Skip to main content

What did Malcolm X do for the Civil Rights Movement in America? Do not simply describe his beliefs. Instead, say what he achieved for the right of...

Compared to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X really did not achieve anything for the Civil Rights Movement.  In other words, Malcolm did not get the government to pass any laws. That was not really what he was trying to do. Instead, Malcolm’s main achievement was less measurable. It had to do with changing the attitudes of African Americans.


Malcolm X was a radical and a separatist.  He did not really believe in working...

Compared to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X really did not achieve anything for the Civil Rights Movement.  In other words, Malcolm did not get the government to pass any laws. That was not really what he was trying to do. Instead, Malcolm’s main achievement was less measurable. It had to do with changing the attitudes of African Americans.


Malcolm X was a radical and a separatist.  He did not really believe in working with white groups or trying to influence the white-dominated government.  Therefore, he did not work for a specific political agenda. Because he did not work for such an agenda, he did not influence the government to pass any laws in the way that King did.


The link below connects us to a site run by the estate of Malcolm X. Even this site, which presumably would like to claim many achievements for Malcolm, does not claim that he influenced any legislation.  The most notable accomplishments listed there are that he influenced Cassius Clay to change his name to Muhammad Ali and that he founded the Organizations of Afro-American Unity.  This organization essentially did not last past his death.


So what did Malcolm X accomplish?  The best answer to this is to say that he helped get African Americans to feel more pride in themselves.  Malcolm’s black nationalist ideas encouraged black people to feel that they were equal to whites and that they did not need white people.  He influenced them to think about ideas like black power and “black is beautiful” so they would not just compare themselves to white people. This is not really a tangible achievement like those of Dr. King.  However, he did have an effect on the attitudes of African American people.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Where did Atticus take the light and extension cord in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with... Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with Jim if that’s what it takes to protect him.  Atticus tells the men that he will make sure his client gets his fair shake at the law.  “Link, that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not going till ...
Post a Comment
Read more