The First Amendment to the American Constitution guarantees the American citizens that no law can “abridge the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” [1] This ever-so-controversial constitutional right has been instrumental in the making of American history, particularly in the shaping of the civil rights movement. Perhaps the very first image that may pop into one’s head when one thinks of the civil rights movement is Dr. Martin Luther King peacefully marching to Montgomery. However, one side of the same coin which may be obscured, which many have called into question, was the advocacy of non-peaceful protest. Malcolm X, the archetype for the so-called non-peaceful protest, advocated for violent…show more content… Malcolm X, contrary to popular belief, did not advocate for violent protesting and rioting, among other forms of violent protest. Rather, he advocated for violent resistance; if the white man attacks and infringes the rights of a black man, the black man shall defend himself by any means necessary.[2] Regardless, it is highly questionable whether Malcolm X and the events that have transpired in inspiration of his movement have been effective, especially when compared to Dr. King’s peaceful tactics. In fact, Dr. King’s peaceful ideology would ultimately prove to be much more successful in the promotion of PoC rights.
To say that Dr. King and his tactics were superior in comparison to Malcolm X’s in no way demerits the latter. Malcolm X inspired several movements which have accomplished greatly. The Black Panther Party, for instance, was heavily inspired by Malcolm X and his ideas of violent resistance when it was founded by Huey Newton
