slaves and had to learn how to speak reasonably well, even if they were not educated for literacy (Cone, 1991, p. 18-21).
The general outlines of this distinction continued after slavery as a small contingent of middle class African Americans gained better economic and educational status, while a larger group remained in relative poverty and illiteracy. The rising aspirations of African Americans came as a consequence of the two world wars, which were major events in American race relations; African American soldiers fought in both and were much less willing to accept injustice at home after risking their lives for their nation. This was especially true after WWII, where African Americans helped fight against Hitler's vicious and psychotic brand of racism. After that, American racism seemed blatantly contradictory and entirely unjust. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were each the outstanding leader of their generation of these two wings of the African-American community in expressing these beliefs. While Martin Luther King Jr. was the safe "house slave" to White America, Malcolm X represented the rage the slaveowner always knew existed in the slave's heart and always feared would come to seek vengeance (Baldwin, 1991, p. 7-12).
Martin Luther King, Jr., was born Michael King, Jr., in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father and both his grandfathers were prominent Baptist preachers, and his early life revolved around the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta, where his father was the pastor. When Michael was five yea
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