The civil rights movement in the 1960’s led to a heated debate on how the issues of racial relations should be dealt with and what would be the proper actions to take next based on American values. The struggle for African-Americans to be treated equally as American citizens began long before the 1960’s, but this was the time when we saw the youth become increasingly fed up with being treated as second class citizens and could no longer accept the slow process of much needed change. As a result, more radical leaders began to emerge such as Malcolm X as well as a number of other leaders who would prove to be completely resistant to the civil right movements such as Governor George Wallace. Malcolm X was a revolutionary leader in the civil rights movement and on April 3, 1964 he made his powerful “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech. In this speech he …show more content…
explains how he will no longer stand for his people not having legitimate equality because they are “fed up with taxation without representation” the same way Americans felt when they broke free from British rule in the American Revolution. He wanted the black community to be able to vote without coercion and made it known that he is fed up with his people being oppressed and exploited by the hands of “racists and segregationist.” During the Reconstruction Era in America, the 14th Amendment was passed finally recognizing African-Americans as citizens who had the right to due process and the 15th Amendment was passed as an attempt to stop state government’s from not allowing African-Americans to vote based “on account of race, color, or previous, condition of servitude.” One would imagine that race relations would have improved after these amendments came into effect, but unfortunately the struggle for equality would continue to deepen because of obstacles such as the Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow laws, growing racial tensions and the government’s slow response to the racial injustices faced by African-Americans. In wasn’t until the 1960’s when laws were passed that built on the 14th and 15th Amendment which included the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act which allowed the federal government to take more control over racial inequality. Those laws alone would prove not to be enough because another group of leaders emerging who were against change regarding race relations and wanted more local, state control such as Governor George Wallace. On January 14, 1963, Governor of Alabama George Wallace made his inaugural speech that expressed his opposition towards the civil rights movement because he believed in “segregation forever.” From these two documents it can reasoned that George Wallace had a conservative approach to race relations arguing that some of our founding fathers were Southerners, so by continuing segregation and not challenging those values they will continue to honor what it means to be a true American while Malcolm X had a more radical approach arguing that fighting for civil rights is not anything new, it is also merely a continuation of what Americans have historically fought for when they declared their independence, similar to what other colonized countries were also beginning to do at the time, which demonstrates this idea that without equality America cannot have a true democracy. Within the civil rights movement there had been an on-going battle about what was the most American thing to do in regards to race relations. George Wallace used the language of revolution from the Civil War to argue that breaking against the values of our Sothern founding fathers wouldn’t do American any good because he was believed Southern states had the right to maintain local control and did not have to change their ways of living based on federal laws. Malcolm X draws from the American Revolution and the post colonial movement that had begun around the world during this time period to expose American hypocrisy as a nation who fought for democracy and freedom abroad in WWII, yet was unable to allow African-Americans to truly be free at home. One could argue that Malcolm X is promoting Black Nationalism and Governor George Wallace is promoting Southern Nationalism as an effort to gain support for their visions of what America’s future should look like. In Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech he compares the American Revolution to the “black revolution” and argues that it is no different and should be viewed as a continuation of what American leaders had fought for in the past.
