The Ballot or the Bullet

1. The Ballot or the Bullet Malcolm X

2. Malcolm X • Malcolm X was an Islamic minister and activist who advocated for both the establishment of a separate black community and the use of violence in self defense. He was later assassinated at the age of 39 for his public expression of his beliefs.

3. Malcolm X Malcolm X has often been regarded as one of the most influential leaders of the Nation of Islam, as he dramatically increased the members of the group.

4. Historical Perspective • Malcolm X’s famous speech “The Ballot or the Bullet” was given on April 3, 1964, at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. Malcolm encouraged African Americans to exercise their right to vote. It was also somewhat of a warning to the Unites States government. He announced that if African Americans were not given full equality, it may be necessary to bare arms and fight.

5. IMPACT • Malcolm’s speech caught the attention of Americans everywhere. A majority of white Americans saw him as a menacing character. Nevertheless, he outlined a new, global sensibility in the fight for racial justice. James Cone wrote about Malcolm: "More than anyone else he revolutionized the black mind, transforming docile Negroes and self-effacing colored people into proud blacks and self-confident African-Americans."

6. “If it doesn't take senators and congressmen and presidential proclamations to give freedom to the white man, it is not necessary for legislation or proclamation or Supreme Court decisions to give freedom to the Black man. You let that white man know, if this is a country of freedom, let it be a country of freedom; and if it's not a country of freedom, change it."

7. MAIN POINTS • "You and I, 22 million African Americans — that's what we are — Africans who are in America. You're nothing but Africans. Nothing but Africans. In fact, you'd get farther calling yourself African instead of Negro. Africans don't catch hell. You're the only one catching hell. They don't have to pass civil-rights bills for Africans.“ Malcolm X is stating that they are considered African Americans, but they are treated like neither an African or an American. Instead, they are treated as negroes. Both Africans in Africa and Americans in America are treated better than negroes in America. This is why he says being called an African will get your further than being called a negro.

8. "Sitting at the table doesn't make you a diner, unless you eat some of what's on that plate. Being born here in America doesn't make you an American. Why, if birth made you American, you wouldn't need any legislation, you wouldn't need any amendments to the Constitution, you wouldn't be faced with civil-rights filibustering in Washington, D.C., right now.“ This quote implies that just because he is a negro born in America, he is not necessarily an American unless his is treated like every other white person who was born an American in America. If whites get all of their rights for being born in America, he feels he should too, despite his race.

9. “How can you thank a man for giving you what's already yours? How then can you thank him for giving you only part of what's already yours?” Malcolm is stating here that negroes should already have the same rights as any white man does. He also states that blacks should not be thankful for the freedom they have or for any other rights they get in the future, because they should already have these rights and freedoms, just as any one else.

10. ”It’ll be ballots, or it’ll be bullets. It’ll be liberty, or it will be death. The only difference about this kind of death—it’ll be reciprocal.” What Malcolm is saying here is simple: if negroes don’t get the right to vote and their equal liberty, they may take action. He also adds that if it comes to violence, the damage will be shared.

11. "If you never see me another time in your life, if I die in the morning, I'll die saying one thing: the ballot or the bullet, the ballot or the bullet.”

12. Bonus Rhetorical Devices Rhetorical Questions: “…since he's from the South, he knows how to deal with the Southerners. What kind of logic is that?” “They control two-thirds of the House vote. Why can't they pass something that will help you and me?” “There's more segregation now than there was in 1954. There's more racial animosity, more racial hatred, more racial violence today in 1964, than there was in 1954. Where is the progress?”

13. Parallelism: “First, we need some friends. We need some new allies. The entire civil-rights struggle needs a new interpretation, a broader interpretation. We need to look at this civil-rights thing from another angle -- from the inside as well as from the outside.” “Which means segregation is against the law. Which means a segregationist is breaking the law.” “You can take it before the General Assembly. You can take Uncle Sam before a world court.” “Letthe world know how bloody his hands are. Let the world know the hypocrisy that's practiced over here. Let it be the ballot or the bullet. Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet.” “Hecan't win any more. He's won his last battle. He failed to win the Korean War. He couldn't win it. He had to sign a truce. That's a loss.” “They're not going singing ''We Shall Overcome." They're not going with white friends. They're not going with placards already painted for them. They're not going with round-trip tickets. “Let him go in there right now and declare himself. Let him go in there and denounce the Southern branch of his party. Let him go in there right now and take a moral stand -- right now, not later .”