http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/malcolmxballotorbullet.htm
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Malcolm X: "The Ballot or the Bullet"
In his 1964 speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet,"Malcolm X incorporates images of numerous wars and revolutions to his views on Black Nationalism. Although the speech concerns civil rights in the US, Malcolm X emphasizes how "if [the USA is] gonna draft these young black men and send them over to Korea or South Vietnam to face 800 million Chinese -- if you’re not afraid of those odds, you shouldn’t be afraid of [civil rights'] odds." Additionally, references to the American Revolution and the recently independent, nationalistic countries of India and China support his push for a Black Nationalist movement. The war of the American Revolution is his most significant reference to illustrate bloody, wartime revolutions to the non-violent protests. Malcolm X even uses an example of how "in French Indo-China those little peasants, rice growers, took on the might of the French army and ran all the Frenchmen -- you remember Dien Bien Phu . No." I chose this website and speech because it presents a new way in which war, past and present, was used by Malcolm X to advocate nationalism. It does not concentrate on one specific, instead combining several wartime and revolutionary events to demonstrate the problems with the civil rights movement. There is a great audio option at the top of the page which was really interesting to listen to as well.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/malcolmxballotorbullet.htm
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/malcolmxballotorbullet.htm
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It's interesting that Malcolm X used war as a means by which to justify Nationalism in the way that he meant it. A black nationalist movement at that time would split the number of people in the civil rights movement into separate groups-those who wanted to separate from all white people and those who were willing to work alongside white people who advocated for civil rights as well. In my mind this creates even more conflicts of interest; ironically, black nationalism seems to be the opposite of nationalism in general. Similarly, it's strange that war, something that grows out of conflicting interests, is used by Malcolm X to gain support for the movement.
ReplyDeleteI have always had an interesting viewpoint of Malcolm X. I grew up amazed by his ability to change public opinion and morph it into whatever he desired it. This was especially seen in his ability to galvanize the oppressed black minority to reject the ideal of peaceful protest and instead transfer their anger at the establishment into physical violence. Also in his criticism of the Vietnam War and the supposed racism within the drafting of troops. Yet despite this weird way of justification he brings people to his side. I believe that this proved his tenacity as a leader and his ability to influence his audience.
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