Malcolm X: The Black Conservative

The title of this post to some might feel is ridiculous. After all in the history books at your school you are basically taught that after slavery there were two Civil Rights leaders: Dr. King and Brother Malcolm. After that in a round about wat they tell you MLK was the "good one" and Malcolm was the "bad one". These two figures are presented as polar opposites. They present MLK as the angel of light, unifying people of different races with his poetic words and non-violent protest. They present X as this demon, dividing people and calling for the murder of all white people. That is unfortunate. True MLK and Malcolm X are different in philosophies. But to present them as "bad and good men", respectfully, is a crime to history and their legacies. Also the characterization of Malcolm is so far from the truth. By all means Malcolm was no more radical than any modern day Conservative. Malcolm X advocated that the best way for black America to advance in America was by not accepting handouts from white America. That includes not accepting welfare, food stamps, and the things that many feel don't support hard work. He was a deeply religous man and tried to live his life on the principles given in the Quran and the Bible. Also he was an advocate of the 2nd amendment. He believed that people where given the right to own and defend themselves with guns. But this is where people usually say he advocated hate. Malcolm didn't advocate hate but he saw a double standard. The people who said he was a hoodlum for advocating defense were the same one turning hoses on black people and lynching black people. But one difference between King and X was that Malcolm felt a non-violent struggle could not give Black Americans true freedom. He felt the only successful fights for freedom in history were by force. And if you don't believe that why do we fight wars? Remember America became a country by declaring war on their former homeland. So was he wrong in feeling that? Maybe. But his conservative views on welfare and programs also opened the door to him feeling that people couldn't ask for freedom. He felt that when you ask for something guaranteed to all Americans you are not being treated as an man. So what is controversial about that? And also if you put him in the context of history his statements describing white people as "white devils" wasnt as controversial as the American government doing testa with Syphillis on black men in Tuskegee, the acceptance of lyching in the south, or the murder of Emitt Till. I think it became easier to White America for them to be scared of Malcolm X than Martin Luther King. But while doing that they closed their mind to how Malcolm X was conservative in many aspects of his life. Even some of the leading Black Conservatives today realize that. Michael Steele has said his favorite historical hero was Malcolm X because he was about action. Also Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Malcolm X was his hero. So why do we not give Malcolm X credit in the Civil Rights Movement? The better question I might ask is why are Martin Luther King, George Washington Carver, and Harriet Tubman the only black people we learn about in school. Is it because we believe they're not as threatening? And if not that are there only a few important black people in American History? Think About it....