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The Civil Rights Movement was marred by the Malcolm X and Martin Luther King assassinations. More on that here. On the other hand, the Black Lives Matter protests were incited by the extrajudicial killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. They happened amid an economic recession, nationwide lockdown, and climate change concerns.

Let’s see how close a resemblance the BLM protests bear to the CRM.

The Purpose

CRM was a social movement against systemic racism and segregation between the mid-1950s and late-1960s.

While CRM happened within the US, BLM was more of an international movement that started within the US but quickly spread to neighboring Canada and across the pond. Its main goal was to end racially motivated police violence against the black community.

The Dissemination of News

There was no Twitter or Facebook—no internet—during the ’50s and ’60s. During this time, the CRM found an unlikely ally in the press. Previously overshadowed by news about white people and reportage of black criminal activity, the white press soon found competition in the black press. The African American media became an avenue of protest and a way to spread the word for civil rights activists.

Conversely, it was much easier to disseminate news during the BLM protests. The movement began using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter to keep people updated, pressurize the criminal justice system and Congress to do right by the victims, and pass police reform bills.

The Power of Boycotts

Both movements are non-violent. They were carried forward through peaceful protests, fliers, news media, and boycotts. The latter was an incredibly powerful force for positive change during the CRM.

Take the Montgomery Bus Boycott, for instance. Announced by the Montgomery Improvement Association after Rosa Parks was arrested for violating segregating laws, this 381-day boycott brought the operating bus company to its knees.

Conversely, BLM protestors carried out a Black Friday boycott in Ferguson when a grand jury decided not to indict the killer of a black teen, resulting in an 11% reduction in sales in 2014.

More Comparative Analysis to Come on Kennedys and King

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Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965, while speaking at Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom. His death was quickly chalked up to bad blood between Malcolm and the Nation of Islam (NOI). The truth is anyone’s guess.

Related: The Hidden Hand: The Assassination of Malcolm X

Since the investigation into this assassination left more questions than answers, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to answer some of those questions.

1. How Bad Was the Blood Between Malcolm X and NOI?

Malcolm X cut ties with NOI in 1964, shortly before his death. His decision to leave didn’t come out of the blue. He was deeply uncomfortable with Elijah Muhammad’s infidelity and disheartened by NOI’s inaction against the LA police department’s violent behavior towards Muslims.

The last straw was Malcolm breaking an important NOI policy about not reacting to John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Malcolm did, calling it “the chickens coming home to roost.” He left soon after being silenced from saying anything else about the incident. At the time of his assassination, he was widely seen by many NOI members as a traitor.

2. How Did the Government Treat Malcolm X?

It was rare for civil rights organization members not tobe under 24/7 surveillance by the FBI and law enforcement, and even rarer for these organizations to not have at least one FBI informant within their ranks.

Malcolm was no exception. The FBI started surveilling him in March 1953. Their special infiltration unit, the Bureau of Special Services (BOSS), possibly infiltrated the organizations that Malcolm set up after leaving NOI.

He was widely seen as a threat by law enforcement agencies, as evidenced by the communique by the then FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover that read, “do something about Malcolm X.”

3. Were There Any Threats Made to Malcolm X?

A week before his assassination, Malcolm X was asleep with his wife and children at his New York City residence when it was firebombed. No charges were made—it’s not like such antics against activists were rare in those days.

It’s not clear whether the ones who made the threat ultimately killed him. However, the incident was nothing if not serious and was sure to have driven home the threat to his life and that of the people near and dear to him. Be that as it may, it didn’t prevent Malcolm from speaking out about the incident.

Uncover the Mystery Surrounding the Malcolm X Assassination

As the convictions of those accused of killing Malcolm X are overturned, join Kennedys and King to uncover the truth behind the incident once and for all. Go through our multimedia to know more than you ever have about the political assassinations of the 1960s, including the unsolved political murders of the Kennedy brothers, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X.

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A little over 55 years ago, Martin Luther King gave a speech titled "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" at New York City's Riverside Church. It divided the nation and drew heavy criticism from major newspapers, political organizations, and fellow activists. Exactly a year later, he was assassinated. Click here for details.

