Most of the following questions begin with a short thematic introduction, and all include at least one image. Please note that some questions ask you to read a primary or secondary text that is not included in your anthology.
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| Malcolm X's thinking about race, religion, and civil rights changed during the course of his life. As an early follower of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, Malcolm preached the inferiority of whites and advocated black separatism; yet following a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1964, he recanted many of his earlier positions and spoke of the possibility of worldwide racial harmony. These changes in his views make it difficult to represent Malcolm's ideas within a single framework, and his admirers often focus on one aspect or another of his beliefs. Consider this problem as you visit Web sites devoted to Malcolm X. The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. is also a subject of debate. Some historians argue that the national media has skewed King's public reputation, emphasizing the image of a nonviolent pacifist and neglecting King's more radical leanings in the final years of his life. |
| 1. What aspects of Malcolm's life do the creators of the sites you visited focus on most? Give one or two examples from the sites to support your answer. If these sites differ widely in their representations of Malcolm X's legacy, how would you explain these differences? |
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| 2. Visit some Web sites about Dr. King, including the official King Center site. Which aspect of King's legacy do the sites you visited emphasize most: King's use of strategies of passive resistance to bring about a civil rights revolution; King's later, more "radical" plans for creating class consciousness among American workers; or some other aspect not covered by these two categories? |
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