Exploring Oppression in the Lives of Martin Luther King, JR. and Malcolm X

1
Exploring Oppression in the Lives of Martin
Luther King, JR. and Malcolm X

• Melissa Sexton
• Sonali Fernando
• Hannah Yoon
• Stephanie Strahan

2
Childhood

• Born on January 15, 1929
• Parents- Alberta
• Williams and
• Martin Luther
• King Sr.
• Family was deeply
• religious
• Dad was a minister
• Love was central in Martins family

• First race relations lesson
• when he was six years old
• White playmates went to a white school only
• discriminated at a shoe store
• Martin was a target of oppression but did not
  internalize the oppression

• As a young boy, Kings
• mother explained segregation
• and discrimination to him. His father
• was also an important influence in
• his life.

3
Martin Grows Up

• Dr. King had many role models that he looked up
  to a few of them were
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Benjamin E. Mays
• A variety of white protestant preachers

4
Martins Education

• Begins freshman year at Morehouse College at the
  age of 15
• Becomes an Ordained Pastor at the age of 20
• Graduates from Morehouse college with a Bachelor
  of Arts Degree at the age of 20

Boston University

• Graduates from Crozer Theological Seminary with a
  bachelor of divinity degree and he also delivers
  the valedictory address at the commencement at
  the age of 23
• Awarded his doctorate in systematic theology from
  Boston University at the age of 26

5
Martin as an adult

• Martin meets and marries Coretta Scott.
• Martin and Coretta have four children born in
  1955 (Yolanda Denise), 1957 (Martin Luther III),
  1961 (Dexter Scott), and 1963 (Bernice
  Albertine).

6
Martins Oppression

• King was a devoted leader of the Civil Rights
  Movement and was oppressed multiple times while
  trying to peacefully advance the rights of black
  people in mainstream society.

7
Martin is Assassinated

• On April 4th, 1968 Martin was on the balcony of
  the hotel he was staying at when he was shot in
  the neck by James Earl Ray. Dr. King died later
  that day in St. Josephs Hospital at the age of
  39 years old.

8
Understanding the Comparison

• Martin Luther King, JR. and Malcolm X were both
  influential people who fought for civil rights.
  Though the desired end result was similar, the
  journey that got them there was drastically
  different.

9
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X
10
Malcolm X
Martin Luther King, JR.
Used Self Defense and militancy
Non- Violent Direct Action through Protest
Ministers Influenced by Religion
Believed Working w/ Whites was admitting
inferiority
Used the Help of Whites to Promote Love Between
All
Agreed Blacks Needed to First Love Themselves
Saw Christianity as Master of Suspicion- didnt
trust. Became part of Nation of Islam
Earned PHD in Systematic Theology and used
churches and Christianity to Get Word Out
Encouraged Joining of Organizations and Being
Actively Involved
Saw God in a Prison Cell
Saw God in Kitchen after Montgomery Bus Incident
Loved in Africa, Hated in Europe Because of
Controversy
Assassinated
Loved in Europe, Africans Embraced Malcolm More
11
You can't separate peace from freedom because no
one can be at peace unless he has his freedom."
Malcolm X
12
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the
oppressor it must be demanded by the oppressed.
Martin Luther King, JR.
13
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the
oppressor it must be demanded by the oppressed.
-Martin Luther King, JR.
You can't separate peace from freedom because no
one can be at peace unless he has his freedom."
-Malcolm X

• mal