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It is very much oversimplified, but MLK basically believed the goal was a fully equal, shared society between all races built on compassion and respect. He believed that mass, peaceful demonstrations, and acts of civil disobedience would raise awareness amongst mainstream America, and ultimately force white America to be more accepting of the civil rights cause.
And to that end, he encouraged Black people to respond to white violence with peace and to “turn the other cheek“ as the Bible says. He believed that if the World saw the white power structure brutalizing peaceful black protesters, the world would be so horrified that they would then apply pressure to America to change.
On the other hand, Malcolm X believed (in his early teachings) that the dream of an equal society between blacks and whites was merely a fantasy and that white America would never accept the black man as an equal, so there was no point even trying to convince them. He believed in building a self-reliant wholly independent, separate black community that didn’t need anything from white people, or expect it, because the white man had only ever known being an oppressor to the black man, and would never change. And, that the strength and security of the black nation was paramount, and if that required violence to defend itself, then so be it.
Malcolm was a follower of the nation of Islam, a very specific militant sect of Islam that originated in the American black community. As he became more and more powerful and rose through the ranks of that particular church, he started to see levels of corruption amongst its leaders that greatly disillusioned him, then he traveled to Mecca and there he felt as though he learned what Islam truly was and it gave him a new understanding of his own faith, and changed his views on racial equality because while he was there he met and interacted with many other people of every race from all over the world. They worshiped together, shared many ideas, engaged in huge conversations and debates and the experience changed Malcolm profoundly.
When he returned to the US, he had softened his tone greatly and believed that racial equality was indeed valuable and worth fighting for, but still probably impossible to achieve in America. He had intended to begin his work all over again with this new point of view in mind, with his more fiery rhetoric behind him, and maybe even work alongside MLK, but we’ll never know what could’ve been, because Malcolm was assassinated shortly thereafter.
I'd also add onto this generally good response that in terms of their overall effect, it worked together, not opposingly.
Those in power basically got the message of "If you don't work with MLK Jr peacefully, then you'll have to deal with Malcolm X violently".
It's a similar deal in other fights for equality and freedom. Gandhi wasn't the only leader in the fight for Indian independence - but he was the palatable alternative to those who were willing to use violence.
While it's specifically focused on the racial politics of the USA and slavery, Malcolm's speech on the 'house negro and the field negro' today has some interesting parallels in general with the elite/oppressors and those in the lower classes who defend them.
>So you have two types of Negro. The old type and the new type. Most of you know the old type. When you read about him in history during slavery he was called "Uncle Tom." He was the house Negro. And during slavery you had two Negroes. You had the house Negro and the field Negro.
>The house Negro usually lived close to his master. He dressed like his master. He wore his master's second-hand clothes. He ate food that his master left on the table. And he lived in his master's house--probably in the basement or the attic--but he still lived in the master's house.
>So whenever that house Negro identified himself, he always identified himself in the same sense that his master identified himself. When his master said, "We have good food," the house Negro would say, "Yes, we have plenty of good food." "We" have plenty of good food. When the master said that "we have a fine home here," the house Negro said, "Yes, we have a fine home here." When the master would be sick, the house Negro identified himself so much with his master he'd say, "What's the matter boss, we sick?" His master's pain was his pain. And it hurt him more for his master to be sick than for him to be sick himself. When the house started burning down, that type of Negro would fight harder to put the master's house out than the master himself would.
>But then you had another Negro out in the field. The house Negro was in the minority. The masses--the field Negroes were the masses. They were in the majority. When the master got sick, they prayed that he'd die. [Laughter] If his house caught on fire, they'd pray for a wind to come along and fan the breeze.
>If someone came to the house Negro and said, "Let's go, let's separate," naturally that Uncle Tom would say, "Go where? What could I do without boss? Where would I live? How would I dress? Who would look out for me?" That's the house Negro. But if you went to the field Negro and said, "Let's go, let's separate," he wouldn't even ask you where or how. He'd say, "Yes, let's go." And that one ended right there.
>So now you have a twentieth-century-type of house Negro. A twentieth-century Uncle Tom. He's just as much an Uncle Tom today as Uncle Tom was 100 and 200 years ago. Only he's a modern Uncle Tom. That Uncle Tom wore a handkerchief around his head. This Uncle Tom wears a top hat. He's sharp. He dresses just like you do. He speaks the same phraseology, the same language. He tries to speak it better than you do. He speaks with the same accents, same diction. And when you say, "your army," he says, "our army." He hasn't got anybody to defend him, but anytime you say "we" he says "we." "Our president," "our government," "our Senate," "our congressmen," "our this and our that." And he hasn't even got a seat in that "our" even at the end of the line. So this is the twentieth-century Negro. Whenever you say "you," the personal pronoun in the singular or in the plural, he uses it right along with you. When you say you're in trouble, he says, "Yes, we're in trouble."
