Work Cited "Malcolm X: The Ballot or the Bullet." American Public Media . By registering you get free access to our website and app (available on desktop AND mobile) which will help you to super-charge your learning process. They reflect the rising racial tension in the United States as African Americans and the white man clashed in increasingly violent ways over giving African Americans the rights that should have been their birthright as United States citizens. . Sign up to highlight and take notes. Your vote, your dumb vote, your ignorant vote, your wasted vote put administration in Washington D.C. His repetition of your followed by a negative adjective and vote made his parallel structure apparent he used your to throw shade on african americans and how they complain about our white presidents. 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. Directly or indirectly labeling those against you in a negative way. I'm nonviolent with those who are nonviolent with me. 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. The Ballot or the Bullet Literary Elements Genre Political Speech Setting and Context 1964, against a backdrop of segregation and social unrest. What are the main points of "The Ballot or the Bullet"? Gradesaver has a complete summary of "The Ballot of the Bullet" speech readily available in its study guide for this unit. "The Ballot or the Bullet" asks African Americans to put aside their differences and work together to redefine their civil rights as human rights so they can plead their case to the United Nations. Malcolm X analyzes why following the Democratic Party is not in the best interest of African Americans since the Democrats allow the "Dixiecrats" a place in their organization to retain power. Understand this, it's dangerous. has failed and failed and failed the works of freedom. 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. Second-class citizenship, such as is held by the African-American community, is tantamount to 20th-century slavery, says Malcolm. He wanted them to vote for who they felt was the right choice to benefit blacks. . April 8, 2021; energy difference between n=1 and n=2 in joules. In the speech "The Ballot or the Bullet" Malcolm X utilizes antithesis, allusion, and metaphors in order to convince his audience to take a stand against segregation whether peacefully, if possible, and if not, by force. This downplaying of his religion reverberates in the context of a speech advocating for political engagement. Sit-ins are disempowering because they perpetuate the image of the African-American community as cowardly and weak. 0; The Ballot or the Bullet is a speech delivered by Malcolm X in 1964. Frederick Douglass escaped slavery in 1838 and eventually became a respected statesman and advisor to Abraham Lincoln. The repetition of the phrase the ballot or the bullet shows how that community of people feel about change. From slavery to discrimination, African-Americans experienced this horror in daily life since the beginning of their existence. Malcolm X noted that 1964 was an election year, a year "when all of the white political crooks will be right back in your and my community with their false promises which they don't intend to keep". You can subscribe to whichever religious beliefs youd like, and remain a member of whichever civic organizations youd like. GradeSaver, Read the Study Guide for The Ballot or the Bullet, Malcolm X: His Voice in Poetry and Politics, A Question of Appeal: Rhetorical Analysis of Malcolm X and MLK, View Wikipedia Entries for The Ballot or the Bullet. . Free and expert-verified textbook solutions. The Ballot or the Bullet, Part 2 Summary and Analysis. An old man can sit. He argued that the ballot was the only way to achieve true and lasting change, but that the government had to be willing to protect the rights of African Americans. Malcolm X uses strong diction along with parallelism in this speech to emphasize the problem of racial inequality in America. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. "The time when white people can come in our community and get us to vote for them so that they can be our political leaders and tell us what to do and what not to do is long gone. He made his "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech during April, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. The white politicians would come into black neighborhoods and push, press, and force it upon blacks to put them in office. He came back to America with renewed purpose and a new perspective that redefined racism as an American rather than a black versus white problem. [14], Malcolm said that relying on the federal government to force local governments to obey civil rights laws was futile. As such, African-Americans must endeavor to educate themselves on which politicians will best serve the aims of the civil rights movement. And this was pointed out by the Supreme Court decision. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is the title of a public speech by human rights activist Malcolm X. in "the Ballot or the Bullet" with Malcom X. what made the speaker qualified to give this speech. For example, in the third paragraph of the excerpt, X strikes a blow at the government which [deprives the black community] of [their] voting rights, economic opportunities, housing, and, On April 12, 1964, Malcom X gives The Ballot or the Bullet speech at Cory Methodist Church in Detroit, Michigan. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is a speech that Malcolm X first delivered at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 3, 1964. 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. ", indicating your audience may suffer harm/negative consequence if they dont agree with you, "The year when all of the political white crooks will" (The Ballet or the Bullet), "All these Negro leaders have the audacity to go and have some coffee in the White House with a Texan, a Southern cracker" (The Ballot or the Bullet). He is not here today to discuss his relationship with God, but to speak about black nationalism. So too will the black community win by force, and not by peaceful protest. Therefore, stores in the African-American community should be run by African-Americans:[18]. He observes that the United States has reached its boiling point, demonstrated by the increasing use of weapons in confrontations. What is Malcolm X's rhetorical strategy in The Ballot or the Bullet? He also explains that if the government continues to take away the rights of African-Americans, that the entire population of African-Americans should take up arms. "1 What, if anything, do you think Malcolm X hopes to accomplish by quoting Abraham Lincoln and Patrick Henry and establishing African American protests as legal according to the Supreme Court? Create and find flashcards in record time. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, and activists like Dennis Peron whose partner died of AIDS in 1990 played key roles in organizing the ballot measure. "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. Through repetition of inflammatory phrases and accusatory diction both which create appeals to anger, Malcolm X effectively persuades his audience during The Ballot Or The Bullet.. Dixicrats: a southern segregationist faction of the Democratic Party. Because he think too much on what had been said by his teacher, he drop out the school and started to do some dirty business. More books than SparkNotes. In the speech, The Ballot or the Bullet, Malcolm X urges African-Americans to fight the discrimination put towards them by using their votes to vanquish the evilness in America. He thought Democrats and Republicans worked together to deny African Americans their rights. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is delivered in an urgent and angry tone. [6], When he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm declared his willingness to cooperate with the Civil Rights Movement. 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. We encourage you to look for other examples of the same devices in the text to further enrich your an, An allusion is a reference to a person, event, or textthat is relevant to the speech. The ballot or the bullet Malcolm X during his speech of the ballot or the bullet was the fullest declaration of his black nationalism philosophy. The Ballot or the Bullet study guide contains a biography of Malcolm X, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 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. Malcolm X juxtaposes black nationalism with the non-violent philosophy of advocates like Martin Luther King Jr., who favor peaceful protest, which Malcolm denounces as passive. The speech is among the top persuasive speeches of the 20th century. Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. The current dispute mandate runs out on 6 May, and so the new ballot will run from 20 March until 9 May. He accused the Democrats of playing a "political con game", with African Americans as its victims. If the black community throws their support behind a single candidate, as they did behind Kennedy, that candidate will win. 1483 Words6 Pages. The political philosophy is self-government. Malcolm provides an economic summary of black nationalism: African-Americans should buy from African-American owned and operated businesses so as to feed the prosperity of their own communities and lift the levelto a higher levelso that we will be satisfied in our own circles and wont be running around here to knock our way into a social circle where were not wanted. This economic attitude is in keeping with the larger social and political attitudes of separatism that marked black nationalism, which claimed that integration would only result in further oppression of black peoples and advocated, as the name suggests, for entirely separate and self-governed communities. In response to Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Malcolm X delivered a speech entitled "The Ballot or the Bullet". [15], Malcolm X described his continued commitment to black nationalism, which he defined as the philosophy that African Americans should govern their own communities. ", "They've become dissatisfied, and all of this has built up frustrations in the black community that makes the black community throughout America today more explosive than all of the atomic bombs the Russians can ever invent", "Whenever you got a racial powder keg sitting in your lap, you're in more trouble than if you had an atomic powder keg sitting in your lap. X was a black civil rights activist who played a huge role in the black community during the mid 20th century. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. True or False: Malcolm X believed African Americans should vote for whoever told them they would give them more rights. Malcolm X, a Muslim, credits Elijah Muhammed, the leader of the Nation of Islam, with making him into the man he is today. At the time, blacks did not have much say in who they wanted to elect. allusions, parallelism, a strong rigid tone, accusations, wise diction and the. Like the colonists, Malcolm X is ready to fight tooth and nail for the liberation of his community, whether that means using his vote advantageously or participating in outright revolution. He notes that politicians are more aware of this fact than African Americans, so they tell African Americans whatever will secure their vote. Tell him, don't wait until election time. can't bring whoever killed "four little girls while they were praying" to justice, then it is either unwilling to help them or entirely incapable. Malcolm X's speech "The Ballot or the Bullet" is intended to encourage African Americans to take the Civil Rights Movement forward and become even more determined in actively fighting for their rights. Let him go in there right now and take a moral stand right now, not later. 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. 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. Not affiliated with Harvard College. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcolm X. Post navigation . It took decades for the men involved to be prosecuted as FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, prevented their prosecution in 1968. 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 media misconstrued Malcolm X's calls for self-defense as calls for violence. What parts of African American society did Malcolm X want them to control? Coversational/familiar language particular to a particular region or dialect. "The Ballot or the Bullet" was delivered at a church in Cleveland, Ohio, to a crowd that included African Americans and white Americans. Due to the lack of government the dichotomy between african americans and the white men was still a major problem ; as African americans needed to put and end to the separation and earn civil rights. Have all your study materials in one place. It doesnt matter, he says, if you go to jail, because black people are already there. Everything south of the Canadian border is the South, he jokes. After Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson threw his support behind the civil rights bill. Whether you're educated or illiterate, whether you live on the boulevard or in the alley, you're going to catch hell just like I am. [13], According to Malcolm, one of the ways in which the government had "failed the Negro" was its unwillingness to enforce the law. 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. was the black mans vote that put the present administration in Washington, D.C. The most significant modification of Malcolm X's rhetoric that can be observed in "The Ballot or the Bullet" is the broadening of his audience, as he "emphasizes individualized judgement rather than group cohesion"[29] and allows for more analytical "flexibility restrained by a purposive focus on particular goals. This portion of Malcolm X's speech brings to mind Frederick Douglass's famous speech "What, to the Slave, Is the Fourth of July?" [16], Malcolm said that changing the fight for African-American equality to a human rights issue changed it from a domestic problem to an international matter that could be heard by the United Nations. the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. 195196. The Ballot or the Bullet study guide contains a biography of Malcolm X, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. That right there castrates you. Malcolms main purpose of the speech is to persuade African Americans to fight for their right to vote and to warn the U.S. government that if they restrict minorities from equality, violence will in turn take effect (Montoya 211). Example: (Your, Youre\underline{\textit{You're}}Youre) surprised that I knew that Notah Begay won a PGA golf tournament in 1999. Whereas the Civil Rights Movement advocated on behalf of integration and against segregation, the Nation of Islam favored separatism. Although their outspoken beliefs in self-defense and gun ownership branded them a militant group, they created much-needed social programs for their communities, such as health clinics and free breakfast programs. "The Ballot or the Bullet" also marked a notable shift in Malcolm X's rhetoric, as he presented previously undiscussed ways of looking at the relationship between blacks and whites. The dollar is taken from the African-American community and given to outsiders. The white man didnt know what he was doing when he let black children read about liberty or death in his history books, he says. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Selecciona la palabra que no est relacionada. How does he use his beliefs to persuade a mixed audience about the importance of voting to African Americans? anti-degradation . By contrast, Martin Luther King Jr. advocates for an engagement of Civil Disobedience by calling for nonviolent direct action which allows for African Americans to be heard by forcing their, How Does Malcolm X Use Ethos In The Ballot Or The Bullet, The Ballot or the Bullet is a speech delivered by Malcolm X in 1964. He made you think you were going somewhere and you end up going nowhere but between Lincoln and Washington. Two thousand people including some of his enemies turned out to hear him speak in Cleveland, Ohio. Malcolm X is the protagonist. 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