Two Powerful Black Leaders

         Dr. Martin Luther King wanted to see change for African Americans all over, King believed that racial equality could be accomplished by organizing religious groups to protest and fight for their lawful rights without the use of violence. The only way to receive social change was through nonviolent actions said Dr. King. All Dr. King wanted to accomplish during his time was to save the souls of America. Dr. King gave a speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and one of his quotes was as follows: " Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today-my own government"(440). Dr. King wanted blacks to understand that violence will not gasps the attention of our government, but his way left blacks questioning his theory on how to see change, because this is what blacks were seeing from the government, violence. Blacks are noticing that when the government wants something that they believe is rightfully theirs, they send their citizens to war as they did in Vietnam. King says well you the people raise a valid point, and I can't dispute what the people are saying so, I now have to get to the government and address these issues. Let the government know that we are willing to negotiate for what we want without any violence involve, as they should be willing to as well without the act of violence.
          Malcolm X was concerned with addressing the issues of prejudice, racism and discrimination. Malcolm X wanted blacks to have equal rights as any other citizen of the United States, he believed this to be right. Malcolm spoke to African Americans wanting them to fight for their rights by any means necessary, including violence if that is what it took to get through to our government. Malcolm X model was to attack your attacker, and do not let anything stand in our way, because we deserve the right to vote, for our children to receive proper education, for our males to be treated with respect, and for our people to receive employment with equal pay. One of Malcolm X's quotes: "Just stop being a Negro"(409). This quote says a lot to African Americans, it says that blacks will receive equal treatment if only they changed their name to a African name and tie their head in a turban and whites will allow them to do just about anything eat with them, work with them etc. Stop allowing yourself to be the victim , and take back what is yours, given to you by the Constitution. Malcolm also believed that the power was in the ballot, he fought for blacks to have the right to speak through the vote, because this was a way for blacks to make change in government laws, and political views.Both men wanted blacks to have equal rights, but Martin Luther King Jr. thought it ought to be gone without violence, while Malcolm X thought that a little violence would not hurt to get your point across.