Ever since slavery was abolished by president Lincoln in the United States. Black people have not been treated as equal, by the white communities. Although some white communities treated them the same, that was not so much the case in the southern states. The black people were in complete segregation. They couldn’t eat in the same places as the white people, stand in line with white folk, and they also couldn’t live near white folk. The white people would beat up, kill and torture black people who didn’t abide by the Jim Crow Laws. The government was run by white men who would stick up for their friends and kin in court. So, if the judge knew a white man had killed a black man, then he would only sentence the man to a very un scaled jail time. But if you were black… And someone had set you up to steal birdseed then the judge could sentence you to a jail time that was worse than what the white man got for killing a man.
If black people were able to vote, then they could get people into office and start to show their demands for equal rights. But the different county’s made it very hard for them to vote, by giving them literacy tests that comprised of almost impossible questions.
There were several people who were on the front lines of fighting for civil rights.When Martin Luther King was fighting for civil rights. Martin Luther King was striving for peaceful protests to solve their problems with the way that they were being treated. Malcolm X was teaching people to support black empowerment, and to strike back at people if they were violent towards them.
When there are polar opposites fighting for the same thing in the states then it definitely sparked tension and disputes. That’s why my friends and I decided to create a rap battle between the two civil rights icons. It shows the ideals of each individual.
In the rap. You can notice that Malcolm X speaks a lot more loud and aggressive than MLK. This is because he was enforcing violence, so we made it sound a lot more agressive than MLK. Whereas MLK was speaking more clearly and calm. To show how he really enforced never to strike back even when you are getting beaten to a pulp.
I have attached a copy of the lyrics so that you can follow along while you listen. You could even sing along if you want to.
Hi – I am looking for equal rights
I’ve been searchin’ everywhere and I can’t seem to find…
Rights, X, Malcolm X, X, X, Malcolm X, X, X
Malcolm X,X,X,X,Malcolm X, X, Malcolm X.
[Verse 1: Griffin (Malcolm X)]
Black power, and violence
m’name’s everywhere can’t stop this
I got support from my followers
I went to jail, not college
King old game, I’m here to spark change
He better step aside, I got this
showed up at his rally thought “I really need to stop this.”
M, LK best breeze
Y’know he can’t step to us G’s
We stand tall you take a seat
Like Rosa Parks in-Montgomery
All black, upper society
That’s how it should be, but you disagree
Broke people, follow, me
Fighting is the cause in which they believe
l’m preachin, I’m fightin ‘
lAin’t got time to be non-violent
You’re too depressed, don’t try me
Killin’ your marriage, there goes your family
Want to make change Come join my posse
Got a lot of stuff, but I find time to travel
Took a little trip but I still can’t seem to find..
[Hook:]
I can’t seem to find…
Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights( Martin Luther King Jr)
Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights( Martin Luther King Jr)
Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights( Martin Luther King Jr)
Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights, Rights( Martin Luther King Jr)
[Verse 2: Jackson (MLK)]
The name is MLK, and my sanction is important, though my morals are imported
I have a dream, you can learn from it- we share a movement but you’re distorting it
To keep followers you’re imploring them – maybe your speeches are boring them
The Press is recordin’ it – when people are taking hits –
X I’m your real teacher, already know I’m the world’s preacher
Way up in the clouds, you won’t make it up to see us
I make change so fast that I caught a ticket speedin’
And my speakin so good you know the crowd is never sleepin
I might pull out some script and ain’t nobody ever seen it.
And if I tol you bout my mountain, then you won’t even believe it
Me and SNCC gettin’ gnarly when we pull up to the march
Brought a whole country of people
But we still can’t seem to find
[Hook]
I hope you liked our video.