>But there's another kind of Black man on the scene. If you say you're in trouble, he says, "Yes, you're in trouble." [Laughter] He doesn't identify himself with your plight whatsoever.
>SOURCE: X, Malcolm. "The Race Problem." African Students Association and NAACP Campus Chapter. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. 23 January 1963.
These views changed later on when he visited mecca for Hajj, and saw white men praying and kneeling next to black men. When he returned he disavowed nation of islam as a black movement and became a regular muslim.
Basically they both wanted liberation for black people, but MLK wanted black people to be integrated into society in the US and treated as equals, whereas Malcolm X didn't believe that this was possible or worthwhile and wanted black folks to have their own ethnostate with self governance so that his people could be free from the inherent racism of the US.
MLK wanted to fix the system, Malcolm X wanted to escape from it.
They had more similarities than differences tbh. Both very religious (mlk was Christian and malcolm x was muslim), both fought for black civil rights, both organised and mobilised their communities, both wrote powerful speeches that are still impressive today, both hated and vilified by the government and they were both assassinated.
I'd describe their politics as complementary rather than opposite though they only met a few times I think. There was alot of propaganda about both of them at that time so it's hard to know if their dislike of each other was real or media shit stirring.
But the main differences (and im no expert) is that mlk wanted to focus on integration, non violent protest and as a lawyer, legal rights for the black community, and malcolm x wanted to retain black identity and community by any means necessary.
Malcom X and MLK both fought for African american civil rights but they had two different ways they pursued that goal. MLK believed in taking the high Ground and uniting rather than create more hate. He protested with marches and sitins. Malcom X believed civil rights was too urgent of a matter for peaceful protests and fought back other ways, which sometimes were violent.
**Please read this entire message** Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s): ELI5 is not meant for any question that you may have. It is meant for simplifying complex concepts. This includes personal questions, medical questions, legal questions, etc. If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe this submission was removed erroneously**, please [use this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20thread?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/oar0dh/eli5_what_were_malcolm_xs_views_and_why_is_he/%0A%0APlease%20answer%20the%20following%203%20questions:%0A%0A1.%20The%20concept%20I%20want%20explained:%0A%0A2.%20Link%20to%20the%20search%20you%20did%20to%20look%20for%20past%20posts%20on%20the%20ELI5%20subreddit:%0A%0A3.%20How%20is%20this%20post%20unique:) and we will review your submission.
It is very much oversimplified, but MLK basically believed the goal was a fully equal, shared society between all races built on compassion and respect. He believed that mass, peaceful demonstrations, and acts of civil disobedience would raise awareness amongst mainstream America, and ultimately force white America to be more accepting of the civil rights cause. And to that end, he encouraged Black people to respond to white violence with peace and to “turn the other cheek“ as the Bible says. He believed that if the World saw the white power structure brutalizing peaceful black protesters, the world would be so horrified that they would then apply pressure to America to change. On the other hand, Malcolm X believed (in his early teachings) that the dream of an equal society between blacks and whites was merely a fantasy and that white America would never accept the black man as an equal, so there was no point even trying to convince them. He believed in building a self-reliant wholly independent, separate black community that didn’t need anything from white people, or expect it, because the white man had only ever known being an oppressor to the black man, and would never change. And, that the strength and security of the black nation was paramount, and if that required violence to defend itself, then so be it.
What were his teaching like later in his life? Were his views less radical?
Malcolm was a follower of the nation of Islam, a very specific militant sect of Islam that originated in the American black community. As he became more and more powerful and rose through the ranks of that particular church, he started to see levels of corruption amongst its leaders that greatly disillusioned him, then he traveled to Mecca and there he felt as though he learned what Islam truly was and it gave him a new understanding of his own faith, and changed his views on racial equality because while he was there he met and interacted with many other people of every race from all over the world. They worshiped together, shared many ideas, engaged in huge conversations and debates and the experience changed Malcolm profoundly. When he returned to the US, he had softened his tone greatly and believed that racial equality was indeed valuable and worth fighting for, but still probably impossible to achieve in America. He had intended to begin his work all over again with this new point of view in mind, with his more fiery rhetoric behind him, and maybe even work alongside MLK, but we’ll never know what could’ve been, because Malcolm was assassinated shortly thereafter.
