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In March 1964, Malcolm X delivered a speech titled “The Ballot or the Bullet.” Malcolm X counseled African Americans to utilize their right to vote responsibly in a lecture made at Corey Dist Church. He cautioned that if the government would still oppress them, they would lose their rights. This speech is also considered to be one of the most influential in American history.
Malcolm X’s relations with Islam and its followers were long-lasting but not always easy. He announced his resignation from “Nation of Islam”, a religious group pursuing black nationalism, where he served as spokesman for over ten years, in 1964 (Johnson). In the issue of African Americans and their rights, the “Nation of Islam” has fundamental differences from the “Civil Rights Movement,” another influential organization of that time. While the “Civil Rights Movement” pushed for integration and fought segregation, Islamists pushed for separation. Ending African American disenfranchisement was one of the “Civil Rights Movement” aims, but the “Nation of Islam” refused to allow its followers to participate in the political processes.
The speech delivered at Corey Dist emphasized several issues, although mostly aimed at discussing politics and issues of equality and representation. Malcolm X opened his address by confirming his Muslim religious identity but immediately added that he would not be discussing religion (Malcolm). Instead, he planned to focus on the African Americans’ common concerns, regardless of religion. He emphasized that African Americans are becoming “political” and acknowledged that due to unity and inconsistency, they could become a “fluctuating variable” in the upcoming elections and pursue representatives who will pay attention to their concerns (Malcolm). He also described how powerful weapons could be on the ballot paper if they were carried out with caution.
Malcolm instantly moved on to the subject of government and how it functions. Despite his support for voting, Malcolm X voiced doubts that it would result in perfect equality for African Americans. He said that the government was to “blame for the country’s tyranny, exploitation, and degradation of the black population. The black people have been let down by this regime” (Malcolm). Although he did not doubt governmental functions, he was skeptical about their implementation.
One of the ways in which “the government failed African Americans,” according to Malcolm, was the refusal to obey the law. Although the Supreme Court had banned segregation, he emphasized that it had had little influence on society (Malcolm). He claims that because the police and various municipal authorities frequently allied with segregationists and southerners against the “Civil Rights Movement,” they could not be trusted (Johnson). His key point was that depending on the current governmental structures to enforce civil rights legislation was futile: “You take your case to the perpetrator who is accountable when you get to Washington, D.C.; they are all together” (Malcolm).
Human rights, the next question raised by Malcolm, became, in fact, his main point. According to him, the right solution is to increase African Americans’ efforts toward human rights, not only civil ones. His point was that “no one from the outside world can speak for you while your struggle is a struggle for civil rights” (Malcolm). Therefore, the struggle for civil rights was an internal matter.
Malcolm X proclaimed that the transition from the struggle for African American equality to the human rights issue transformed it into an international problem that can be dealt with through the United Nations. He mentioned civil rights as “asking Uncle Sam to treat you correctly,” but while addressing human rights, he used “your God-given rights,” and “rights that are recognized by all peoples of this land” (Malcolm). He also mentioned that the people are “sitting there waiting to throw their weight on our side” if the civil rights struggle is expanded into the struggle for human rights.
The political, social, and economic theory advocated by Malcolm X is sometimes defined as African American nationalism. One of the most crucial aspects of this issue was education. To grasp the relevance and impact of voting, political procedures, and economic components, African Americans must be re-educated in the science of politics. Malcolm X spoke on his continued adherence to the ideas of black nationalism, which he used to describe as the idea of African Americans defending their political, economic, and other rights (Rodriguez). Most importantly, for Malcolm, togetherness and eliminating, vices were critical; he continually urged his listeners to eradicate the wrongs that plagued their communities, such as drinking and drug addiction.
At a crucial stage in Malcolm X’s life, “The Ballot or the Bullet” had several purposes. Firstly, he attempted to disassociate from the “Nation of Islam” and any attempt to find a different path by reaching out to the “Civil Rights Movement.” At the same time, “The Ballot or the Bullet” showed that Malcolm is still adhering to black nationalism, indicating that he did not abandon his radical past (Rodriguez). “The Ballot or the Bullet” also represented a significant departure in Malcolm X’s language, as he provided hitherto assumed perspectives on black-white relations.
Malcolm also opted not to address religious differences in his remarks, which were a regular issue in his lectures while he was the Nation of Islam’s spokesman. Malcolm avoided religious issues in “The Ballot or the Bullet,” instead of emphasizing the experience shared by various African Americans of different social backgrounds and religions (Rodriguez). Furthermore, in “The Ballot or the Bullet,” he espoused ideas that opposed those of the “Nation of Islam,” a movement that rejects political activism.
“The Ballot or the Bullet” indicates a development in Malcolm X’s discourse, as he split from the “Nation of Islam,” embracing open social activities and approaching his audience differently. Malcolm X continued to refer to rehearsals as “messages of passion,” as seen by his use of the term “ballot or bullet” over and over. Moreover, he continued employing specific language and metaphors to express his thoughts about society and history in novel ways, allowing his followers to raise questions (Rodriguez). The growth of Malcolm X’s audience, as well as more balanced declarations, are the most significant assertions of his rhetoric, which may be seen in the “Ballot or the Bullet” speech.
Despite the embrace of Ballots and political processes, Malcolm X did not abandon the idea of mass, radical protest, which can shift the balance and enforce equality through coercion. He frequently coined that the streets can explode at any time, and self-defense can turn into something more (Tinson). In contrast, Joseph Jackson’s “The Vote is the Only Effective Weapon in the Civil Rights Struggle,” another powerful message on the topic, urges that protests and mass demonstrations are not the way. The compound from a different medium and angle, from the Baptist Preacher, Jackson advises African Americans to “take their fights at the ballot booth” while depriving them of direct actions (Tinson). The issue, raised by such influential figures in American history as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and others, have different solutions and points of view. However, they are all univocal in embracing the political processes.
Works Cited
Johnson, Terrence L. “4. MALCOLM X AND THE SPIRIT OF HUMANISTIC ACTIVISM.” We Testify with Our Lives. Columbia University Press, 2021. 110-141.
Malcolm, X. The ballot or the bullet. Pacifica Tape Library, 1965.
Rodriguez, Danny. “Reclaiming Malcolm X: Epideictic Discourse and African-American Rhetoric.” Rhetoric Review 40.2 (2021): 153-166.
Tinson, Christopher M. Radical Intellect: Liberator Magazine and Black Activism in the 1960s. UNC Press Books, 2017.
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