When America gained it’s independence from Britain it did so because it was ready to start a new nation on its own free from the oppression of Britain, similarly Malcolm X calls for a continuation of building a new nation free from oppression in regards to racial discrimination. He goes on to say that the black revolution has the possibility to be accomplished in a peaceful manner, but if it doesn’t work out that way he will have no problem turning to extreme measures to achieve racial equality such as “using the bullet.” He is directly addressing white Americans when he promotes this idea that African-Americans are “justified to do the same thing that your forefathers did to bring independence for your people…” He is arguing that as a nation who fought for freedom and democracy it is irrational to block African-Americans from receiving the full benefits of their
citizenship. As his speech continues he adds an additional element to his argument that promotes nationalism between not only African Americans, but other minorities in America as well when he states that “the black revolution has been taking place in Africa and Asia and Latin America.” The 1960’s were a post-colonial era and America was home to millions of immigrants who came from some of those colonial oppressed nations. By building a sense of nationalism amongst the oppressed races in America known as ‘minorities’ he is strategically pointing out that the whites in America are no longer the ‘majority’ and have become far outnumbered. This language of revolution in terms of our founding fathers was also used by Governor George Wallace, but as an argument against the civil rights movement. Wallace argued that our founding fathers were Southerners and they are the ones who established the system of freedom, therefore it would be un-American to challenge those values. So if segregation existed now then it must continue to exist permanently. Governor Wallace’s inaugural address whether he intended it to be or not did have the effect of promoting racial inequality and may have even sparked violence against African-Americans during the civil rights movement. It is important to note that Malcolm X emphasizes the importance of “the ballot” and is asking African-Americans to vote for the people they want to be elected in office. This suggests that white politicians may have been manipulating African-Americans to vote for the people they might not really want to have voted for at all. By doing so white politicians would have undermined the basic civil rights of African-Americans and are not demonstrating the true values of a democracy that was fought for in WWII. During WWII, the hypocrisy of Americans was exposed in the Double V Campaign because as they were fighting for democracy overseas those democratic values of freedom and equality were not being fully practiced back at home when it came to race relations. In contrast, Governor Wallace plays on the values of democracy fought for in WWII and the fear of communism when he states “We are faced with an idea that if a centralized government assumes enough authority, enough power over its people, it can provide a utopian life…” Wallace is arguing against the federal government being able to have more control over the state government and wants to be able to practice his state’s rights according to Southern values. During WWII, many Americans were concerned with this idea of the federal government becoming too strong and limiting the power of local governments. President Johnson as an attempt to make America a ‘Great Society’ was passing new policies that made some conservative Southerners such as Governor George Wallace feel like the federal government was becoming entirely too intrusive, especially for those who might have still been holding on to traditional, racist values including segregation. One can conclude that Malcolm X and Governor George Wallace had completely opposite visions about the most ‘American’ actions to take in order to tackle race relations in the 1960’s that created a division between those who were for the advances in the civil rights movement and those who were against it. Governor Wallace argued that the most American thing to do was to follow the values of our Southern founding fathers by maintaining local control as being a true democracy and in contrast Malcolm X believed a black revolution was no different than the American Revolution of our founding fathers and it was time for African-Americans to take matters into their own hands and attain a real democracy which promotes freedom and equality that America st
“It’ll be the ballot or it’ll be the bullet. It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death.” These are the famous words of Malcolm X in his speech The Ballot or the Bullet. In April, 1964 Malcolm X stood in front of a large crowd in Cleveland, Ohio and explained what the ballot or bullet meant. He was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement and fought to make all African-Americans equal. Malcolm X explained to his audience using a great appeal to ethos, pathos and logos that African-Americans should fight for racial economic and social justice without different religion views standing in the way. He told his audience instead of fighting, meaning the bullet, they could vote for their own leaders or better leaders to represent them, meaning the ballot.
...ack Nationalism to coexistence. He pointed out how America can live without racial problems that it had since slavery. This was a road trip for Malcolm X from the Nation of Islam which used the name of Islam to promote its own social and political agenda to that of true Islam, which allows Malcolm X to see an alternative approach towards his objectives.. George Breitman in his book “The Last Year of Malcolm X” states “…if they adopt Malcolm’s strategy, accept his legacy and develop it n accord with the logic of the direction in which he was moving during his last year, then all of America will be transformed…” Reading the Ballot or the Bullet after knowing this will make one think beyond the actual words that are mentioned in the speech. Today, because of his boldness, Malcolm X is viewed by many, alongside Martin Luther King Jr., as a great civil rights leader.
