Malcolm X's The Ballot Or The Bullet

The 1960’s civil rights movement was a critical period in American history. One of the most prominent figures of this era was Malcolm X. His main goal was for African Americans to secure access to employment and to get protection in the legal system. His most famous speech “The Ballot or the Bullet” clearly shows his stance on civil rights. Malcolm X’s speech “Ballot or the Bullet”, tried to motivate his audience to get involved in civil right movement, either by legislation, the ballot, or by means of violence, the bullet. He points out that if the political system (the ballot) won’t give African Americans their due, the civil rebellion (the bullet) will. He also convinced his audience that doing nothing was not an option. Malcolm X in

the speech “The Ballot or the Bullet” primarily utilizes pathos, logos and ethos to make his audiences to re-evaluate themselves and create a sense of urgency to get things done in black society.
Malcolm X, in the speech uses logos when he says that the “House of Representatives [has] 257 Democrats to only 177 Republicans.

They control two-thirds of the House vote. Why can't they pass something that will help you and me? In the Senate, there are 67 senators who are of the Democratic Party. Only 33 of them are Republicans…And what have they [Democrats] given you for it? Four years in office, and just now getting around to some civil-rights legislation.” Malcolm X used these statistics to prove his point that the government specifically the democratic party isn’t doing anything about inequality plaguing the nation. He points out that the democratic party has done nothing so there should be a change in legislative leaders. He is motivating the African American communities to become politically more active and bring changes in

government.
Next, Malcolm X built his ethos when he mentions the names Martin Luther King, Adam Clayton Powell, and Reverend Galamison.

They were also well-known African American civil rights activist of the 1960s. He also explains that they were also ministers in their perspective religions. Since most of his audiences were Christian African-Americans, he established his credibility by comparing himself to these famous men as a fellow minister. He said in the speech, “I myself am a minister, not a Christian minister, but a Muslim minister; and I believe in action on all fronts by whatever means necessary”. By doing that, he built up a support on which he could speak his ideas to the listening crowd and convince them to become active and aware about civil rights. Although Malcolm X makes use of his ministerial background as a basis of credibility, he also tried to make the speech focused on civil rights movement, rather make his speech about converting to his religion. He said in the speech, “Although I'm still a Muslim, I'm not here tonight to discuss my religion. I'm not here to try and change your religion”. By getting rid of the ideas of converting to a Muslim religion in his speech, he made his audiences listen and support him without defending their religious views.
Then., Malcom X uses pathos when he says “That's all you have to do. If you don't do it, someone else will. If you don't take this kind of stand, your little children will grow up and look at you and think "shame." By saying

this he’s making the audience feel guilty if they don’t take action. His words also create a since of urgency to go out and be proactive. If they don’t go out now and take a stand it the problem would only be passed down to their children.
In “The Ballot or the Bullet”, Malcolm X had set the tone for the future. It serves as a wakeup call to African Americans, saying publicly that year 1964 is year of ballot or the bullet. He sent an ultimatum to those that opposed Civil rights. The speech was effective because Malcolm established credibility through ethos, made his enthusiastic tone clear and involve his audience through pathos and finally concluded with statistics for use of logos.