The Ballot or the Bullet.docx

The Ballot or the Bullet.docx

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TheBallotortheBullet

TheBallotortheBullet

MalcolmX:

"TheBallotortheBullet"

（Photonottakenonthisoccasion）

[AUTHENTICITYCERTIFIED:

Textversionbelowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio.]

Mr.Moderator,ReverendCleage,BrotherLomax,brothersandsisters,andfriendsandIseesomeenemies.Infact,Ithinkwe’dbefoolingourselvesifwehadanaudiencethislargeanddidn’trealizethatthereweresomeenemiespresent.

Thisafternoonwewanttotalkabouttheballotorthebullet.Theballotorthebulletexplainsitself.Butbeforewegetintoit,sincethisistheyearoftheballotorthebullet,Iwouldliketoclarifysomethingsthatrefertomepersonally--concerningmyownpersonalposition.

I'mstillaMuslim.Thatis,myreligionisstillIslam.MyreligionisstillIslam.IstillcreditMr.MohammedforwhatIknowandwhatIam.He’stheonewhoopenedmyeyes.Atpresent,I'mtheMinisterofthenewlyfoundedMuslimMosque,IncorporatedwhichhasitsofficesintheTeresaHotel,rightintheheartofHarlem--that’stheblackbeltinNewYorkcity.AndwhenwerealizethatAdamClaytonPowellisaChristianminister,he’sthe--heheadsAbyssinianBaptistChurch,butatthesametime,he’smorefamousforhispoliticalstruggling.

AndDr.KingisaChristianMinister,inAtlanta–orfromAtlantaGeorgia--orinAtlanta,Georgia,buthe’sbecomemorefamousforbeinginvolvedinthecivilrightsstruggle.There’sanotherinNewYork,ReverendGalamison--Idon’tknowifyou’veheardofhimouthere–he’saChristianMinisterfromBrooklyn,buthasbecomefamousforhisfightagainstasegregatedschoolsysteminBrooklyn.ReverendClee,righthere,isaChristianMinister,hereinDetroit.He’stheheadofthe“FreedomNowParty.”

AlloftheseareChristianMinisters--AlloftheseareChristianMinisters,buttheydon’tcometousasChristianMinisters.Theycometousasfightersinsomeothercategory.

I’maMuslimminister--thesameastheyareChristianMinisters--I’maMuslimminister.AndIdon’tbelieveinfightingtodayinanyonefront,butonallfronts.

Infact,I’mablackNationalistFreedomFighter.

Islamismyreligion,butIbelievemyreligionismypersonalbusiness.Itgovernsmypersonallife,mypersonalmorals.AndmyreligiousphilosophyispersonalbetweenmeandtheGodinwhomIbelieve;justasthereligiousphilosophyoftheseothersisbetweenthemandtheGodinwhomtheybelieve.

Andthisisbestthisway.Werewetocomeoutherediscussingreligion,we’dhavetoomanydifferencesfromtheoutstartandwecouldnevergettogether.Sotoday,thoughIslamismyreligiousphilosophy,mypolitical,economic,andsocialphilosophyisBlackNationalism.YouandI--AsIsay,ifwebringupreligionwe’llhavedifferences;we’llhavearguments;andwe’llneverbeabletogettogether.Butifwekeepourreligionathome,keepourreligioninthecloset,keepourreligionbetweenourselvesandourGod,butwhenwecomeouthere,wehaveafightthat’scommontoallofusagainsta[sic]enemywhoiscommontoallofus.

ThepoliticalphilosophyofBlackNationalismonlymeansthattheblackmanshouldcontrolthepoliticsandthepoliticiansinhisowncommunity.The--Thetime--Thetimewhenwhitepeoplecancomeinourcommunityandgetustovoteforthemsothattheycanbeourpoliticalleadersandtelluswhattodoandwhatnottodoislonggone.

Bythesametoken,thetimewhenthatsamewhiteman,knowingthatyoureyesaretoofaropen,cansendanothernegrointothecommunityandgetyouandmetosupporthimsohecanusehimtoleadusastray--thosedaysarelonggonetoo.

ThepoliticalphilosophyofBlackNationalismonlymeansthatifyouandIaregoingtoliveinaBlackcommunity--andthat’swherewe’regoingtolive,causeassoonasyoumoveintooneoftheir--soonasyoumoveoutoftheBlackcommunityintotheircommunity,it’smixedforaperiodoftime,butthey’regoneandyou’rerightthereallbyyourself again.

Wemust--Wemustunderstandthepoliticsofourcommunityandwemustknowwhatpoliticsissupposedtoproduce.Wemustknowwhatpartpoliticsplayinourlives.Anduntilwebecomepoliticallymaturewewillalwaysbemislead,leadastray,ordeceivedormaneuveredintosupportingsomeonepoliticallywhodoesn’thavethegoodofourcommunityatheart.

SothepoliticalphilosophyofBlackNationalismonlymeansthatwewillhavetocarryonaprogram,apoliticalprogram,ofre-educationtoopenourpeopleseyes,makeusbecomemorepoliticallyconscious,politicallymature,andthenwewill--wheneverwegetreadytocastourballotthatballot,willbecastforamanofthecommunitywhohasthegoodofthecommunityofheart.

TheeconomicphilosophyofBlackNationalismonlymeansthatweshouldownandoperateandcontroltheeconomyofourcommunity.Youwouldn