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“Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. shared the same aims, but differed in their approaches and influence.” Discuss. During the 20th century black people faced enormous amounts of discrimination from the whites and found it very difficult to achieve civil rights, but two great men set out to change this. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X (formerly known as Malcolm Little) grew up in different environments but essentially shared the same aims. King was raised in a comfortable, middle-class family where education and religion were stressed. On the other hand, Malcolm X came from an underprivileged home, where he and his 7 brothers and sisters struggled to survive. These two different environments helped each leader form a unique approach to resolve the oppression of black people and their struggle for civil rights. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. both shared the same broad aim of improving the lifestyle and civil rights of the African American people, however, their aims differed in vital areas. Malcolm X rejected the idea of integration and the central aim of the Civil Rights Movement, and, as a Black Muslim, aimed to create a separate African American state. His followers boasted Black Nationalism and revived the spirit of earlier leaders like Marcus Garvey. Malcolm’s main goal was unity amongst people of African descent throughout the world. However, Martin Luther King embraced the aims of the Civil Rights Movement, and sought unity amongst all Americans, black and white. King’s followers wanted an integrated society, and believed that integration was the most crucial step towards gaining civil rights.
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