Steve Biko vs. Malcolm X - 1722 Words

Malcolm X and Steve Biko Black Consciousness Malcolm X and Steve Biko were one of the two most preeminent leaders in world history. These men changed lives and stood up for millions of Africans and African Americans during their short lives. These two men lived by a saying â€Å"black is beautiful†. They also believed that black people in the United States as well as Africans mainly in South Africa deserved the same rights and equality as any other man in the world. They lived through the rough era of the discrimination in the United States and Apartheid in South Africa. Malcolm X and Steve Biko’s lives were ended shortly due to assassinations by people who hated them. Who was Steve Biko? Steve Biko was an anti-apartheid activist in South†¦show more content†¦He was convicted to 10 years in a federal prison and while in prison he converted to Nation of Islam. He was already influenced by his family members to convert to the Nation of Islam, but when he was in jail he became heavily influenced by a man by the name of Elijah Mohammed. His younger brother Reginald also had a great influence of Malcolm. Reginald began telling Malcolm more about the Nation of Islam’s spiritual leader, Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad’s main message was to teach everyone that all white men are devils. After hearing what Elijah says, Malcolm thinks of all the white people he has come across in his young life. He remembers the social workers who split up his family, the teacher who discouraged him from becoming a lawyer and his customers when he worked as a porter and a pimp. He also considers the white policemen, judge, and guards who have united to lock him away in jail. Every one of these people has done him harm to him in some way. He begins to undergo an overpowering change and accepts the truth of the Nation of Islam. Malcolm once said, â€Å"If you’re afraid of Black Nationalism, you’re afraid of revolution. And if you love revolution, you love Black Nationalism’’. He believed that nationalism brought freedom to those in the people in Africa, and he also believed that nationalism would bring freedom to the African Americans in the United States. Even though Malcolm X was a non-violent activist, he still believed to an extent that violence was aShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesKenny, eds. 2005. The Urban Geography Reader (New York: Routledge). Graham, Stephen, ed. 2004. The Cybercities Reader (New York: Routledge). LeGates, Richard, and Frederic Stout, eds. 2003. The City Reader, 3rd ed. (New York: Routledge). Miles, Malcolm, and Tim Hall, with Iain Borden. 2004. The City Cultures Reader, 2nd ed. (New York: Routledge). Sennett, Richard, ed. 1969. Classic Essays on the Culture of Cities (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts). Wheeler, Stephen, and Timothy Beatley, eds