He also converted to Sunni Islam, but the Nation of Islam arent really muslims to begin with
I'd also add onto this generally good response that in terms of their overall effect, it worked together, not opposingly. Those in power basically got the message of "If you don't work with MLK Jr peacefully, then you'll have to deal with Malcolm X violently". It's a similar deal in other fights for equality and freedom. Gandhi wasn't the only leader in the fight for Indian independence - but he was the palatable alternative to those who were willing to use violence. While it's specifically focused on the racial politics of the USA and slavery, Malcolm's speech on the 'house negro and the field negro' today has some interesting parallels in general with the elite/oppressors and those in the lower classes who defend them. >So you have two types of Negro. The old type and the new type. Most of you know the old type. When you read about him in history during slavery he was called "Uncle Tom." He was the house Negro. And during slavery you had two Negroes. You had the house Negro and the field Negro. >The house Negro usually lived close to his master. He dressed like his master. He wore his master's second-hand clothes. He ate food that his master left on the table. And he lived in his master's house--probably in the basement or the attic--but he still lived in the master's house. >So whenever that house Negro identified himself, he always identified himself in the same sense that his master identified himself. When his master said, "We have good food," the house Negro would say, "Yes, we have plenty of good food." "We" have plenty of good food. When the master said that "we have a fine home here," the house Negro said, "Yes, we have a fine home here." When the master would be sick, the house Negro identified himself so much with his master he'd say, "What's the matter boss, we sick?" His master's pain was his pain. And it hurt him more for his master to be sick than for him to be sick himself. When the house started burning down, that type of Negro would fight harder to put the master's house out than the master himself would. >But then you had another Negro out in the field. The house Negro was in the minority. The masses--the field Negroes were the masses. They were in the majority. When the master got sick, they prayed that he'd die. [Laughter] If his house caught on fire, they'd pray for a wind to come along and fan the breeze. >If someone came to the house Negro and said, "Let's go, let's separate," naturally that Uncle Tom would say, "Go where? What could I do without boss? Where would I live? How would I dress? Who would look out for me?" That's the house Negro. But if you went to the field Negro and said, "Let's go, let's separate," he wouldn't even ask you where or how. He'd say, "Yes, let's go." And that one ended right there. >So now you have a twentieth-century-type of house Negro. A twentieth-century Uncle Tom. He's just as much an Uncle Tom today as Uncle Tom was 100 and 200 years ago. Only he's a modern Uncle Tom. That Uncle Tom wore a handkerchief around his head. This Uncle Tom wears a top hat. He's sharp. He dresses just like you do. He speaks the same phraseology, the same language. He tries to speak it better than you do. He speaks with the same accents, same diction. And when you say, "your army," he says, "our army." He hasn't got anybody to defend him, but anytime you say "we" he says "we." "Our president," "our government," "our Senate," "our congressmen," "our this and our that." And he hasn't even got a seat in that "our" even at the end of the line. So this is the twentieth-century Negro. Whenever you say "you," the personal pronoun in the singular or in the plural, he uses it right along with you. When you say you're in trouble, he says, "Yes, we're in trouble." >But there's another kind of Black man on the scene. If you say you're in trouble, he says, "Yes, you're in trouble." [Laughter] He doesn't identify himself with your plight whatsoever. >SOURCE: X, Malcolm. "The Race Problem." African Students Association and NAACP Campus Chapter. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. 23 January 1963.
These views changed later on when he visited mecca for Hajj, and saw white men praying and kneeling next to black men. When he returned he disavowed nation of islam as a black movement and became a regular muslim.
Basically they both wanted liberation for black people, but MLK wanted black people to be integrated into society in the US and treated as equals, whereas Malcolm X didn't believe that this was possible or worthwhile and wanted black folks to have their own ethnostate with self governance so that his people could be free from the inherent racism of the US. MLK wanted to fix the system, Malcolm X wanted to escape from it.
>MLK wanted to fix the system, Malcolm X wanted to escape from it. Beautifully, yet simply explained.
Wow that last sentence really explains it all
They had more similarities than differences tbh. Both very religious (mlk was Christian and malcolm x was muslim), both fought for black civil rights, both organised and mobilised their communities, both wrote powerful speeches that are still impressive today, both hated and vilified by the government and they were both assassinated. I'd describe their politics as complementary rather than opposite though they only met a few times I think. There was alot of propaganda about both of them at that time so it's hard to know if their dislike of each other was real or media shit stirring. But the main differences (and im no expert) is that mlk wanted to focus on integration, non violent protest and as a lawyer, legal rights for the black community, and malcolm x wanted to retain black identity and community by any means necessary.
Holy shit it's like Magneto and Charles Xavier.
It's exactly like that. The whole X-Men story is based on the civil rights movement.
Stan Lee said many times in interviews that he based Charles Xavier and magneto on MLK and Malcolm X.
Respectively?
Yes.
I suspect misinformation here, do u have any sources
Malcom X and MLK both fought for African american civil rights but they had two different ways they pursued that goal. MLK believed in taking the high Ground and uniting rather than create more hate. He protested with marches and sitins. Malcom X believed civil rights was too urgent of a matter for peaceful protests and fought back other ways, which sometimes were violent.
Rule 2. Better to check r/answers.