Prewriting Essay

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Comparing and Contrasting Martin Luther King to Malcolm X
Both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X are considered to be some of the best speakers in history, in addition to being champions of social justice. Despite this, major differences exist in the approach that was taken by each in their quest for social justice. While Martin Luther King believed in advocacy through peaceful methods, Malcolm X favored a much more radical approach. This paper compares and contrasts the key characteristics of both activists as relates to the civil rights movement.
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King had significantly different educational backgrounds that ultimately ended up shaping their ideas on activism. Martin Luther King was born in a well-off family, and as a result was able to afford a decent education and practice Christianity (Tucker, 2014). This eventually shaped his views on coexistence and the need for peace, that later influenced the methods he adopted when campaigning for social justice. Malcolm X on the other had a difficult childhood that did not allow him to go to school and later saw him get imprisoned for robbery. It is while in prison that he learned to read and write and later became a dedicated Muslim. This contributed to the radical beliefs that he had regarding the civil rights movement.
The two activists adopted significantly different methods in their quest or social justice. Martin Luther King believed in peaceful methods a…