pp. 1-56
1) How does the author describe the significance of the 1964 meeting, and the major differences between the two men?
2) Compare the early lives of Malcolm Little and Martin Luther King, Jr. How does the author assess Malcolm’s impact, and his changing views by 64 and 65?
3) Why do people usually compare the two through dualism, and what does the author think of those views? What were their underlying similarities? How have the two been treated in myth and in historical memory?
4) How did King describe his upbringing and his religious development?
5) How did King explain the evolution of his ideas and his philosophy of nonviolence in “Pilgrimage to Nonviolence”?
6) How did Malcolm describe his childhood? What were the major contrasts with King’s?
7) Why was the exchange with Mr. Ostrowski so pivotal for Malcolm? How did he describe his first conk?
8) How did Malcolm describe his trial and his conversion to Islam?
pp. 57-179
9) How would you explain King’s views, as expressed in “The Ethical Demands for Integration”? (That’s a big question, so be sure to answer it fully.)
10) What were Malcolm X’s views on integration and separation, and how would you compare them with King’s?
11) What were the objections raised against King’s actions in Birmingham and how did he respond to them? Do you think his rebuttals are valid, especially when he talks about breaking laws? What were his views on being an extremist?
12) In these readings (pp. 73-96), how does King explain the philosophy of nonviolence? What were his views on violence, self-defense and revolution?
13) How would you compare King’s views (from #12) with Malcolm’s opinions on the same subjects (pp. 96-101)? Which arguments do you find most persuasive and why?
14) How would you summarize King’s arguments before he ever mentions his “dream”? Why do you think this portion of the speech is neglected by the media every year on MLK Day? What was King’s dream? Why is this the part of the speech that is played every year on MLK Day?
15) Based on the readings in chapter 4, compare the two men’s attitudes toward white people and toward America itself. Be sure to deal with Malcolm’s views fully, and be sure to note the blonde co-ed on p. 112.
16) In chapter 5, how does King explain the responses to oppression? What were his views toward Africa, revolution, and Malcolm X, in life and in death?
17) What was the point of the “black Ph.D. story? What about the house Negro/ field Negro analysis? What were Malcolm’s attitudes toward King and the nonviolent movement, as expressed in chapter 5?
18) How did King explain the war in Vietnam and his opposition to it? What was the “revolution of values” he hoped for?
19) What were King’s many answers to the “Where Do We Go From Here” question? How does he sound different from earlier chapters, and what is the same? What statements would a conservative American pick out as evidence of Communist influence on King’s thought?
20) How did Malcolm’s trip to Mecca affect him? What were his views toward white people now? What about that blonde co-ed?
21) How does Malcolm refute charges that he’s a racist? Based on all you’ve read, do you think was? Why?
22) Why did Malcolm X argue he was not an American? What did he mean by “an American nightmare”? Why did he argue that things were worse for black Americans in 1964 than they were in 1954? Who did he blame for this situation?
23) Based on these readings, what did Malcolm mean by “black nationalism”?
24) After reading this chapter, what did Malcolm X mean by “the ballot or the bullet”? Throughout this chapter, how did he sound different than he did in earlier chapters?
25) After reading this book, and after we covered this period in class, what do you think were the strengths and weaknesses of each man’s philosophy and leadership?
26) What did you think of this book overall? What did you learn from it? Would you recommend I keep it as an option in this course, and why?
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pages 1–56
1) How does the author characterize the significance of the meeting in 1964, as well as the fundamental disparities between the two men?
2) Contrast Malcolm Little’s and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s early life. How does the author evaluate Malcolm’s impact and his shifting opinions between the ages of 64 and 65?
3) Why do individuals often compare the two using dualism, and what does the author think of those points of view? What were their underlying parallels? How have myth and historical memory addressed the two?
4) How did King define his childhood and religious formation?
5) In “Pilgrimage to Nonviolence,” how did King describe the progression of his ideas and his philosophy of nonviolence?
6) How did Malcolm describe his upbringing? What were
