The Shift During the late 1960s the character of the civil rights movement began to change. Some people in the movement became frustrated at the slow progress and talked of moving to a more militant approach. Some of these freedom fighters saw Malcolm X as a hero.

Malcolm X Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little. His father was murdered by a group of white men when he was 6. Malcolm joined the national of Islam after spending time in Jail. He advocated fighting racism any way necessary including with violence.

MLK vs Malcolm X MLK “Soul Force:” Love ones enemy Violence of any kind increases violence Civil disobedience, Large demonstrations = increase attention Fed legislation Shame haters into seeing as equal

MLK “We will not hate you, but we cannot…obey your unjust laws. We will soon wear you down by our capacity to suffer. And in winning our freedom, we will so appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process.”

MLK Jr Accomplishments Birmingham bus boycott Civ Right Bill 1964 and March on DC Voting Rights Act of 1965 All with help of SCLC, SNCC and others

MLK vs Malcolm X Early = Separation of race. Later integration Any means necessary for rights including violence if threatened “Black Nationalism” = control own community Black pride, felt non-violence shows weakness that can be exploited. Take control of own destiny not wait for Govt legislation

Malcolm X “concerning non-violence: it is criminal to teach a man to to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks. The time has come for the American Negro to to fight back in self-defense whenever & wherever he is being unjustly & unlawfully attacked.”

Malcolm X Accomplishments No direct legislation but voiced the discontent felt by many. Was held up as voice of the Black Power Mvt Highly influenced the Black Panthers (security, community based effort, take control of own destiny not wait for govt)

Black Panthers The Black Panther Party (originally called the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was an African American organization founded to promote civil rights and self-defense. Founded by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in October 1966, the organization initially called for armed resistance to societal oppression in the interest of African American justice.

Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton

Black Panther Tactics Took on a more militant approach. Tired of slow progress Carried guns and monitored police actions within community Patrolled neighborhoods for security Began free breakfast and lunch programs for children

Assassinations 1965- Malcolm x was assassinated. 1968- Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee. Robert F Kennedy, presidential candidate and civil rights supporter, was assassinated just two month’s later. The shock of these deaths lead to increasing urban violence and made the goals of these men seem distant.