The 20th century was a definitive time period for the Black civil rights movement. An era where the status quo was blatant hatred and oppression of African Americans, a time when a black son would watch his father suffer the indignity of being called a “boy” by a young white kid and say nothing in reply but “yes sir”. Where a Black person can be whipped or lynched for anything as little as not getting off the sidewalk when approaching a white person, for looking into their eyes, or worse, “for committing the unpardonable crime of attempting to vote.” In the midst of the racial crises and fight for social equality were Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. who despite their difference in philosophies were “icons of social justice movement both in the United States and around the world” .
He talks about the extent of brainwashing the Black community was under at the time. He wants to begin addressing the issue with African Americans in releasing themselves from the mindset that they are inferior in comparison to what he calls the “White man”. Malcolm X stresses the importance of the Black community of having to understand that their success isn’t dictated by another race rather than their own selves. He wants his race to change their mindsets as desegregation laws are taking place, because if they don’t, that will still exist mentally within their community and they won’t be able to properly value themselves as who they are. Belief in yourself is essential for your
Both Fannie Lou Hamer and Malcolm X rejected the idea that the main goal of the civil rights movement should be based on an aspiration to gain rights “equal” to those of white men and to assimilate into white culture. They instead emphasized a need to empower Black Americans.1 Their ideas were considered radical at a time when Martin Luther King Jr. preached the potential of white and black americans to overcome “the race issue” together and in a gradual manner. Malcolm X’s attempt to achieve his goals through revolutionary top-down methods and Fannie Lou Hamer’s focus on the need for grassroots movements contributed to the Civil Rights movement significantly by encouraging and assisting Black Americans.
...shows a stark contrast between the American ideal and America's. 'victims' encounter, saying, "I don't see any American dream; I see an American nightmare. Furthermore, he vehemently denies that any black is American through an interesting and rather confrontational metaphor: I'm not going to sit at your table and watch you eat with nothing on. my plate and call myself a dinerâ€Sitting at a table doesn't make you a diner, unless you eat some of what's on that plate." Thus, Malcolm X uses his speech to unify the Negroes on two fronts.
Works Cited American Rhetoric. “Malcolm X: Ballot or the Bullet.” Web. 25 May 2010 .
African Americans are fortunate to have leaders who fought for a difference in Black America. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X are two powerful men in particular who brought hope to blacks in the United States. Both preached the same message about Blacks having power and strength in the midst of all the hatred that surrounded them. Even though they shared the same dream of equality for their people, the tactics they implied to make these dreams a reality were very different. The background, environment and philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were largely responsible for the distinctly varying responses to American racism.
In 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States. During his campaign he had promised to lead the country down the right path with the civil rights movement. This campaign promise had brought hope to many African-Americans throughout the nation. Ever since Lincoln, African-Americans have tended to side with the democrats and this election was no different. The Kennedy administration had noticed that the key to the presidency was partially the civil rights issue. While many citizens were on Kennedy’s side, he had his share of opposition. Malcolm X differed on the view of the President and observed that the civil rights movement wasn’t happening at the speed Kennedy had pledged. Malcolm X possessed other reasons for his dislike of John F. Kennedy and his brothers, especially Robert. The Kennedy government stood for racial liberalism and Malcolm X argued their true intentions for the civil rights movement weren’t in the best interest of the black population. This tension streamed both ways. John Kennedy and the Federal Bureau of Investigation felt that Malcolm X had become a threat to national security. James Baldwin has written essays that have included the repeated attacks on the white liberal and supports Malcolm in many of his theories and actions.
In his speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” Malcolm X’s tone is objective, yet motivating and optimistic, as he describes the theory of black nationalism, which he thinks all blacks must embrace in order to unite as a community under a single goal, to achieve equality. Through the use of factual evidence, schemes, and personal pronouns, Malcolm X builds on his ethos as he makes himself a more credible, trustworthy speaker about the dire situation of blacks. In the beginning of the speech, Malcolm X builds a personal profile of himself, as he mentions that he is a Muslim. However, after doing so, he disregards religion, claiming it does not matter. He states, “Whether we are Christians or Muslims or nationalists or agnostics, or atheists, we must first learn to forget our differences.” His authoritative and didactic tone here contributes to his ethos as it makes him sound credible.