The Point of "Beyond Vietnam"

"Beyond Vietnam" was the first time MLK went on record to state his opinion on the Vietnam War. He was addressing a gathering of 3,000, so it was guaranteed to elicit a reaction.

King categorically condemned the Vietnam War, calling it an economic and human burden on the country's poor working class. He called for the resources being spent on the war to be redirected to equal rights for America's minorities.

His opinions drew the furor of many and the support of some. The former either termed it unpatriotic or claimed it threw a wrench in the civil rights movement Malcolm X by making it an extension of the more radical peace movement.

Following are the highlights from his memorable, opinion-shaping speech.

"An Enemy of the Poor"

By terming war "an enemy of the poor," MLK meant that the Poor People's Campaign, which was flourishing before the war, was in shambles as soon as those very poor people were sent off to a senseless war.

The civil rights leader sounded resigned when he said he knew better than to think the US government would ever divert funds towards rehabilitating the country's poor white and black people.

"In Brutal Solidarity"

King used the word "in brutal solidarity" to describe white and black people who were united in the cruelest way possible. They were being sent 8,000 miles away from home to guarantee freedom and restore the rights of an entirely different population when they hardly had any civil rights at home.

Instead of seating white and black students together, we're uniting them in a matter of life and death. He called it a "manipulation" of America's poverty-stricken community.

"This Self-Defeating Path"

King termed hate a "self-defeating path," saying he wanted his country to stop worshipping concepts of hate and revenge. Although uttered 55 years ago, his words are just as relevant today because the US has not learned from history. Its foreign policies continue to override the issues back home that have worsened due to neglect and lack of effective action.

By uttering those words, King wanted his country to take the high road, let bygones be bygones, and focus on its development.

Coming Back to the Martin Luther King Assassination

Martin Luther King gave his famous speech on April 4, 1967. Ironically, he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The dates might be a coincidence, but the coverups that followed his assassination are no coincidence.

Stay tuned as we challenge and debunk the many lies that have permeated the mainstream since the Assassination of Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Malcolm X.

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Although Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. wanted equality and justice for their community, their visions were like two sides of the same coin. Unlike King, Malcolm X didn’t believe in racial integration or support the civil rights movement facts.

In today’s Kennedys and King update, let’s explore these two political figures and where their paths met and diverged.

Parallels Near the End

Malcolm X flipped the script completely after returning from his pilgrimage to Mecca. After endorsing separation and promoting self-defense rhetoric his entire life, the activist started promoting brotherhood regardless of one’s race. This change was inspired by the integration, peace, and harmony between pilgrims in Mecca.

He publicly recognized wanting the same thing as Dr. King: freedom. However, that was hardly the case for most of the minister’s life.

Martin’s Interpretation of Freedom

While King and Malcolm X wanted to free their community from the shackles of their brutal past, their approach was as different as day and night. King supported non-violence.

He advocated for equal rights for all of humanity but never used unprovoked violence as the means to achieve them. The bills signed into law thanks to King’s contributions supported integration, not further segregation and isolation of the African American community.

King only hired armed security detail when his Montgomery house was firebombed. In other words, he took up arms to safeguard the Civil Rights Movement, not to add an element of violence to it.

Malcolm’s Interpretation of Freedom

On the flip side, you have Malcolm X, who, unlike King, preferred street corners over churches. Embittered by the cruel way his elders were abducted from their homes, he denied being an American for most of his life. He even changed his last name to “X”, effectively removing the last name given to his forefathers by their masters.

Unlike King, Malcolm’s allegiance to the Nation of Islam made him seek a separate, not united, society for his people. While he recommended self-defense over unprovoked police violence, his motto was “by any means necessary,” which one could interpret as a defense to any threat, even if that wasn’t his intention.

The Road from Scorn to Admiration

Malcolm X wasn’t all praise for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from the onset. He openly mocked and criticized the Civil Rights Movement, even going as far as to call the historic March on Washington a “farce” and “circus.”

However, that all changed after the pilgrimage to Mecca and the ensuing estrangement with the Nation of Islam. Learn how Malcolm X perceived the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King’s role before he joined the political assassinations of the 1960s on Kennedys and King. Delve deeper into the events before and after the malcolm x assassination and see how you can help us uncover the truth behind the political murders of that decade.

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