Introduction
For many years, the American racial problem has seen discrimination in various aspects which lead to underdevelopment among the black community. Racial segregation has seen discrimination of the African-Americans within the society which increasingly leads to harassments and mistreatments to the people. The issue needs to considered as important to the society due it magnitude and effects on the people and their lives. Racism has resulted to the rise of activists and nationalists looking to fight for the rights of the black people. Initially, the black community was not considered as a voter population in the United States thus regarding them as non-citizens yet they were in slavery for numerous years. The rise of the numerous African-American civil rights activists led to increased segregation and further led to the movement which was led by Martin Luther King meant to fight for the rights of the blacks (Phinney, & Ong, 2007).
The paper compares and contrasts how the Black Psychology was viewed by activists such as Martin Luther King and Malcom X as the early civil rights activists. Additionally, the paper looks at how today’s leaders viewed the Black Psychology. The paper begins with a look at the leaders ideologies independently looking at the different views that each leader holds that differs from the other. The paper will then look at how today leaders view the black psychology and how it has developed.
Analysis
The black association movement was founded by African-American psychologists in the 1968. The movement rose as a result of assassination of the Dr. Martin Luther King. The movement mainly looked to protect the rights of the African-Americans from oppression in the United States since they required equal rights among the people.
Similarities between the civil rights activists
The civil rights activists in the1970’s had a common similarity in fighting for the rights in the United States. The killing of Dr. Martin Luther King demonstrated that there are increased killings of the black people. Resultantly, the civil rights movement was formed by the leaders in the United States. As a result, the leaders were aligned in fighting for the same goal which is to liberate the black people.
Additionally, the leaders fought and made success as a result of the movement’s work. The leaders also looked at the ideology of the worth of the black lives in the United States. The movements by the African-American leaders looked at increasing the need for equality. This was the main point of agreement between the leaders. They all fought for the same goal regardless of the differences in the tack ticks used independently. The leaders also had respect for each other and due to the acknowledgement of a common enemy whom they were opposed to and regarded as dangerous for development (Akbar, 1991).
The civil rights activists also influenced each other in the fight for freedom and equality. For example, Martin Luther King used the work of Mahatma Gandhi to understand the ideologies that he used to explain for the solution to a problem that the society faces. In his explanation, the development of the ideology of Martin Luther of non-violence was with regards to the fact that Martin Luther King was trained on non-violent ways of solving a conflict rather than the violent ways that see the killings of many people.
The leaders also had a common ideology arguing that human rights is a basic right that needs to be served to all people regardless of their skin color and ethnical affiliating. The two leaders looked at how the society treats human lives as objects rather than equal beings that needed to be respected since all lives mattered. The white community looked at ensuring that the black lives are frustrated and no person is allowed to develop beyond a certain point.
Differences
Martin Luther King Jr. non-violent philosophy
Martin Luther looked at the society as not supposed use violent models in solving problems. He challenges the people in the society to use non-violent means that help reduce violence in the society. In the American society, the black communities were ideally used to violent protests in fighting racism in the country. The people fought for their right which included the voting rights and civil rights of the individuals. Martin Luther King also opposed to the Vietnam War that is used to solve a conflict. He argues that the war sees the killing of many people some of whom are innocent civilians.
He looks at the fact that his father was assassinated rather than death by a natural course, it turns out that the civil rights activist died due to a violent means of solving a conflict. As a result, the African-Americans take it upon themselves to fight this fact through violent means. The result of war for war is deaths and no solution to a problem. Martin Luther King opposed these actions that the African Americans took and considered the Negro as a powerful person who when provided the right opportunity, there would be development (Akbar, 1998).
Malcom X’s philosophy
Malcom X on the other hand challenged the nonviolent and multiracial approach that Martin Luther King Jr advocated. Contrarily, Malcom X wanted the black people in the United States to embrace the tactical conflict ideology similar to the one that occurred during the black freedom struggle during the 1960s. Malcom X considered that using the violent methods of protests would help develop a solution to the problem as it worked previously with the racial problem that existed among the different races in the United States.
The use of a past reference as a way to have the society solve the problem was then main aim of Malcom X arguing that the ideology worked before and it work again. The two leaders thus differed in the ways in which they could fight the racial problem that the African-Americans are subjected to in the United States. Despite this fact, the two leaders help much respect for each other and admired each other work in liberating their community.
Malcom X looks at the society in a way that it dehumanizes the black people through segregation. Resultantly, Malcom X dehumanizes the white people as a way to revenge the vice. In the 1970s, the Philosophy of revenge and violence was in use by many people in the United States and the rights activists used his ideology to fight racism even after he was assassinated in 1965. Other black leaders used this ideology even though Martin Luther King was highly opposed to it and its usage since he argued that the society required reconciliation to build a better nation (Williams, 2008).
Comparison with today’s leaders
Today leaders are looking at reducing incidents of racism in the society by carrying out campaigns that are against racism. The similarity that can be drugged from the ancient leaders in the civil rights movements is that, the current leaders embrace both violent and non-violent means of solving conflict. The social media lead by Facebook has been in the forefront in fighting for the rights of the black people in the United States. Facebook headquarters has demonstrated this by dedicating a wall that is purely channeled to protecting the black lives of Americans. The wall is written as “black lives matter” to indicate that the every person should respect the civil rights of individuals.
On the other hand, the society had also embraced violent ways of solving conflict among the people. The society has embraced this by providing violent retaliation to conflicts that arise. The police are seen to be killing many people recklessly and the murders covered. The ideologies of the leaders are thus applicable in the current society. The current state of the black psychology is in existent. However, the actions taken for the violent protests are lower and less intense as compared to the period when Malcom X advocated for the fights (Akbar, 1996).
Conclusion
The paper has shown that the black psychology is still active and people in the United States still embrace it directly and indirectly. The social media has been in the forefront in supporting the black psychology and developing a friendly environment for people from all the races. It is thus important to note that, the civil rights movements in the past have influenced the current society and all the ideologies that the society holds against racism among other factors in the society that create discrimination.
References;
Phinney, J. S., & Ong, A. D. (2007). Conceptualization and measurement of ethnic identity: Current status and future directions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54(3), 271.
Akbar, N. (1991). Visions for Black men. Tallahassee, FL : Mind Productions & Associates.
Akbar, N. (1996). Breaking the chains of psychological slavery. Tallahassee, FL: Mind Productions & Associates.
Akbar, N. (1998). Know thy self. Tallahassee, FL: Mind Productions & Associates.
Williams, R. L. (2008). History of the Association of Black Psychologists: Profiles of outstanding black psychologists. Bloomington, Ind: AuthorHouse.
