.comNews&Issues.N.p.,n.d.Web.27Oct.2015.
"BlackPanthers."About.comNews&Issues.N.p.,n.d.Web.27Oct.2015.
"MalcolmXsReligionandPoliticalViews."MalcolmXsReligionandPoliticalViews.N.p.,
n.d.Web.27Oct.2015.
"MartinLutherKingsReligionandPoliticalViews."MartinLutherKingsReligionand
PoliticalViews.N.p.,n.d.Web.27Oct.2015.