Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

1964

By the end of their lives, Malcolm X and MLK shared certain political views.

Despite their different approaches, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. both sought justice for African Americans. They also viewed the struggle for civil rights as part of a larger fight for global human rights. After Malcolm X’s pilgrimage to Mecca, he began connecting the African American struggle to liberation struggles around the world. Toward the end of Martin Luther King Jr’s life, he spoke out against the Vietnam War and American militarism, linking the plight of African Americans to the suffering of the Vietnamese people.

This photograph was taken at Martin Luther King Jr.’s press conference at the U.S. Capitol. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were there to listen to the Senate debate the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which both men supported. It was the first and last time the two leaders met.