Comparison of MLK Jr. and Malcolm X: Civil Disobedience

1. Unit 2 Compare & Contrast Civil Disobedience

3. Agenda: 1. Read the Malcom X Bio, Watch the Video Bio (10 minutes) 2. Read & Annotate the Malcolm X Interview (15 Minutes) Complete the Malcolm X graphic organizer (15 minutes) • Watch the Comparison Speeches of MLK Jr. & Malcolm X (10 min) • Discuss & Brainstorm Differences (10 minutes) • Complete the Sketch Note Comparison Activity (30 minutes)

4. https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/americon-vid-malcolm-x/video/#.XY1YfEZKiUkhttps://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/americon-vid-malcolm-x/video/#.XY1YfEZKiUk Malcolm Little was born in 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, to a very poor family of eight children. His father was a preacher and a vocal black nationalist, advocating equality well before the start of the Civil Rights movement. Malcolm faced frequent racism and harassment from white supremacists because of his father’s affiliations, witnessing his house burn to the ground when he was only four and, two years later, losing his father, who had received repeated death threats and was found dead under suspicious circumstances. When Malcolm was only 12, his mother had a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized. Despite these circumstances, Malcolm, the only black student in his school, excelled. He was excited and optimistic about his future, determined to become a lawyer, until a teacher told him that the color of his skin made such a dream unachievable. Disillusioned, he dropped out, moved to Boston, and, still a teenager, began selling drugs and engaging in other criminal activity. In 1946, he was arrested and sent to jail for larceny and breaking and entering. While incarcerated, he read extensively, absorbing works by Kant and Nietzsche. His family members who stayed in touch urged him to join the Nation of Islam. To Malcolm, the Nation of Islam, which embraced ideas associated with the black power movement and black nationalism, gave voice to some of his deepest feelings about living in a highly-segregated and discriminatory society. Malcolm finished his prison sentence and joined the Nation, adopting “X” in the place of his last name, as was the traditional practice for dissociating from the surnames originally given by slave owners. Membership in the Nation of Islam rapidly increased as Malcolm X, an inspiring and convincing orator, threw himself into its recruitment efforts. He quickly ingratiated himself to Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam, and became the minister of temples in New York City and Boston, while also founding new temples in Hartford and Philadelphia. In the early 1960s, with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s nonviolent movement for civil rights well underway, Malcolm X rallied support among black Americans who were weary of King’s peaceful approach and reliance on the sympathy of white liberals. Malcolm X advocated fighting back and being armed when attacked by racists. He spoke of blackness with pride and instilled the same pride in the hearts of his followers. Malcom X married Betty Shabazz in 1963. Later that year, he traveled to Africa and the Middle East and completed a pilgrimage to Mecca where he met and befriended other Muslims, both dark-skinned and light-skinned. He returned to the US having embraced socialism and converted to traditional Islam. His new message was one of tolerance for all races. Soon after, a personal rift widened between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, and after some particularly controversial remarks, Malcolm X was suspended from acting as a minister for the Nation. In 1964, having become disillusioned with the Nation, Malcolm left and created his own religious organization: the Muslim Mosque Inc. Just as Malcolm was poised to become a catalyst in the nonviolent movement for civil rights, the enemies he’d made through the Nation of Islam caught up with him. On February 25, 1965, when he was about to deliver a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, he was assassinated by three gunmen at close range. Shortly before his death, Malcolm X had recounted his life’s story to acclaimed author Alex Haley, who published it as The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Malcolm has since been remembered as a hero of black America, who fought with a rare and relentless strength to achieve what a racist society had made impossible.

5. Annotating

6. What should people do if they see an injustice?

7. I think teaching a man to hate himself is much more criminal than teaching a man to hate someone else. — Malcolm X Compare & Contrast Message, Delivery, Tone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_uYWDyYNUg I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IB0i6bJIjw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e49VEpWg61M

8. MLK Stride Toward Freedom Malcolm X Interview ►Stance on violence/non-violence ►Core message in your own words ►3 critical quotes ►Stance on violence/non-violence ►Core message in your own words ►3 critical quotes

9. Visually Represent the Key Ideas Add: Titles/Headers Connectors Graphics Key Quotes Big Ideas

11. ►Create a sketch note comparison of the 2 authors.Must Include: MLK Malcolm X ►Stance on violence/non-violence►Core message in your own words ►3 critical quotes ►Visuals/Graphics

12. MLK Jr. Malcolm X