Mini-Webquest MLK vs Malcolm X - Introduction
While there are many black Americans that have contributed to our society to make America a more perfect union, two individuals stand out in our recent memory. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X were civil rights leaders in the 1950s-60s that fought for civil rights for Black Americans. The U.S. Civil War ended slavery, but did not end the struggle of Black Americans. The former slaves newly found freedoms with the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments met with resistance from Southern White aristocracy. New forms of civil rights abuse developed such as Blackcodes, poll taxes, segregation, the Klu Klux Klan, and a deliberate attempt to limit Black social mobility and keep them as the lowest level of the social hierarchy. A resurgence of segregation and the KKK in the late 1800s and early 1900s, led to the creation of Black civil rights groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). While these groups had large memberships, it still was not enough to change laws such as the Supreme Court decision, Plessy v. Fergueson (1896) which tore apart the concepts in the 14th Amendment. The court said there could be "separate but equal" spaces for both Blacks and Whites twisting the words of "Equal protection" under the law. It would take a century or more, and two Black Americans to undo the damage of Plessy v. Fergueson.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X were born into the American society of segregation and unjust laws against Black Americans. Each of them took different paths to accomplish their goals. They were successful in bringing these issues to the forefront of human rights, and while neither of them lived to see the impact of those fights, their efforts, dedication, and history must be learned as lessons of human decency and rights.
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