Malcolm X and the United States' Civil Right Movement - Term Paper Example

Malcolm is considered as of the greatest and most influential black American in the history of America. At the age of twenty, Malcolm X was imprisoned where he joined Nation of Islam. After his parole in the year 1952, Malcolm rose to be one of the leaders of the Nation Muslims. Several years afterwards, he became a controversial figure in the public domain. However, disillusionment with Nation of Muslims in the year 1964 made him leave the nation match the same year. Later in 1964, he founded the African American unity organization and the Muslim Mosque, Inc.

Malcolm believed that one day America would change in the way the whites treated the blacks. During his leadership tenure in the Nation Islam, Malcolm as the organization’s spokesperson, preached or taught black American supremacy and advocated for separation between the white and the black Americans. However, in his teachings, Malcolm contrasted the principles of civil right movement that emphasized on integration among Americans. Since 1952 when he joined the Nation of Islam until 1964 when he left the organization, Malcolm promoted the teachings of the Nation Islam (Walsh7).

In his teachings, he emphasized that blacks were the original people of the entire world, and the white race belonged to the devils. In almost all of his speeches, he emphasized that the blacks or the white people were inferior to the black people, and the demise of the white people was imminent(Levy 98). Malcolm X immensely advocated for a complete separation of the African American from the white Americans, despite The Civil Right Movement’s fight against racial segregation. Malcolm had proposed separation of the black Americans to their own country.

He considered the move as an interim measure that should be taken against the white until they could return to Africa (Cone 1). In addition, he rejected the nonviolence strategy that has put in play by the civil right movement. Instead, he advocated for self-defense among the African Americans, and asked, them to use any necessary means and measures that were within their reach (Levy 99). His speeches were highly influential especially among the African American audients who lived in the western and northern cities.

Notably, these groups were tired of the empty promises. They were ever being told to wait for justice, respect, freedom, and equality (Walsh 9). Therefore, the majority of African Americans felt that Malcolm was articulating their complaints and grievances in a better way than the strategies and moves that were being taken by civil right movement. Many of the white Americans among other blacks were perplexed with Malcolm’s ideals as well as the things he was saying. The Nation of Islam and Malcolm were later described as black supremacists, hatemongers, violence seekers and they were as well considered a threat to race relation improvement.

The Civil rights organization afterwards dismissed the Nation of Islam and Malcolm because of being irresponsible extremists where were not concerned with the welfare of the African Americans. Furthermore, Malcolm was accused of anti-Semitism (Cone 1). On the other hand, Malcolm equally criticized the civil right movement and described its leadership as a “stooge” that has been established by the whites. He as well described Martin Luther King, Jr. as being a “chump”. Additionally, he was opposed with the march that took place in 1963 and termed it "the farce on Washington".

Malcolm claimed that he did not know why the black America