Essay_on_Leadership

Imagine a time when a hard working, black man can peruse a piece of literature while seated at the same table as a white female in a public library. Envision an era where a black mother can effortlessly enter a grocery store or bathroom with her young children, and not have an overwhelming fear of anticipated rejection. Better yet, dream of a generation of drastic and progressive change where the majority of America elects an African American president into office. Questions of optimism such as these were no doubt pondered and posed among the many small support groups and families of African Americans all across the country in the late 1950’s, and early 1960’s. Far too many black communities during this era of intolerance and hatred were faced with identical fears and battles to overcome. There was an overall feeling of being segregated by the white man’s control, while equally longing for a day when the judgments based on skin color would go away. Indeed there were moments during the mid 1950’s, when African American men and women were pondering options for necessary change. There had to be moments of hope mixed with moments of frustration and despair. There had to be moments where prayers were made for peace and harmony among all races. There had to be moments of hope that someone, somewhere would rise up and take a stand against the racism and hatred, and fight for freedom. On December 1, 1955, an unfamiliar brave seamstress from Montgomery, Alabama, answered the call. On a day that is considered by most historians to be the foundation and the beginning of the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Mrs. Parks was later arrested and fined for disobeying a city regulation and bus ordinance, but her single act of bravery began a movement that ended legal segregation across America (American Academy of Achievement). If not for Mrs. Parks’ stand for freedom, blacks may have been left wondering if having an opportunity to paint their skin white, and hide the color of bigotry and hatred, was the solution to their oppression. Perhaps some were thinking if a civil rights movement that suggests national change that would strike fear in every white American was the way out of this smothering racism. What Mrs. Parks did for the black communities was a courageous single act of bravery that set the wheels in motion for change, but one person alone could not rid the South of bigotry and racism. Several influential leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X, took a stand and formed organizations that helped fight off segregation and allow African Americans to finally begin the process of living a sustainable life where they didn’t feel like they were an invisible part of the community (Checker). While these two men had a huge impact on the outcomes of the civil rights movement, they seemingly had two different approaches and styles they used to get their message across. Coming from two entirely different upbringings, the methods and visions were easy to identify and understand. Martin Luther King Jr. was brought up by a prosperous black family with a good education, and he too was a well-off man. King, Jr. was an activist during the Civil Rights Movement, who based his ideology on equality for both black people and white people. King wanted integration in society and worked together with Civil Rights groups (King). Malcolm X was brought up in the 'ghetto' and had to learn to defend himself against racist white children. He was deprived of his father, who was found dead, murdered by a white mob. His mother became mentally ill, so he was sent to a foster home. Malcolm X was an Islamic Civil Rights activist, who became popular in the mid 1960's with the Nation of Islam. He and the Nation advocated self-defense and the total economic and political independence of Black America (Malcolm X). This was in contrast to King's idea of inter-dependence in ‘Letter From A Birmingham Jail’ when he said: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds” (King). These two leaders gave quite contrasting presentations that illustrate their different approaches to civil rights. Malcolm X used his voice as his media of choice during a speech he gave on April, 3, 1964, in Cleveland, OH. His speech, ‘The Ballot or the Bullet’ was clearly an unfiltered warning that one way or another, that year (1964) something was going to be done to teach ‘white America’ a lesson (Malcolm X). He had a great deal of hatred, and a lack of patience, for the white man’s way of running the country. He called for all blacks to become more politically mature and responsible and vote out the Democratic representatives in office, and get someone elected who will make a difference (Malcolm X). His end result to the failure of the ballot approach was simple. Death was the only other option he advocated. Using such harsh messages in his speech, such as, “It’s got to be the ballot or the bullet”, and “It will be liberty, or it will be death”, Malcolm X showed no hesitation in expressing the need for violence against white America. In a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. utilized the print media as his method to speak to fellow clergymen about the injustice being done there and the need for a nonviolent campaign to work towards a peaceful resolution (King). He suggested sit-ins and marches, as well as offered up the need for Christian faith and reliance for hope and guidance to obtain a peaceful decree. King, Jr. also addresses the difference between just and unjust laws, and when it is acceptable to break them. He stated: “How can you advocate breaking some laws, and obeying others…an unjust law is no law at all” (King). In addition to individual leaders paving the way for a desegregated future, there was still a need for a unified front within the community to support one another. This form of leadership and support was usually centered around the church. The black church functioned as the center of the civil rights movement and provided it with an organized mass base as well (Billingsly). The church has been considered to be the dominant institution within the black society, and it provided the framework for most of the activities within the community. The church also provided outlets for social and artistic expressions, while acting as a critical agent of social reform (Billingsly). Within the structure of the church itself, the purpose and goal for the blacks as individuals was to seek guidance and acceptance through God. Black religious conviction began with the unshakable faith that all things are possible with God, and for some, only God could change the fate that had been designed for them by white America. Even as the black communities were looking for hope and struggled to come together to fight the oppressions and heartache that was dealt to them, they couldn’t escape the impoverished lifestyle. This domination and oppression by whites over blacks in the late 1950’s was becoming insufferable. In the rural areas of the South, a “tripartite system of domination” was causing tremendous misery and anguish within the black race (Morris). This system of domination consisted of whites controlling the blacks economically, politically and personally. For example, economically speaking, the jobs held by blacks during the 1950’s were entry level positions with the lowest form of income obtainable and were primarily the dirtiest jobs achievable. At least 75% of black men in the work force were employed in unskilled labor-level jobs. As for the black women, roughly 70% of them were employed as domestic caregivers or service workers (Morris). Imagining a better tomorrow seemed like a dream that was never going to be a reality for blacks in the southern part of the country, while others were clinging to the notion that patience was the key, and faith in God would set them free. There was hope among the black communities that these civil rights leaders who stepped up to fight for them would make a difference. There was hope that the impoverished lifestyles would cease, and their way of living would improve. There was hope that there would someday be black leadership within the government. Out of all the hope and optimism arose a future that seemed impossible at the time. Everything that the black communities had been longing for was becoming a reality. Segregation was a gone, racial violence was becoming less visible, and blacks were even serving as prominent politicians with power. Change was occurring, and change was good. Works Cited Billingsley, Andrew. Mighty Like A River: The Black Church and Social Reform. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999 Checker, Melissa. Polluted Promises. New York: New York University Press, 2005 King, Martin Luther. Letter from Birmingham Jail. Africana Studies Center— University of Pennsylvania. Malcolm X. “The Ballot or the Bullet.” From Malcolm X Speaks (pp. 23-44), Ed. George Breitman. New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1965. Morris, Aldon. The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement. Black Communities Organizing for Change. New York: The Free Press, 1986. Rosa Parks Biography: Pioneer of Civil Rights. American Academy of Achievement. Web. 3 Sep. 2011