Malcolm XThe Ballot or the Bullet.docx

Malcolm XThe Ballot or the Bullet.docx

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MalcolmXTheBallotortheBullet

‘TheBallotortheBullet’

MalcolmX,3April1964,inClevelandOH

Theaudioversiondiffersfromthetextbelow.TheaudioversionwasdeliveredbyMalcolmX'sBallot12April1964inDetroit,Michigan[atameetingsponsoredbytheClevelandchapteroftheCongressofRacialEquality].

Mr.Moderator,BrotherLomax,brothersandsisters,friendsandenemies:

Ijustcan'tbelieveeveryoneinhereisafriend,andIdon'twanttoleaveanybodyout.Thequestiontonight,asIunderstandit,isTheNegroRevolt,andWhereDoWeGoFromHere?

orWhatNext?

Inmylittlehumblewayofunderstandingit,itpointstowardeithertheballotorthebullet.

Beforewetryandexplainwhatismeantbytheballotorthebullet,Iwouldliketoclarifysomethingconcerningmyself.I'mstillaMuslim;myreligionisstillIslam.That'smypersonalbelief.JustasAdamClaytonPowellisaChristianministerwhoheadstheAbyssinianBaptistChurchinNewYork,butatthesametimetakespartinthepoliticalstrugglestotryandbringaboutrightstotheblackpeopleinthiscountry;andDr.MartinLutherKingisaChristianministerdowninAtlanta,Georgia,whoheadsanotherorganizationfightingforthecivilrightsofblackpeopleinthiscountry;andReverendGalamison,Iguessyou'veheardofhim,isanotherChristianministerinNewYorkwhohasbeendeeplyinvolvedintheschoolboycottstoeliminatesegregatededucation;well,Imyselfamaminister,notaChristianminister,butaMuslimminister;andIbelieveinactiononallfrontsbywhatevermeansnecessary.

AlthoughI'mstillaMuslim,I'mnotheretonighttodiscussmyreligion.I'mnotheretotryandchangeyourreligion.I'mnotheretoargueordiscussanythingthatwedifferabout,becauseit'stimeforustosubmergeourdifferencesandrealizethatitisbestforustofirstseethatwehavethesameproblem,acommonproblem,aproblemthatwillmakeyoucatchhellwhetheryou'reaBaptist,oraMethodist,oraMuslim,oranationalist.Whetheryou'reeducatedorilliterate,whetheryouliveontheboulevardorinthealley,you'regoingtocatchhelljustlikeIam.We'reallinthesameboatandweallaregoingtocatchthesamehellfromthesameman.Hejusthappenstobeawhiteman.Allofushavesufferedhere,inthiscountry,politicaloppressionatthehandsofthewhiteman,economicexploitationatthehandsofthewhiteman,andsocialdegradationatthehandsofthewhiteman.

Nowinspeakinglikethis,itdoesn'tmeanthatwe'reanti-white,butitdoesmeanwe'reanti-exploitation,we'reanti-degradation,we'reanti-oppression.Andifthewhitemandoesn'twantustobeanti-him,lethimstopoppressingandexploitinganddegradingus.WhetherweareChristiansorMuslimsornationalistsoragnosticsoratheists,wemustfirstlearntoforgetourdifferences.Ifwehavedifferences,letusdifferinthecloset;whenwecomeoutinfront,letusnothaveanythingtoargueaboutuntilwegetfinishedarguingwiththeman.IfthelatePresidentKennedycouldgettogetherwithKhrushchevandexchangesomewheat,wecertainlyhavemoreincommonwitheachotherthanKennedyandKhrushchevhadwitheachother.

Ifwedon'tdosomethingrealsoon,Ithinkyou'llhavetoagreethatwe'regoingtobeforcedeithertousetheballotorthebullet.It'soneortheotherin1964.Itisn'tthattimeisrunningout—timehasrunout!

1964threatenstobethemostexplosiveyearAmericahaseverwitnessed.Themostexplosiveyear.Why?

It'salsoapoliticalyear.It'stheyearwhenallofthewhitepoliticianswillbebackintheso-calledNegrocommunityjivingyouandmeforsomevotes.Theyearwhenallofthewhitepoliticalcrookswillberightbackinyourandmycommunitywiththeirfalsepromises,buildingupourhopesforaletdown,withtheirtrickeryandtheirtreachery,withtheirfalsepromiseswhichtheydon'tintendtokeep.Astheynourishthesedissatisfactions,itcanonlyleadtoonething,anexplosion;andnowwehavethetypeofblackmanonthesceneinAmericatoday—I'msorry,BrotherLomax—whojustdoesn'tintendtoturntheothercheekanylonger.

Don'tletanybodytellyouanythingabouttheoddsareagainstyou.Iftheydraftyou,theysendyoutoKoreaandmakeyouface800millionChinese.Ifyoucanbebraveoverthere,youcanbebraverighthere.Theseoddsaren'tasgreatasthoseodds.Andifyoufighthere,youwillatleastknowwhatyou'refightingfor.

I'mnotapolitician,notevenastudentofpolitics;infact,I'mnotastudentofmuchofanything.I'mnotaDemocrat.I'mnotaRepublican,andIdon'tevenconsidermyselfanAmerican.IfyouandIwereAmericans,there'dbenoproblem.ThoseHonkiesthatjustgotofftheboat,they'realreadyAmericans;PolacksarealreadyAmericans;theItalianrefugeesarealreadyAmericans.EverythingthatcameoutofEurope,everyblue-eyedthing,isalreadyanAmerican.AndaslongasyouandIhavebeenoverhere,wearen'tAmericansyet.

