From Cursed Africans to Blessed Americans: The Role of Religion in the Ideologies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, 1955-1968
2008 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Up until the 19th century, religion was used as a way of legitimizing slavery in America. With the rise of the civil rights movement religion seems to have played a quite different role. This essay aims to explore the role of religion in the ideologies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. The speeches, writings and actions of these two men have been analysed in hope that the result will contribute to the larger study of American civil rights history.
This essay proposes that both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X infused their political message with religious ideas and that they leaned on religion for support and inspiration. By analysing the discourse headed by King and X it becomes clear that in direct contrast to how religion was used during slavery, religion was used as a way of legitimizing equality (and in some cases black superiority) between races during the civil rights movement.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Huddinge: Institutionen för genus, kultur och historia , 2008. , p. 56
Keywords [en]
Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Nation of Islam, America, Civil Rights Movement
National Category
Religious Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-1675OAI: oai:DiVA.org:sh-1675DiVA, id: diva2:15778
Presentation
(English)
Uppsok
Humanities, Theology
Supervisors
Examiners
2008-06-122008-06-122010-03-03