Martin Luther King and Malcolm X are the two most famous figures of the civil rights movement. The paths they followed were extremely different and what they preached sometimes conflicted with each other. However, they had the same goal in mind, which was for African Americans in the United States to have the same rights as others. Malcolm X is one of the most influential and controversial figures of the civil rights movement. He started out as a troubled youth and became a powerful leader. Malcolm became so effective in his leadership that he eventually became one of the focal individuals of the Nation of Islam after being imprisoned. His role in the Nation of Islam and the direction he wanted the group to go was unlike any other. Malcolm X believed in using more aggressive measures in the fight for civil rights. What members of the civil rights movement were quickly preached otherwise by Martin Luther King Jr. King is the most famous leader of the civil rights movement. His motivations and visions are what the Civil Rights Movement stood for and believed in. Before his death on April 4, 1968, King preached nonviolence as a policy for African Americans fighting for justice. The civil rights movement was gaining momentum after his assassination, but lost it once he was shot. This shows how important Martin Luther King Jr. was to the African American citizens of the United States during the civil rights movement. Although the nonviolent campaign was becoming “obsolete,” King remained true to his beliefs and continued to protest without violence. King never preached what he thought was false and even made enemies with President Johnson because of his view of the Vietnam War. However, even if… half the paper… the next day. The civil rights movement has lost its leader and its momentum. Almost instantly, it fell apart and the movement died. The Poor People's Campaign had failed without King's leadership. Martin Luther King was the right man for the job, and no one took over to take his place. The trajectories of King and Malcolm While many people despise Malcolm X's violence and hatred of white people, it's hard not to respect his passion. For King, his preaching of nonviolence is highly revered and he shared the same passion in his work as Malcolm X. Both men deserve to be forever remembered in history for their commitment to helping blacks during the rights movement civilians..