The Unfinished Dialogue of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

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The Unfinished Dialogue of Martin Luther King Jr.
and Malcolm X

• The Common Ground of King and X

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Popular Views of King and X

• Martin Luther King Jr.
• I have a Dream
• Non-Violence
• Baptist Minister (Christian)
• SCLC-Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• Nobel Prize for Peace 1964

3
Popular Views of X

• Malcolm X
• By any means necessary
• Militant Black Nationalist/Separatist
• Islamic Minister
• Nation of Islam (Black Muslims)
• Renamed himself X to represent the African name
  hed never know.

4
Formative Years

• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Born in Atlanta 1929
• Father Politically active Baptist Preacher
• Fearless and courageous
• Contributes his lifelong optimism about human
  nature to
• Congenial Relationship of his Parents
• in a family where love was central.
• Lived through Depression in relative comfort

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Formative Years

• Malcolm X
• Born in Omaha in 1925
• Father Politically active Baptist Preacher
• Not a frightened Negro, as most of them were
• UNIA-Universal Negro Improvement
  Association---Marcus Garvey
• Belligerent toward all the children, except me
• Difficult life during the Depression

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Formative Years Summary

• Malcolm X
• Father died in 1931
• Mother institutionalized in an asylum
• Raised by white foster parents and reform schools
• Attended white public schools in Michigan
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• As a child, never experienced physical attacks
  from whites
• never experienced feeling of not having the
  basic necessities
• Attended all black schools in Atlanta

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Early Adulthood

• Malcolm X
• Criminal activity lands him in prison
• Converts to Islam under direction of Elijah
  Muhammad
• Became the nations best known advocate of black
  nationalism/separatism
• Very little exposure during his youth to positive
  black culture and history.
• Nation of Islam a religious group on the margins
  of Black Society---thousands of members

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Early Adulthood

• Martin Luther King
• Attends Morehouse college at age 15
• Several positive black role models
• Baptist is the most popular religious affiliation
  among black Americans
• Identified himself with mainstream African
  American freedom struggles

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Similarities

• King AND X
• Invited by countries in Africa and Asia to visit
  and meet with leaders
• Acknowledged connection between African-American
  struggle and anti-colonialsim
• Were forced to realize that the emerging Civil
  Rights movement was growing larger than any one
  leader could contain, direct, or control.

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Criticisms of Each Other

• Martin Luther King Jr.
• do not emulate the hatred and despair of the
  black nationalistthere is a more excellent way
  of love and non-violent protestif this
  philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets
  of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing
  with blood.

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Criticisms of Each Other

• Malcolm X
• King ignored Xs invitation to attend a black
  Muslim rally in NY a few weeks before the march
  on Washington
• King allowed himself to be used against
  the Negro Revolution
• the Marchs white financial backers have
  manipulated black leaders, thereby transforming a
  potentially militant mass protest into a picnica
  circus.

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March 26, 1964

• Only meeting between the two men
• Malcolm had broken ties with Nation of Islam and
  had intentionally orchestrated the meeting.

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Malcolms Visit to Selma

• While Martin was in Jail in Selma, Malcolm came
  to speak.
• Publicly spoke in favor of violent means if
  necessarystill anti-King?
• Private meeting with Coretta
• Supposedly admired MLK

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Kings comments about Xs Visit

• He thought he could help me more by attacking
  me than praising me. He thought it would make it
  easier for me in the long run
• According to King, Malcolm went on to tell
  Coretta
• If the white people realize what the
  alternative is, perhaps they will be more
  willing to hear Dr. King

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Assassinations

• February 21st 1965
• Malcolm X is killed by 3 black men affiliated
  with the Nation of Islam
• April 4th 1968
• Martin Luther King Jr. is killed in Memphis
• Had these men lived, might they have achieved a
  common ground?
• Did African Americans have to choose between
  Martins or Malcolms views? Was there a middle
  road?

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