Malcolm X Or James Brown - Who Had The Bigger Impact On Black America?

813 Words4 Pages
Upon first glance, one might not see the slight connection between Malcolm X and James Brown. One is an African American Muslim minister, the other is an African American entertainer. While on the surface there is nothing connecting these two men together, I believe there are two distinct similarities that bond these two great men together. First, both men advocated for better treatment and opportunities for African Americans and second, both men commanded the attention of the disenfranchised African American community. Yet, while both Malcolm X and James Brown wanted Black unity, Black pride, and both had a great following, they both had different ideas of how to make the aspiration of true Black unity a reality. Malcolm X approached the situation of White oppression with an absolute Black radical perspective and followed a total separatist agenda. While the civil rights movement fought against racial segregation, Malcolm advocated the complete division of African Americans from white people and claimed that Blacks could take care of themselves if only they were given the opportunity to do so. Malcolm X also staunchly opposed the civil rights movement's strategy of nonviolence as a means of advocating for better treatment. Malcolm did not believe that nonviolent protest or peace marches were not the way to get White America’s attention about the plight of Black America. While he did not openly advocate violence as a way of getting the message across to White America, he was not opposed to the idea either. Malcolm made it known that he supported Black people using any necessary means of self-defense to protect themselves and to let the masses know that they were fed up with being considered second class citizens. Malcolm’s appeal seemed to be embraced by the dispossessed Black youth who were more than eager to carry out his cries of
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