Until the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his life’s work was dedicated to the nonviolent actions of blacks to gain the freedoms they were promised in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. He believed that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King, 1963). These injustices had become so burdensome to blacks that they were “plunged into an abyss of despair” (King, 1963). The nonviolent actions of the sit-ins, boycotts, and marches were so the “individual could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths…to help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism” and ultimately lead to “inevitably opening the door to negotiation” (King, 1963). Not only was King’s approach effective with the older black generation, it was also successful with white people. They did not feel threatened when approached by King. White people gained a sense of empathy towards the plight of black freedom as King’s promise of nonviolence did not threaten their livelihood. Malcolm X viewed the world similarly to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., however; his beliefs to changing the status quo were slightly different from his political counterpart. Malcolm X realized that “anger could blind human vision” (X, 1965). In realizing this, X knew that in order to achieve racial freedom blacks had to “forget hypocritical politics and propaganda” (X, 1965). While Malcolm X was more so an advocate for violent forces against white people than King, X merely used force when it became necessary for defense. According to X, “I don’t go for non-violence if it also means a delayed solution. I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to American black man’s problem” (X, 1965). However, this le...
Malcolm X: His very name is a stab to the beliefs of the white supremacists of his time"X" symbolizing "the rejection of slave-names' and the absence of an inherited African name to take its place." Similarly, in his speech "The Ballot or the Bullet", Malcolm X denounces the actions of the white population, without any attempts to appeal to them; his approach to the civil rights issue is in complete opposition to the tactics of other civil rights leaders of his time, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Rather than trying to integrate the black community into the white, he focuses on the complete separation of them: he doesn't want the blacks to integrate into the white hotels, he wants blacks to own the hotels. He believed that the black population had to break the psychological, cultural, economic, and political dependency on their oppressors. By using tactical phrasing of his sentences that connects to his audience emotionally, Malcolm X attacks the tendency of African-Americans to identify with White America, and insists they identify instead with Africans, their ancestors; thus, he promotes his purpose: to instill a feeling of self-respect and self-help in his fellow African-Americans, which in turn is the stepping stone to the liberation of the Black people.
The Negro revolution is a stagnant fight; the black revolution is a fight with one decisive winner. In this talk of revolution he also pointed out the hypocrisy of the American people on the subject of violence. How many black people will to go war for a country that hates them and do not even want them in the country, but when a white man strikes them they turned a blind eye because “peace” is the answer. “If violence is wrong in America, violence is wrong abroad”(MalcomX, Message to the Grassroots), many people would agree with this sentiment. Why condemn those who want to fight for something they believe in using violence when we as a country are doing the same thing overseas. Later in the speech, Malcolm X calls out the modern house Negros we have today in the United States. A house Negro was the slaves who stayed in the living quarter with their master and were maids and butlers and tended to the children. The latter are the filed Negros who worked in the fields and stayed in
Malcolm X, an associate of the Black Panthers and a brother of the Black muslime movement, went on to write “The Ballot or the Bullet”; was this not only a response to Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech opposing violence, he did not share Martin’s nonviolent ways, and he was sure of a violent seizure of civil rights. Due to the frustration built up with the slow gesture of white people in reaching a decision on black rights in America.
In order to prove to his audience of what power they could have when they unite and that they have been made “chumps” by a “white nationalist” government, Malcolm X builds his speech on the three rhetorical proofs. He uses logos in the form of deductive reasoning and occurrences to show that black people have been victimized by the white-run government, and to give them a solution; he uses ethos to establish his character and status as a freedom fighter as well as to bring together black Americans; and he uses pathos through repetition a...