Malcolm X was a radical black power leader whose prominent role in the Nation of Islam was highly controversial. He justified the use of power to liberate blacks from their second-class status because of the historical failure of peaceful attempts previously.
He was raised in a neighborhood and a climate of violence; he saw less issue with taking it up in the name of a rightful cause. And this is definitely arguable, although personally I think he was in the right as well. MLK Jr had a bigger perspective, and Malcolm X could only remember the past and think back to its failures: think about Booker T's Atlanta Compromise in comparison with WEB DuBois.
