An old man can sit. In The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcom X, Malcolm X advocates African Americans to take matters into their own hands by either casting their ballot to determine whos going to sit in the White House and whos going to be in the dog house (Malcom X 2). Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet."( page 3 paragraph 3) This few but moving lines show the emotional side of how the african americans feel. This resource includes the annotated text of Malcolm X's famous "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech. Malcolm X began his speech by acknowledging that he was still a Muslim, but he quickly added that he didn't intend to discuss religion or any other issues that divide African Americans. That right there castrates you. You're nothing but Africans. What do we care about odds? According to Malcolm X, 1964 is the year of the ballot or the bullet not only because it is the year of what he considers a failed march on Washington, but because it is an election year, and because there is a new generation of African-Americans who are no longer willing to be subjugated. The Ballot or the Bullet essays are academic essays for citation. [3][4], On March 8, 1964, Malcolm X announced his separation from the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist religious organization for which he had been the spokesman for nearly a decade. . "The Ballot or the Bullet" opens by addressing the differences in religious beliefs that divide the African-American community. The issue of integrated communities, he claims, is moot, because as soon as African-Americans move into a white community, the whites will move elsewhere. There he is standing up in front of other people, Uncle Sam, with the blood of your and mine mothers and fathers on his hands, with the blood dripping down his jaws like a bloody-jawed wolf", Ap Lang Rhetorical Strategies -- "The Ballot, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing,Thinking, Carol Jago, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Exploration/Colonization - American Revolution. "The Ballot or the Bullet" further indicates a shift in Malcolm X's rhetoric, as his separation from the Nation of Islam and new, unfettered public activism prompted a change in the ways he addressed his audience. Cone, pp. You don't throw your ballots until you see a target, and if that target is not within your reach, keep your ballot in your pocket. Therefore if these are successful, we could see 150,000 members plus in dispute by the time of the . ", "Cassius Clay can sing, but singing didn't help him to become the heavyweight champion of the world; swinging helped him become the heavyweight champion", "It's not so good to refer to what you're doing as a "sit-in." Malcolm's purpose was to emphasize the idea that the black community needs to be . These tools make The Ballot or the Bullet more memorable and help the speaker maintain his audiences attention. [12], Black nationalism was characterized by its political, social, and economic philosophies. He said that Black nationalists believe that African Americans should control the politics and the economy in their communities and that they need to remove the vices, such as alcoholism and drug addiction, that afflict their communities. Over 10 million students from across the world are already learning smarter. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. "They don't have to pass civil rights legislation to make a Polack an American," said Malcolm X "The Ballot or the Bullet," a speech he made on April 3, 1964, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Question and Answer section for The Ballot or the Bullet is a great "The Ballot or the Bullet" is a speech that Malcolm X first delivered at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 3, 1964. He praises the idea that they had let the government blind them for a way too long. Let the world know the hypocrisy that's practiced over here. Originally obtained from. In what follows, we will look at some of the most important rhetorical devices used by the speaker and how they work with the speech. [5] The Nation of Islam, which advocated on behalf of African Americans, had significant disagreements with the Civil Rights Movement. You don't throw your ballots until you see a target, and if that target is not within your reach, keep your ballot in your pocket. Malcolm X was a fighter for civil rights. He explains that he does not subscribe to either the Democratic or the Republican party, because he considers himself a victim of Americas so-called democracy. For African-Americans, there is no American dream, only an American nightmare. Our faith is sure, our resolve is firm, and our union is strong. Anything can sit. Malcolm X began his speech by analyzing his audience and declaring that it is time to decide whether to vote, With this discussion, he uses the appeal to pathos. The media misconstrued Malcolm X's calls for self-defense as calls for violence. Create beautiful notes faster than ever before. