Black Male: Civilized or Rash

Throughout FBI Tracked King’s Every Move, Jen Christensen details the FBI wiretaps of Martin Luther King and explains that while Martin Luther King was the most powerful and persuasive person in his time, he was utterly selfless (Christensen, par 1). Martin Luther King was a self-critical person who believed he was on this earth to serve others. He wanted not to be famous but to inspire others (Christensen, par 2). The FBI tried to say that Martin Luther King was a Communist so they kept him under constant surveillance. The tapes show nothing…except an embarrassing sexual relationship that the FBI tried to use against him (Christensen, par 3-5). He was called the most important speechmaker in 20th century and also called one of the most dangerous Negro leaders in the country (Christensen, par 8). They wanted to investigate Luther without embarrassing themselves (Christensen, par 9). Many people loved Luther and if they exposed themselves as trying to discredit him they would discredit themselves. But they continued the process. Finally the bugs picked up something about King’s love life: captured the sounds of sexual encounter at a party and then at another drunken gathering King told an off-color joke about John F. Kennedy who had been recently assassinated. President Hoover had a lot of problems with King calling him disgusting. When King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 they sent him insulting and threatening notes.

Throughout Native Son by Richard Wright Bigger is not directly discriminated because of his skin color. Instead, Bigger makes choices that make him a stereotypical black male. He chooses to steal instead of work hard for his money and when he does choose to get a job he still believes that he is always being judged. In fact, the Daltons accept Bigger for who he is, a black male. Martin Luther King was forever trying to get rid of the stereotypical black male. He wanted not the Black Power but equality. Bigger is anti-Luther. He represents the black male who makes choices that will eventually hurt him. He doesn’t realize that the Daltons see him as an individual so when he is in Mary’s room, he believes they will think the worst. He doesn’t try to tell the truth and because of that, he kills her. He thinks that the truth will end up hurting him but he’s wrong. In this case I think Martin Luther King is the anti-thesis to Bigger. He is proud of his black skin and what he represents. Bigger believes he is not attractive, Bigger does not believe in himself. He embodies a clichéd black man.

White people have always tried to put down the black race. Even when slavery was illegal many plantation owners employed black men at the lowest of low wages. Bigger is just another stereotypical character in another stereotypical black novel. What makes this novel interesting: the way Bigger thinks. He doesn’t know how to think for himself. White people along the Black Belt (where Bigger lives) make the blacks feel insignificant and therefore are making them kill and steal. If everyone was equal the blacks wouldn’t feel the need to steal to make money or kill in times of trouble. The white people bring this destruction on themselves. They tried to bring down MLK but failed miserably. Martin Luther King was evidence that black people could be civilized and calm individuals and nothing the FBI found can tarnish his already famed reputation.

Christensen, Jen. "FBI tracked King's every move." CNN (Dec. 2008). 17 Mar. 2009
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