Document Type
Comparison and Contrast Essay
Publication Date
1992
Excerpt
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were two of the most charismatic and influential black leaders to ever live. Both men dedicated their lives to the advancement of their race, both men contemplated different ways to empower the poor, and both men were murdered before completing their goals. Since their deaths in the sixties (King in 1968 and X in 1965), King has received far more recognition than X. He is one of the few black men mentioned in American history books, and is the only black man to be honored with a national holiday. But now, as we enter the nineties, there is a renewed interest in the life and legacy of Malcolm X. A generation of young people, some born a decade after his death, has resurrected the image of Malcolm and has chosen him as its leader and role model. T-shirts, hats, and buttons with Malcolm's image and sayings can be found in practically every black neighborhood in America. The publishers of The Autobiography of Malcolm X are reporting a sales increase of 75%. Malcolm is definitely a hot commodity, but why? Why is Malcolm X chosen as a leader for the nineties and not King? To answer this question, we must examine the differences between the two men.
Recommended Citation
Joy, Ra, "Martin Luther King and Malcolm X (1992)" (1992). The Valpo Core Reader. 339.
http://scholar.valpo.edu/core_reader/339