Posted: April 14th, 2015

Martin Luther King, Jr. – Malcolm X Assignment

Martin Luther King, Jr. – Malcolm X Assignment
Read David Howard Pitney’s reader on Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. See details below.
Write an essay answering the following essay question:
Do you agree with historian David Howard-Pitney’s argument that Martin Luther King’s and Malcolm X’s ideas converged over the course of their lifetimes? Why or why not? In answering this question, compare and contrast the ideas of King and Malcolm X as presented in at least three of the four the chapters listed below (Chapters 3-6).*
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Do the following in preparation for writing your paper:
Read the introduction, summarize its main points, and answer the following questions:
1. How does the author (David Howard-Pitney) characterize Martin Luther King? Malcolm X?
2. What is historically significant about each man?
3. One of the main points of the introduction is that the popular idea that the two men were polar opposites is simplistic and inaccurate. Is the introduction successful in convincing you of this? Why or why not?
*Next, read the following chapters: Chapter 3 — “Means of Struggle: Nonviolence v. By Any Means Necessary;” Chapter 4 — “On America: Dream or Nightmare;” Chapter 5 — “Critiques of Rival Racial Programs and Philosophies;” and Chapter 6 — “Eras of Convergence: Late Directions.”
Evaluate each chapter by answering the following questions. Be sure to compare and contrast the two sets of writings:
1. What is the major topic of the chapter?
2. What is the major point of view of each writer?
3. How are the views similar and/or different?
4. Is there change over time in the thinking of either man?
5. Do the writings support the description of each leader given in the introduction? Why or why not?
Sources: You must use the Martin Luther King-Malcolm X reader (Bedford/St. Martin’s Press) and the textbook (Give Me Liberty!). You may also use lecture and the primary sources from the W.W. Norton website in writing the paper. You may not use materials outside those assigned in class. If you can present a compelling reason for using additional sources, you must clear them with me first and then cite them according to the Chicago Manual of Style. If you use materials outside the class and do not discuss it with me before turning in the paper, you will receive a 0.
Length: 5-6 pages (1,250-1,500 words)

Format: Typed, double-spaced, standard 12-point font, page numbers, footnotes or endnotes following the Chicago Manual of Style. You must have your name and the word count on the title page of the paper.
Your paper will be evaluated on the following criteria

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Format/Layout (word count, margins, etc.) (5 points) – Papers that do not follow the format requirement will be penalized. Read the directions on this handout.
Proper References/Footnotes/Endnotes (5 points) – You must use footnotes or endnotes following the Chicago Manual of Style. You must cite whenever you quote directly, paraphrase information or ideas, or use facts. Papers with parenthetical citations will receive a D. Papers without any citations (or only 1 or 2 footnotes) will receive a zero (0).

Thesis Statement/Argument (20 points) – You must have a cogent, argumentative thesis statement that directly answers the question. It should appear at the end of the introduction. It is not enough simply to have a thesis statement; to receive full credit, you must write a good thesis statement.

Use of Sources (20 points) – You must have at least two paraphrased citations from each secondary source (Howard-Pitney’s “Introduction” and Foner). You must have at least four direct quotes (with quotation marks) from primary documents written or spoken by Malcolm X and/or Martin Luther King, Jr. You must use evidence from these sources to support your argument. You may also use information from lecture, but you are not required to do so. This score will be based on both quantity of citations and quality of source usage.

Analysis/Content/Critical Thinking (30 points) – I am primarily interested in your ideas, argument, and analysis.

Quality of Writing (10 points) – You must write in grammatically correct English. Papers with excessive type-os or extremely poor grammar will be penalized. Proofread! Run spell-check!
Organization and Structure (10 points) – Poor organization and structure can interfere with the readers’ ability to understand your argument. Pay attention to how you organize your paper.