Martin Luther King,

Malcolm X
and the Black Panthers

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Background:
Son of a Baptist
Minister in Atlanta
Georgia.
Graduated from
Boston University
with a PHD.
Became a Minister
in Montgomery
Alabama at the
age of 24.
During the Great
Depression, family
had steady income

Kings Movement
Organization:
Southern Christian
Leadership Conference.
SCLC
- Created to harness the
moral authority and
organize the power of
black churches to
conduct non-violent
protests in order to
promote civil rights
reform.
- Used media coverage
to expose Jim Crow laws.

*King would later win the Nobel

Peace Prize*

Dr Kings Ideology
Expose the racism,
prejudice, discrimination
and brutality that
existed in the United
States through peaceful
means.
Uses non-violent means
to highlight the violence,
and ensure support.
Uses civil disobedience
to promote change:
Boycotts, Protests,
Marches, Speeches

Malcolm X
Father was killed
because he was a civil
rights activist.
Dropped out of school
and got involved in
drug dealing,
gambling,
racketeering, robbery
and prostitution.
Arrested for Burglary
and sent to prison for 7
years.
Converts to Nation of
Islam in Prison
After his release he
becomes a Minister for
the Nation of Islam.
Changes his last name
to X because Little
was a slave name.

Malcolms Movement
Religion:
Nation of Islam
- Taught that Africans
belonged at the top
of the social order.
-Whites were the
devil and only took
advantage of the
black race.
Advocated political
and economic black
independence.
*He would later leave
the Nation of Islam,
and convert to true
Islam and change his
view on Whites and
Blacks*

Malcolm Xs Ideology
Believed African
Americans should
stand up and
fight for their
freedom.
Believed violence
was necessary to
earn freedom.
Militant
Believed that the
Christian religion
was based on the
white culture.

Malcolm X Changes
Takes a trip to
Mecca, the
Islamic religious
center
Embraced Sunni
Islam
True Islam
Returned to US
and founded:
Muslim Mosque
Inc

Black Panther Party

Founded by Huey
Newton and Bobby
Seale.
Wanted their own
communities OWN
LAND
SNCC and Black
Panthers split away from
more moderate
organizations.

Black Panther Partys

Ideology

Confrontational,
militant, and
violent tactics
against police.
They instituted a
variety of
Black revolutionary
community social
socialist organization programs
designed to
Far Left
alleviate poverty,
Black Power
improve health
Movement
among inner city
- self-determination for
black communities
people

Get out a piece of paper...

(and answer the questions!)
Returning violence for violence
multiplies violence, adding deeper
darkness to a night already devoid of
stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only
love can do that.
1. Who do you think said this?
2. What do you think other Civil Rights leaders
we have discussed would respond to this
statement?