malcolm x the ballot or the bullet.docx

malcolm x the ballot or the bullet.docx

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malcolmxtheballotorthebullet

malcolmx:

"theballotorthebullet"

mr.moderator,brotherlomax,brothersandsisters,friendsandenemies:

ijustcan'tbelieveeveryoneinhereisafriend,andidon'twanttoleaveanybodyout.thequestiontonight,asiunderstandit,is"thenegrorevolt,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,withnothing