Martin Luther King vs Malcolm X
In history, everyone knows that no two great men are alike. And when you compare Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, you will know instantly that such is true. There are many differences between the two, apart from the striking one: that Martin Luther King was a very good statesman who delivered moving speeches about peace, freedom and democracy while Malcolm X was a known eradicator of those who were not of the superior white race.
The beliefs of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X may stem from the fact that their childhoods were vastly different, given that the former lived in a very comfortable and middle class home while the latter experienced the worst that an underprivileged home. The former was very educated, while the latter was self-taught after what little schooling he had received. Martin Luther King actually came from a family who was well-known in their area of Atlanta, while Malcolm X was a virtual nobody.
One could probably say that Martin Luther King enjoyed the best that life had to offer at that time especially the presence of loving parents. On the other hand, Malcolm X was someone who early on experienced anger over witnessing his house being burned followed by his father being murdered. His mother then suffered a breakdown and this resulted into his family being split up. Based on their childhood and growing up years alone (class issues, educational opportunities, level of household comfort and presence of loving parents), you could probably tell where their beliefs were grounded on.
Where Martin Luther King was focused on equality and the goodness of man, as well as his ability to do good in the name of goodness itself, Malcolm X’s own view of the world was pretty much tinted with anger, bitterness and the desire to get back at the world that treated him pretty much unfairly.