Malcolm X and Thoreau: The same, but different

Both Malcolm X and Thoreau make very convincing for their arguments, concerning the matter of taking action against something you see as unjust. While Thoreau was talking to the general people who live under the rule of someone else, Malcolm X was addressing a very specific group of people, primarily African Americans, living in the United States during the year 1964. Both ultimately urge their audience to take a noteworthy stance for what they want done because voting will get you nowhere in society, and it is crucial to stand up for what you believe is right regardless of  whether or not it coincides with the law.
Malcolm X believes that African Americans are being shunned in the US, though they should be having equal rights and living the American dream instead of the American nightmare they are currently experiencing. He encourages his followers to not allow the white men to keep control and instead must turn to either the ballot or the bullet in order to get what they seek. Though Thoreau has a similar philosophy, he strongly disagrees with the use of violence. One of the ways he chose to oppose his government was by refusing to pay a tax and instead spending the night in jail. He chose non-aggressive methods to get his point across, which is quite different from Malcolm X who passionately rallied his people together to make their stance against the oppression they were receiving from the government which was supposed to be awarding equal opportunities and rights, instead of redrawing district lines to prevent them from gaining too much power with their ability to vote for example.
Though they may believe in carrying out their points differently, Thoreau and Malcolm X both want their audience to fight for what they believe is right, even if it means going against a corrupt government with a lot of power. Both also choose to reference examples in history of countries/groups that have exemplified what they are encouraging in their speeches. In "The Ballot or the Bullet", Malcolm X talked about the French and the Algerians, whereas Thoreau uses the Mexican American War and slavery as his examples in "Civil Disobedience". In the end, both want the public to realize that an injustice is being thrust upon them and instead of sitting there and "turning their cheek", they must rebel against what the government demands and instead push for their individual rights.