Why Does Martin Luther King Have a Public Holiday but Not Malcolm X?
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- Category: History: American
- Date Submitted: 06/13/2010 06:50 PM
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They way Malcolm X is perceived by the American white community is the major determinant as to why he is not acknowledged on his own or shared public holiday for his contributions to the civil rights movement, while Martin Luther King does. This is due to the fact of religious beliefs, the personality of Malcolm and the way he wanted to achieve reform with the movement. This essay examines the potential reasons as to why one leader from the civil rights movement has been recognised by a public holiday while the other(s) has not.
A lot has been written about both men. However, the general white population has a far greater knowledge and awareness of Martin Luther King rather than Malcolm X. King was perceived as an African American hero, in which he would save the black community from years of racism, suppression and torment. King presented himself as a balanced, middle of the road, peaceful leader. Malcolm X appeared to the white population as a violent black supremacist who was completely opposite to the conservative white middle class Americans and their beliefs. Various statements he made gave cause for why white Americans were concerned with his position. For example, "We're not Americans, we're Africans who happen to be in America. We were kidnapped and brought here against our will from Africa.” (Malcolm X). When comparing the two you gain a realisation that they both took divergent approaches, however they were both trying to achieve a similar outcome.
The main religion of the United States during the period of X and King, and to this day still is, is Christianity. After joining the Nation of Islam, Malcolm became a religious family man and left the life of a drug addicted gangster to devote himself to his new found religion. “The black man needs to start his own program to rid of the drunkenness, drug addiction and prostitution.” (Malcolm X, Autobiography, 1965). After discovering the Nation of Islam, Malcolm turned against everything unethical. If the...
A lot has been written about both men. However, the general white population has a far greater knowledge and awareness of Martin Luther King rather than Malcolm X. King was perceived as an African American hero, in which he would save the black community from years of racism, suppression and torment. King presented himself as a balanced, middle of the road, peaceful leader. Malcolm X appeared to the white population as a violent black supremacist who was completely opposite to the conservative white middle class Americans and their beliefs. Various statements he made gave cause for why white Americans were concerned with his position. For example, "We're not Americans, we're Africans who happen to be in America. We were kidnapped and brought here against our will from Africa.” (Malcolm X). When comparing the two you gain a realisation that they both took divergent approaches, however they were both trying to achieve a similar outcome.
The main religion of the United States during the period of X and King, and to this day still is, is Christianity. After joining the Nation of Islam, Malcolm became a religious family man and left the life of a drug addicted gangster to devote himself to his new found religion. “The black man needs to start his own program to rid of the drunkenness, drug addiction and prostitution.” (Malcolm X, Autobiography, 1965). After discovering the Nation of Islam, Malcolm turned against everything unethical. If the...