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. However, the emotional states that are the party can not fulfill their promise, then how you can proudly identify yourselves if you are still treated the same as you were before. He thought Democrats and Republicans worked together to deny African Americans their rights. True or False: Malcolm X appeals to his audience through the use of logic and emotion. Some of them were Christians. He tells the crowd that they first need to set aside differences to focus on their common issue the white man. [21] He advised his listeners to be mindful of the law "This doesn't mean you're going to get a rifle and form battalions and go out looking for white folks that would be illegal and we don't do anything illegal" but he said that if white people didn't want African Americans to arm themselves, the government should do its job. "Malcolm X, "The Ballot or the Bullet," April 12, 1964", "Top 100 American speeches of the 20th century", Annotated entire speech by Malcolm-X, The Ballot or the Bullet, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Ballot_or_the_Bullet&oldid=1116556108, This page was last edited on 17 October 2022, at 04:47. One of the goals of the Civil Rights Movement was to end disenfranchisement of African Americans, but the Nation of Islam forbade its members from participating in the political process. Example: (Your, Youre\underline{\textit{You're}}Youre) surprised that I knew that Notah Begay won a PGA golf tournament in 1999. Malcolm asserts that African Americans have earned their rights because they've secured massive wealth for the United States by working for free as enslaved people. At the same time, the speech indicated that Malcolm still supported Black nationalism and self-defense and thus had not made a complete break with his past. Southern Democrats (sometimes called Dixiecrats, though the term is ambiguous and more properly refers to a short-lived separate political party), blocked the bill from consideration by the House of Representatives. [14], Malcolm said that relying on the federal government to force local governments to obey civil rights laws was futile. The white supremacist system is the antagonist. Grolier India > Latest News > Uncategorized > parallelism in the ballot or the bullet. Malcolm asserts that he and other African Americans are not Americans because they are fighting for the rights that other Americans already have. For example, the speaker uses sarcasm to suggest that European immigrants are better treated than African Americans: Everything that came out of Europe, every blue-eyed thing, is already an American., Repetition is one of Malcolm Xs favorite rhetorical devices. the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. As a member of PrimeStudyGuides.com, you get access to all of the content. Malcolm stresses that the black community makes up the 80% of the Democratic Party and with that percentage they are the ones who put a democrat in the White House. The current dispute mandate runs out on 6 May, and so the new ballot will run from 20 March until 9 May. Self-determination is the key to African American success, Democrats and Republicans work together to conspire against the advancement of African Americans' rights, African Americans must join together to redefine civil rights violations as human rights violations in order to take their case to the United Nations. So too will the black community win by force, and not by peaceful protest. For example, the theme and title of the speech the ballot or the bullet is mentioned about 16 times by the speaker: Let it be the ballot or the bullet. This resource includes the annotated text of Malcolm X's famous "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech. He also references Abraham Lincoln's statement, "To give victory to the right, not bloody bullets, but peaceful ballots only, are necessary," from his speech on May 18, 1858. Although he supported black equality, he attacked the problem unlike others such as Martin Luther King Jr. did. He accused the Democrats of playing a "political con game", with African Americans as its victims. The speech is among the top persuasive speeches of the 20th century. Due to the fear of severe punishment, blacks were scared to fight for equality; however, on April 3, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio, one brave soul finally did. "When you take your case to Washington, D.C., you're taking it to the criminal who's responsible; it's like running from the wolf to the fox. Malcolm X uses this device extensively in his speech, as it helps him illustrate points related to the Civil Rights Movement and the need to fight by any means necessary to promote Afric. _____Cole had all *ready *toasted the bagels by the time his parents woke up. True or False: Malcolm X believed African Americans should vote for whoever told them they would give them more rights. Malcolm . What is meant by "the ballot or the bullet"? The first 45 seconds of "The Ballot or the Bullet" as given April 12, 1964 in Detroit. They're all in cahoots together". That old Uncle Tom action is outdated. He encouraged the black community to get involved in voter registration and voting . Malcolm Xs speech was an effective example of pathetic because he understands the mindset that the audience is in, and knows what to say to excite them about his cause. And anyone who puts forth any effort to deprive you of that which is yours, is breaking the law, is a criminal. Douglass received an invitation to speak at a Fourth of July celebration in his hometown, and the speech he gave called out the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom as a country while millions of its residents are enslaved. Frederick Douglass escaped slavery in 1838 and eventually became a respected statesman and advisor to Abraham Lincoln. In addition, many African American men have fought and died in each war the United States has been involved in. The speech was strong and inspiring, and because it was combined with his confident and sturdy speaking, he came off as a respectable and intelligent leader who knows what he wants, Malcolm X evokes emotion with the use of objectification, by specifying particular instances of exploitation, degradation, and oppression that the black community has faced. "The Ballot or the Bullet" served several purposes at a critical point in Malcolm X's life: it was part of his effort to distance himself from the Nation of Islam, and it was intended to reach out to moderate civil rights leaders. Malcolm X is the protagonist. [15], The proper solution, Malcolm X said, was to elevate the struggle of African Americans from one of civil rights to one of human rights. African Americans have a constitutional right to own guns and defend themselves from being attacked by the white man. If he's for civil rights, let him go into the Senate next week and denounce the Southern branch of his party. Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet.. X's purpose is to awaken the black . In his, "The Ballot or the Bullet" was a public acknowledgment of. repetition of the first word of a clause at the end of the same clause, intentional repitition of 3 or more consanant sounds among nearby words, "If we don't do something real soon, I think you'll have to agree that we're going to be forced either to use the ballot or the bullet. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. (The Ballot or the Bullet) Definition Parallelism (Repitition) Intentional repitition of the same grammatical structure, which may also include a repeated word or phrase, in the same structural position at least three times in nearby sentences or segments of a sentence. Publicly, his criticisms of the system fell on mostly deaf ears. Civil Rights Activist, Malcolm X, in his speech "The Ballot or The Bullet" addressed the issue that the black community needs to take action about how the government treats them unfairly. What does this mean? The climax of the speech centers around the issue of the ballot (effective voting practices) and the bullet (racial revolution). What parts of African American society did Malcolm X want them to control? In frequenting stores not owned by an African-American, the money is given to another community. [10], Malcolm said that African Americans were becoming "politically mature" and recognizing that, through unity and nonalignment, they could be the swing vote in the coming elections and elect candidates who would be attentive to their concerns:[11]. On April 3, 1964 Malcolm X delivered one of the most empowering speeches in American history. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring! Zip. It was very influential speech that empowered the. Through his triumph and survival of the murder of his father in 1931 when he was six years old, but also educating himself in prison which he was in for seven years from the ages 21-28 (Draper 7).With this story, it inspired people in the various ethnic communities, and neighborhoods. He declares himself to be a black nationalist freedom fighter.. Black people in America came together to receive motivation to fight for equality.In this speech Malcolm X inspires black people to take a stance and fight for their civil rights. In "The Ballot or the Bullet," Malcolm X clarifies that African Americans have no inherent bias toward the white man; they are "anti-exploitation . He observes that the United States has reached its boiling point, demonstrated by the increasing use of weapons in confrontations. The tone is provocative and righteous. He constantly used repetition of the words "the ballot or the bullet" in order to keep the thought present in the head of the audience, and after completing every thought, he found a way to connect it back to the issue of the ballot or the bullet. intentional repetition of 3 or more vowel sounds among nearby words. Create and find flashcards in record time. Malcolm X delivered "The Ballot or the Bullet" shortly before leaving the United States to travel through North Africa and the Middle East. Malcolm wants the audiences to understand they have the power to change America or still continue to allow the government to control. Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet. Why did "The Ballot or the Bullet" alienate white Americans? Lerne mit deinen Freunden und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persnlichen Lernstatistiken. Whenever you are going after something that is yours, you are within your legal rights to lay claim to it. Instead, he said, the Democrats blamed the Dixiecrats, who were "nothing but Democrat[s] in disguise". We [Muslim Mosque, Inc.] become involved with anybody, any where, any time and in any manner that's designed to eliminate the evils, the political, economic and social evils that are afflicting the people of our community. . anti-degradation . Being a black nationalist, Malcolm X says, does not require you to give up any of your personal organizational affiliations. Let it be the ballot or the bullet. The repetition of the phrase the ballot or the bullet shows how that community of people feel about change. Instead, he was going to emphasize the common experience of African Americans of all faiths:[8]. Malcolm X was a civil rights leader before he was assassinated at the age of 40. What is the tone of "The Ballot or the Bullet"? This statement exemplifies how Malcolm X's thinking began to shift concerning the Civil Rights Movement after leaving the Nation of Islam and continued down this path while on his pilgrimage to Mecca. [6], Malcolm also chose not to discuss the religious differences that divide Muslims and Christians, a common theme of his speeches when he was the spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X closes by defining his goal as a Black Nationalist who wants African Americans to gain political, economic, and social control over their communities. [5] He reassured leaders of the Civil Rights Movement that "I've forgotten everything bad that [they] have said about me, and I pray they can also forget the many bad things I've said about them."[7]. The uses emotional appeals are featured in paragraphs 11-14. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is a speech made by Malcolm X in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 3, 1964. 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