They were black men who had a dream, but never lived to see it fulfilled. One was a man who spoke out to all humanity, but the world was not yet ready for his peaceful words, " I have a dream, a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it's creed that all men are created equal." (Martin Luther King). The other, a man who spoke of a violent revolution, which would bring about radical change for the black race. " Anything you can think of that you want to change right now, the only way you can do it is with a ballot or a bullet. And if you're not ready to get involved with either only of those, you are satisfied with the status quo. That means we'll have to change." (Malcolm X) While Martin Luther King promoted non-violence, Civil Rights, and the end to racial segregation, a man of the name Malcom X dreamed of a separate nation. .
Malcom Little was born on May 19, 1925 and came from an underprivileged home. He was a self-taught man who received little schooling and rose to greatness on his own intelligence and determination. The early background of Malcolm X was a large factor responsible for the distinct different responses to American racism. During his childhood, He was raised in a harsh atmosphere consisting of fear and anger where the seeds of bitterness were planted resulting in his attitude effecting his decisions later in live. Malcolm X suffered not only from abuse by whites, but also from domestic violence. His father beat his mother and both of them abused their children. His mother was forced to raise 8 children during the depression. After his mother had a nervous breakdown his family was spilt up. The children were all placed in foster homes. And the burning of his house by the Klu Klux Klan resulted in the murder of his father. Malcolm's resentment was increased as he suffered through these hardships, and he was haunted by this early nightmare for most of his life.