Brooke Steinicke

History 1700
Instructor: Samuel Dodge
Primary Source Analysis Three
The two primary documents Letter from Birmingham City Jail and The Black
Revolution were very interesting to read. They were similar yet so very different in many ways.
The documents were both very heart felt and very convincing, especially since there were
presented during such a hard time in American history. It was very fascinating to go from
reading Martin Luther Kings excerpts about ending segregation to the Malcom X document
about the black revolution and giving African Americans complete separation from the white
man. The two documents almost contradicted each other in the way that one was suggesting to
integrate and the other wanting complete separation. Although the time of the black revolution
was very hard and confusing these two primary documents explain and show how the two groups
felt and they prove that a great change was needed and that it was not happening soon enough.
Martin Luther King is an amazing man that many African Americas looked up too and
praised. He wanted change, he knew that the things that were happening in America were wrong
and he was right. The excerpts from the letter from Birmingham City Jail were astonishing. He
talked about how they wanted to take direct action, but a non-violent action. The African
Americans had been told to just wait that things would change, it was depressing and
disappointing to find out that these things would never happening. The document states We
have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights. It is sad to
think about how poorly these American citizens were treated. All they wanted was the freedom
that they knew they deserved. Martin Luther King was a respectful and heartfelt man. He never
once wanted violence with the white man and that is something that should have never been
frowned upon.
The Malcom X document was more discomforting to read. It seemed that it did not agree
with the word of Martin Luther King. The document talked about The Honorable Elijah
Muhammad and the teachings of God. That is American did not repent of her sins then God
would take the entire continent away from the white man. They taught that God wanted them to
separate themselves from the wicked white race. Instead of segregating they wanted to be
completely separated from the white man and that the government should provide them with all
of the means necessary to do so. It was very confusing to read about and did not make much
sense. Overall, the documents were both very well written and straight forward with their beliefs,
they contradicted one another but they both had reasonable and attainable solutions to the
problems that America was faced with during the Civil Rights Movement.