They might say the past stays in the past because its gray areas take a backseat to a simpler perspective that history books endorse. The Civil Rights Movement was anything but a simple attempt at ending racial discrimination and earning equal rights.
Kennedys and King is devoting today’s blog to debunking some of the mistruths of these oversimplifications.
Myth #1: Malcolm X was the Radical to Martin Luther King Jr.’s Pacifist
No matter how far we might’ve come since the ’60s, we’ll continue to see activists as either radicals or pacifists. With all his harsh rhetoric, Malcolm X was seen as the former, whereas Martin Luther King Jr. was perceived as the latter.
It’s not quite this black-and-white. Malcolm X might have had his faults, but he never advocated for initiating violence. He supported defense, not violence, and that too when one’s wellbeing was at risk.
On the other hand, MLK might be known for his peaceful rhetoric, but he too was in favor of taking arms to defend himself. He might’ve grown up among his people, but the things he was fighting for would’ve hardly won him any points with the white community, and he would’ve had to protect himself from their wrath.
Overall, it would be better not to assign boxes labeled ‘pacifist’ and ‘radical’ to these two activists, who were more similar than you might think.
Myth #2: MLK Died a Hero
MLK didn’t so much die a hero as he was made one in the months following his assassination. He might be a national hero with a holiday dedicated to his birthday today, but his public image was quite controversial during the three years leading up to his assassination.
From advocating for the poor to assailing the US government’s involvement in Vietnam, it seemed as if he had finally started going against the American grain, against some of the issues uniting all Americans.
Myth #3: The Black Panthers Were No Better than Armed Militia
The Black Panther Party for Self Defense was founded in the ’60s primarily to fight police brutality. Their members are usually perceived as gun-wielding men with a penchant for paramilitary attire, which is true but only to a certain extent.
They might be known as “cop killers” in white neighborhoods. However, in black neighborhoods, they were known for setting up health clinics, feeding over 10,000 children daily, and asking people to contribute and volunteer. By all accounts, they were doing the government’s work.
Just as we don’t deny the shortcomings of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., we don’t deny the violent streak of certain Black Panther factions. However, that doesn’t change the fact that most of these leaders were assassinated during the Civil Rights Movement, which is no coincidence.
Follow us as we make strides in our cause to bring these political assassinations of the 1960s to justice and advocate for more records to be undisclosed.
Contact us if you know more facts behind political murders in sixtees.
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