How Useful Are Sources D and E In Helping Us Understand Why Some Black Americans Rejected The Methods Of Martin Luther King?

Malcolm X hated all white people even the ones that supported him or tried to help the black people of America. This is shown in source E especially when he says ‘these so called “good white people”’ showing that he did not believe that any white people were good or were willing to welcome as he thought they ‘weren’t considered to be part of them’ referring to the white people. Malcolm X believed that white and black people will always be enemies and he also referred to whites as "devils" who had been created in a misguided breeding program by a black scientist, and predicted the inevitable (and imminent) return of blacks to their natural place at the top of the social order in some of his speeches clearly showing his hatred towards white people. Malcolm X also believed that violence could not be avoided and so encouraged people to use violence against others because the whites used violence against them (the KKK). He also encouraged people to carry guns and other weapons with them incase they were attacked and to also take control of their own communities. Some people might have followed Malcolm X as his way provided an outlet for black Americans anger towards the white people and the society that they lived in.

So through comparing the ideals and lives of both these influential men, we can see that they both have a same idea but methods and desires for change were different in a great number of ways. Martin Luther King wanted to have a peaceful protest, to open the eyes of the public, white or black; whereas Malcolm X wanted change, and he wanted it now. He was devoted to his Muslim belief, and was devoted to change the lifestyle of those around him for the better, but through taking action, and even violence if necessary. People wanted the change to happen quicker but with Martin Luther King it was taking a long time and a lot of them were running out of patience. Especially as some of Martin Luther King’s campaigns in the north did not achieve their aims, which lead some to question whether he would succeed in his quest to get them civil rights and saw Malcolm X as the only other solution to their problem, as they felt that although  Martin Luther King got them voting rights, he failed to get their economic equality to whites, and so many black people felt that the even though whites had ‘ appeared to have opened the door,’ in reality they felt that ‘it was still closed’ as shown by Malcolm X in Source E.

Source D does not really show why people have moved away from MLK but it sounds like he is trying to persuade people not to go or to fight anymore as he mentions ‘if he seeks it [violence] and organises it, he cannot win,’ however the fact that he has said this could suggest that they have already moved away, and does not really tell you why they have done this.

Source E shows the view point of Malcolm X and that of other black Americans, showing that they felt white people weren’t willing to except them into their society. ‘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.’ Source E shows one possible reason why they’re angry and start to turn away from Martin Luther King because ‘even though we might be with them, we weren’t considered to be part of them.’ And this kind of message from Malcolm X was more became more appealing to them as opposed to Martin Luther King’s slower methods.

Both of these sources do not mention other reasons as to why people might have been moving away from Martin Luther King to Malcolm X. A lot of the people that were moving away or who were rejecting Martin Luther King’s idea’s or methods were either from the North or young Black Americans and did not know his methods or only knew about his failures rather than his successes. There were also other factors such as the Vietnam War which were very important reasons why people not only rejected the methods of Martin Luther King but also felt anger towards those in the White House.