Slavery in the United States began in the early 1600’s with the first slave ship docking in Jamestown. From then to 1865, when the Civil War ended, slavery saturated the U.S, especially in the south. Even after the Civil War, when African Americans, by law, had the same exact rights as whites, they were not equal. Public movements and protest took place, peaking around the 1950s and 1960s with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. These two massive public figures had two completely different styles of fighting the racism they were trying to overcome. By looking at Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech, we can see the differences in how they fight inequality and racism. This is important because it shows the two major ways African Americans approached protesting in the mid to late 1900s. 

Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet” shows how he targeted the white population. Not that he did not have the right to or that it wasn’t justified but how Malcolm X addressed the white population is completely different from King. This targeting can be seen when Malcolm X states “All of us have suffered here, in this country, political oppression at the hands of the white man, economic exploitation at the hands of the white man, and social degradation at the hands of the white man.” (X). King on the opposite end of the spectrum talks about leaving in peace with the white population and moving on past racism and bigotry. He capitalizes on this in “I Have a dream” when he says “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” (King). Malcolm X and King’s differences towards their view of the white population could not be farther apart. King’s forgiveness towards the white population is a major reason why his protests were non-violent and Malcolm X’s targeting of whites is why violence came into his protests. Because King had a pacifistic mindset from the beginning of the protest it was easier for him to center his speeches around forgiving the white population and moving on. 

The time frame in which both activists operated has direct correlation with how they protested. Malcolm X believed he had a short time frame to operate with and wanted quick results. “The Ballot or the Bullet” contains excellent examples of his views, “If we don't do something real soon, I think you'll have to agree that we're going to be forced either to use the ballot or the bullet. It's one or the other in 1964. It isn't that time is running out -- time has run out!” (X). It is apparent with this quote that Malcolm X believed there was no time left to spare. King thought quite the opposite stating “Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning.” (King). This statement from King’s speech shows that he believed that there was a long road ahead before they achieved the goal of racial justice and equality.  Because Malcolm X believed in such a short time frame, radical action was almost required to produce such a rapid change in the social standing of the black community. King on the other hand believed that it was just the beginning this created a sense of patience among his following that allowed for his world renowned passive strategies. 

The largest difference between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X is the issue of whether or not violence is an option for protest. King believed that violence was not an option by any means. “We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.” (King). This quote embodies what King believed in terms of violence but this passivism was not met with equal enthusiasm by Malcolm X. In “The Ballot or the Bullet” Malcolm X states “I believe in action on all fronts by whatever means necessary.” (Malcom X). He may not have wanted to use violence but he defiantly believed it was an option that should be considered. Malcolm X’s protesting methods and beliefs like the targeting of the white population and the short time frame he gave for change to occur caused violence to erupt.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s and Malcolm X’s differences in protesting can be seen by analyzing their speeches. King was able to pursue passive protests because he moved past getting angry at the white population for suppressing African Americans and his followers did the same. His time frame that he gave for change to occur also played a crucial role because it did not rush results. Malcolm X did almost the complete opposite of King and gave himself a short time frame, which led to a move violent protesting style. Their differing styles in protesting created the civil rights movement we study today. 
