Evaluate the leadership role of Martin Luther in the civil rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s

Martin Luther King is one of America’s most controversial figures. Contemporaries and historians were divided bitterly in their assessment of him. He was considered to be a Communist and a radical to some of the whites, an “Uncle Tom” to some of the blacks. Other contemporaries, black and white, admired him greatly. Martin Luther King can be seen as a great inspiration to the people involved in the Civil Rights movement. However, he was a moderate leader, whose organization skills were limited, and tactics which were sometimes neither successful nor admirable. Though the end result was often satisfactory to King’s cause, he was frequently led by others rather than leading them.
When comparing Martin Luther King with the other black leaders in the Civil Rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s, there are various reasons as to why Martin Luther King can be seen in a positive light. The leader that comes to mind is Malcolm X, who believed in black power. While black Muslims said only physical violence could defeat American Racism, Kind knew violence stood little chance against the military strength of the American government. While Malcolm X wanted separation from white supremacy, King w