Well,Iamonewhodoesn'tbelieveindeludingmyself.I'mnotgoingtositatyourtableandwatchyoueat,withnothingonmyplate,andcallmyselfadiner.Sittingatthetabledoesn'tmakeyouadiner,unlessyoueatsomeofwhat'sonthatplate.BeinghereinAmericadoesn'tmakeyouanAmerican.BeingbornhereinAmericadoesn'tmakeyouanAmerican.Why,ifbirthmadeyouAmerican,youwouldn'tneedanylegislation;youwouldn'tneedanyamendmentstotheConstitution;youwouldn'tbefacedwithcivil-rightsfilibusteringinWashington,D.C.,rightnow.Theydon'thavetopasscivil-rightslegislationtomakeaPolackanAmerican.

No,I'mnotanAmerican.I'moneofthe22millionblackpeoplewhoarethevictimsofAmericanism.Oneofthe22millionblackpeoplewhoarethevictimsofdemocracy,nothingbutdisguisedhypocrisy.So,I'mnotstandingherespeakingtoyouasanAmerican,orapatriot,oraflag-saluter,oraflag-waver—no,notI.I'mspeakingasavictimofthisAmericansystem.AndIseeAmericathroughtheeyesofthevictim.Idon'tseeanyAmericandream;IseeanAmericannightmare.

These22millionvictimsarewakingup.Theireyesarecomingopen.They'rebeginningtoseewhattheyusedtoonlylookat.They'rebecomingpoliticallymature.Theyarerealizingthattherearenewpoliticaltrendsfromcoasttocoast.Astheyseethesenewpoliticaltrends,it'spossibleforthemtoseethateverytimethere'sanelectiontheracesaresoclosethattheyhavetohavearecount.TheyhadtorecountinMassachusettstoseewhowasgoingtobegovernor,itwassoclose.ItwasthesamewayinRhodeIsland,inMinnesota,andinmanyotherpartsofthecountry.AndthesamewithKennedyandNixonwhentheyranforpresident.Itwassoclosetheyhadtocountalloveragain.Well,whatdoesthismean?

Itmeansthatwhenwhitepeopleareevenlydivided,andblackpeoplehaveablocofvotesoftheirown,itisleftuptothemtodeterminewho'sgoingtositintheWhiteHouseandwho'sgoingtobeinthedoghouse.

Itwastheblackman'svotethatputthepresentadministrationinWashington,D.C.Yourvote,yourdumbvote,yourignorantvote,yourwastedvoteputinanadministrationinWashington,D.C.,thathasseenfittopasseverykindoflegislationimaginable,savingyouuntillast,thenfilibusteringontopofthat.Andyourandmyleadershavetheaudacitytorunaroundclappingtheirhandsandtalkabouthowmuchprogresswe'remaking.Andwhatagoodpresidentwehave.Ifhewasn'tgoodinTexas,hesurecan'tbegoodinWashington,D.C.BecauseTexasisalynchstate.ItisinthesamebreathasMississippi,nodifferent;onlytheylynchyouinTexaswithaTexasaccentandlynchyouinMississippiwithaMississippiaccent.AndtheseNegroleadershavetheaudacitytogoandhavesomecoffeeintheWhiteHousewithaTexan,aSoutherncracker—that'sallheis—andthencomeoutandtellyouandmethathe'sgoingtobebetterforusbecause,sincehe'sfromtheSouth,heknowshowtodealwiththeSoutherners.Whatkindoflogicisthat?

LetEastlandbepresident,he'sfromtheSouthtoo.HeshouldbebetterabletodealwiththemthanJohnson.

InthispresentadministrationtheyhaveintheHouseofRepresentatives257Democratstoonly177Republicans.Theycontroltwo-thirdsoftheHousevote.Whycan'ttheypasssomethingthatwillhelpyouandme?

IntheSenate,thereare67senatorswhoareoftheDemocraticParty.Only33ofthemareRepublicans.Why,theDemocratshavegotthegovernmentsewedup,andyou'retheonewhoseweditupforthem.Andwhathavetheygivenyouforit?

Fouryearsinoffice,andjustnowgettingaroundtosomecivil-rightslegislation.Justnow,aftereverythingelseisgone,outoftheway,they'regoingtositdownnowandplaywithyouallsummerlong—thesameoldgiantcongamethattheycallfilibuster.Allthoseareincahootstogether.Don'tyoueverthinkthey'renotincahootstogether,forthemanthatisheadingthecivil-rightsfilibusterisamanfromGeorgianamedRichardRussell.WhenJohnsonbecamepresident,thefirstmanheaskedforwhenhegotbacktoWashington,D.C.,wasDicky—that'showtighttheyare.That'shisboy,that'shispal,that'shisbuddy.Butthey'replayingthatoldcongame.Oneofthemmakesbelievehe'sforyou,andhe'sgotitfixedwheretheotheroneissotightagainstyou,heneverhastokeephispromise.

Soit'stimein1964towakeup.Andwhenyouseethemcomingupwiththatkindofconspiracy,letthemknowyoureyesareopen.Andletthemknowyou—somethingelsethat'swideopentoo.It'sgottobetheballotorthebullet.Theballotorthebullet.Ifyou'reafraidtouseanexpressionlikethat,youshouldgetonoutofthecountry;youshouldgetbackinthecottonpa