“You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.”
In honor of Black History Month, I thought it would be appropriate for me to highlight one of the most prominent figures in African American history. You may not necessarily agree with the perspective and tactics of Malcolm X, but it is undeniable that he had a major impact on the course of not only black history, but on history in general.
Some people viewed Malcolm X as an outspoken activist and advocate for the rights of African Americans, but was also very strongly against the institution of “White America.” He was a very polarizing figure, to be sure, whereas someone like Martin Luther King, Jr. is more universally accepted as a positive figure in American history.
You also have to remember that someone like Barack Obama isn’t exactly universally accepted for his views and tactics either. I’m not equating Obama with Malcolm X, per se, but I think it is absolutely true that if you aren’t ruffling a few feathers along the way, you probably aren’t doing enough as a political leader.
As such, Malcolm X echoes my sentiment on the necessity of adversity as well:
“There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.”
Life isn’t easy. It is filled with hardship and challenges, but it is precisely through these difficulties that we can persevere and truly discover the power of the human spirit.
While Malcolm X has a lot of good quotes, he was too polarizing to be affective.
I watched the movie based on his life (Malcolm’s role played by Denzel Washington) and I have to say, Malcolm was certainly determined in his approach. But he perhaps lacked some tact or diplomacy that you have to use to be entirely successful in getting your message across the right way, like Martin Luther King Jr. did.
I agree that King was alot more positive, and went about the right way, the more I think about it though, everyone played a key role in it all. And as we stand here in 2011, everything turned out just fine, and we are live in a really great and free society! 🙂 I love it.
-Jean
King used a more agreeable approach, however, the ‘squeaky wheel’ gets the oil.
Really much impressive “There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.” life isn’t easy but strive hard and punctuality are best aspect to live in best way.