Analysis Report Of Malcolm X’s Speech The Ballot Or The Bullet

On April 3, 1964, Malcolm X uttered one of the utmost inspiring speeches in the history of American. Including some of his opponents, there were two thousand people who arrived to hear him in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a black civil rights protester who played an immense role in instilling the fire in the black community during the mid-20th century. During the current election year, his speech “The Ballot or the Bullet,” was about black nationalism. Malcolm X was one of the most active, self-motivated and powerful figures of the civil rights era. According to the article, “Malcolm X's Michigan Worldview: An Exemplar for Contemporary Black Studies “, he was an advocate of black nationalism, self-esteem, and had a nonnegotiating resistance to white coercion. Malcolm X was a diverging figure who both enlivened and separated African Americans while terrifying and distancing many whites. He was relentlessly honest who proclaimed that the conventional civil rights movement was ingenuous in expecting to protect the liberty through amalgamation and passive. The intense heat of Malcolm X's oratory outshined the complexity of his speech, especially for those who found him intimidating in the first place. Contrarily, he portrayed a negative image of the citizens and the country his people dwell in.

The exhibit shows X was never the non-violent type, in fact, he was very progressive and was eager to fight to bring a change. He convinces how blacks need to stop singing and start swinging. He addresses how America denotes to Africans as second-class citizens. Furthermore, he says there is nothing like a second-class citizen; what America is saying is blacks are still treated as slaves. Once Africans become citizens, are given equal human and civil rights, and are not detached by segregationists’ politicians then black nationalism will be attained. Black nationalism is the thinking of managing politics and politicians in the black community. In the black community, controlling politics is voting for politicians that blacks want to be elected. Then people who really want to help the black community in any way will have the authority to do so and that is only possible if blacks do not continue to be bullied, hoodwinked, and tricked into voting for the white. X tries to persuade his audience that it is possible to have black nationalism in America. In the article, “Malcolm X's the Ballot or the Bullet Speech? Its Implications for Black Liberation Theology in Present-Day South Africa”, the Rothney Tshaka states that if there is no black nationalism then the possibility of change for blacks would be none.

Moreover, Malcolm X's language added emphasis to his speech. Throughout an entire paragraph, Malcolm X repeated the word "gospel". He was trying to communicate the idea that if the gospel does not work, do not agree to it, instead create your own. The Black cannot just accept the fact that they are being treated as secondary. For the change, they need to demand that the gospel is reformed to include equality for their race. Malcolm X used repetition of words and phrases as an importance that is needed when he is making a principal point. (Terrill) He appears to decline to admit the use of government. Instead, he believes that they should make it identified that they should have their own rights. He refuses collaboration, which Amersi3 is must for effective negotiation and is confident that supremacy prevails, and they can go above the current organization in place. Yes, I agree that they were dealt immorally and treated unfairly, but that still does not mean they can initiate their own rules to create their own rights. Rather leaders like Gandhi directed India to independence and enthused movements for civil rights and freedom across the world using nonviolent civil defiance.

According to the article, “Mahatma Gandhi–an Indian model of servant leadership”, Gandhi had comprehended that the British had been capable to be in India only because of the coordination they established from the Indians. Keeping this in mind, he suggested a non-cooperation movement. With the Congress’ assistance and his unconquerable spirit, he induced people that nonviolent non-cooperation was significant to Independence. Malcolm’s anger encouraging the violence goes back to our title, The Ballot or the Bullet. He seems to be aware of that if the ballot fails, then violence is the only option. This should be not the case as it would just deter the success. I appreciate that he wants to inspire his people but the price and the harm he is willing to take would provide no means at the end and just hurt his people even more. An evaluation of the Brown case which happened during the 1960s is a fair comparison. During the 1960s blacks were unceasingly harassed, disrespected and dehumanized. Now in 2014, the same things are recurring in America. A caucasian officer in Ferguson, Missouri, shot an 18-year-old boy approximately six times. Then the government does not let the case to go to trial due to a lack of proof. (Lopez) This is racial injustice at its most. In America, if the situation was overturned and a Caucasian boy was shot then the case would have gone to trial and had justice. In the end, whatever ways Malcolm used, it’s been approximately more than fifty years and America has not changed for the benefit of blacks.

Furthermore, I think his utterance about Uncle Sam was stimulating as he tries to claim that Uncle Sam’s hands are dribbling with the blood of the African Americans. He then calls Uncle Sam a deceiver and how he stands as the leader of freedom and liberty, yet African Americans are still not free. Providing a not so optimistic image of the people other than Africans in America for the blacks does not appear to be the finest idea as even if they obtain their freedom, there will still be in this partition between blacks and the rest of society. Also, not everyone in the country is accountable for his pain. The almost unpleasant truthfulness which strengthened him to find his path from disparagement to dedication to his people, the modest and simple way of living that kept him on the border of poverty and the distance he somehow accomplished to put between himself and racial hate, in that amount, were the distressing cues of human possibility and achievement. However, Malcolm X repeated continuously what had become a frequent idea in his speeches: the battle opposing white of their prolonged cruel treatment with blacks was one step in an engrained war against systemic discrimination of race that could only be overcome successfully through the unification of all Africans irrespective of their distinction in status and economic class. X’s intellect, desire, and rhetorical skills helped make “The Ballot or the Bullet” one of the greatest oratorical acts in black history.