By the end of the lesson I will be able to answer the question below How do primary and secondary sources portray Malcolm X?
Martin Luther King Jr.
Source #1 – Who said this? What is it saying? When the Negro uses force in self-defence he does not lose support, he may even win it, by the courage and self-respect it reflects. When he starts violence he is blamed for its consequences. It is unfortunately true that however the Negro acts, his struggle will not be free of violence begun by his enemies, and he will need great courage and willingness to defeat this violence. But if he seeks it and organizes it, he cannot win.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Beliefs MLK adopted tactics of Gandhi who used non-violence to get British to leave India Believed that this was only way to end segregation Used Media to cover Police brutality etc to gain moral high ground Used public opinion and pressure to bring end to segregation Wanted to use democracy and constitution of USA to bring about “integration” Wanted to work within system and highlight abuses and gain sympathy both inside and outside of USA
How would you react to this?
Montgomery Buy Boycott 1955 – Rosa Parks refused to give up seat for white passenger and was arrested MLK leads boycott of buses People share cabs, car pool etc In November 1956 Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses unlawful Non violent protest resounding success
Why might some people find this difficult? In pairs discuss why using non-violence in the face of violence could be difficult for some people. Think about how you would feel if you were discriminated against and how you would react?
Malcolm X Age of 6: His father was killed by the Ku Klux Klan, put into ‘foster care’ Did well at school but fell into a bad crowd Sent to prison robbery Believed in Black Nationalism an idea that stressed the separatism of the black race How did Malcolm X want African American’s to separate?
What did he mean?
Source #2 – Who said this? What is it saying? It has always been the case with white people that even though we might be with them, we weren’t considered to be part of them. Even though they appeared to have opened the door, it was still closed. Thus they never did really see me. This is the sort of kindly condescension which I try to point out today to these integration hungry Negroes about their “liberal” white friends, these so called “good white people”.
Primary and Secondary Sources How useful are primary sources in understanding the beliefs of Malcolm X? How useful are secondary sources in understanding his beliefs?