Kids taking part in protests-Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. Vs Malcolm X. There has been debate on whether kids ought to have participated in the recent protests over a grabbed playground in Langata. Whether right or wrong, the debate puts into perspective the contrasting philosophies between Dr. King and Malcolm X. Dr King is well known for his use of non violent protests to attain his goals. Here was a man who told his people to arrest physical force with soul force-a gargantuan request to make granted the dehumanizing treatment the black community was getting. For his part Malcolm X, advocated for sending to the cemetery of those who were mistreating the black community He believed in using any means necessary to achieve the end. Here was a man who described the death of JF Kennedy as nothing more than chickens coming home to roost! These two leaders, even though fighting for a common cause- emancipation of the black community, rarely agreed on anything. And then the Children protests of 1963, dubbed D-Day by the children happened. In these protests in Birmingham, King used children to protest. He would give a speech to justify their use, saying among other things to the parents: Do not worry about your children; they are going to be alright. Do not hold them back if they want to go to jail, for they are not only doing a job for themselves, but for all America and for all mankind. Malcolm X was not happy. He needed to blow cold air to Kings effort. His response to Dr. King was that Real men do not put their children on the firing line. Never mind X would later be associated with the Blood Brothers which was recruiting young people and teaching them techniques of killing white people! In his autobiography, Dr. King says on the protest by the children; looking back, it is clear that the introduction of Birminghams children into the campaign was one of the wisest moves we made. It brought a new impact to the crusades, and the impetus that we needed to win the struggle 50 years later, can we say that were it not for the children participation in Langata, the playground would have sublimated!
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 16:23:30 +0000
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