The Ballot or the bullet Malcolm X Cory Methodist Church Cleveland, Ohio April 3, 1964 Garret Feucht COM 250 - Prof. Heins 10/29/15 Garret Feucht COM 250 - Prof. Heins 10/29/15 (Daniels, 2014) The Ballot or the Bullet is the title of one of the many speeches given by human rights activist Malcolm X. Malcolm X uses strong diction along with parallelism in this speech to emphasize the problem of racial inequality in America. Putting normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases together to generate a new/interseting effect. How does he use his beliefs to persuade a mixed audience about the importance of voting to African Americans? He made a fool out of you. The white politicians would come into black neighborhoods and push, press, and force it upon blacks to put them in office. 5- Parallelism: Wrapping Up. Their eyes are coming open. That they feed on the problems that the black communities are having in order to gain votes. 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. Sign up to highlight and take notes. The black man is not born free, he is born in jail, victim of structural oppression and to the hypocrisy of a government that claims to represent the interests of all Americans. He uses "if-then" statements in "The Ballot or the Bullet" to organize his reasoning, such as when he states, "[i]f birth made you an American, [then] you wouldn't need any legislation." 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. . Its 100% free. Malcolm X is speaking to his intended audience, which is the black community, about taking action for the Black Nationalist movement, and he also addresses his unintended audience, which is the white community and the United States government, in order to show that he is serious about the revolution and they need to act or violence, The question of the bullet or the ballot is a central component of the Civil Rights movement because it demonstrated how African Americans needed to take actions, whether it be through voting in the 1964 election or taking up arms, to defend and express their equality against those who are oppressing them. In The Ballot or the Bullet, Malcolm X advocates for racial, economic, and social justice through the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, more black voting control, and more black local control through any means possible, including violence and the threat of it. 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. Malcolm X: ( 06:52) The economic philosophy of Black Nationalism only means that we should own, and operate, and control the economy of our community. GradeSaver "The Ballot or the Bullet Literary Elements". [25], One biographer notes that Malcolm was one of the first African-American leaders to note the existence and growing influence of Black nationalism among young civil rights activists.[26]. Rhetorical devices in The Ballot or the Bullet [ 0] Rhetorical devices To build a more compelling case against white Americans and the political class, meant to inspire the audience to fight for their rights with any means, the speaker uses a series of language tools called rhetorical devices. A coward can sit. Post navigation . Malcolm X frequently uses provocative language to incite anger in his audience, as is evident in his accusation that the white man has made a fool out of you. Here, he is utilizing the rhetorical device of pathos, or appealing to the audiences emotions, to his advantage. Though he holds different religious beliefs from King and Powell, all three men are united by their prodigious work as civil rights advocates. "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? We've got to change our own minds about each other. Rhetorical Analysis Of 'The Ballot Or The Bullet'. This portion of Malcolm X's speech brings to mind Frederick Douglass's famous speech "What, to the Slave, Is the Fourth of July?" an ideology that African Americans should separate from white America and form their own institutions. "my community with their false promises, building up our hopes for a letdown, with their, "As they nourish these dissatisfactions, it can only lead to one thing, an, It has talked and talked and talked the words of freedom, but it. 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. . An old woman can sit. On April 3, 1964 Malcolm X delivered one of the most empowering speeches in American history. Malcolm uses emotions because he wants the audience to feel the events in America especially when it comes the time to vote. He made you think you were going somewhere and you end up going nowhere but between Lincoln and Washington. Summary of Malcolm X's "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech. Malcolm X is the protagonist. It's time now for you and me to become more politically mature and realize what the ballot is for; what we're supposed to get when we cast a ballot; and that if we don't cast a ballot, it's going to end up in a situation where we're going to have to cast a bullet. At numerous times throughout the speech, Malcolm X recounts founding father Patrick Henry's famous quote, "Give me liberty, or give me death," when he tells African Americans the time has come to choose between "the ballot or the bullet.". was the black mans vote that put the present administration in Washington, D.C. It's time for us to submerge our differences and realize that it is best for us to first see that we have the same problem, a common problem a problem that will make you catch hell whether you're a Baptist, or a Methodist, or a Muslim, or a nationalist. Malcolm . 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. Malcolm described how potent a weapon the ballot could be, if it was exercised with care:[12]. . The mood oscillates between despair, anger, and hope. Malcolm X delivered "The Ballot or the Bullet" shortly before leaving the United States to travel through North Africa and the Middle East. Malcolm X said 1964 was an important year for African Americans because it was an election year, which gave African Americans the opportunity to demand results from the government. White men won't even patronize you. This guide is based on the latter version of this speech. From slavery to discrimination, African-Americans experienced this horror in daily life since the beginning of their existence. [13], According to Malcolm, one of the ways in which the government had "failed the Negro" was its unwillingness to enforce the law. In one of many clever turns of phrase, Malcolm employs both humor and repetition to rename the situation facing African-Americans as an American nightmare.. "The Ballot or the Bullet" has several purposes, a well-defined audience, and several rhetorical devices like logos. Malcolm X defines black nationalism as the philosophy that African-Americans should control the politics and the politicians in (their) own community. Economically, it means frequenting African-American owned and operated businesses, whose profit will feed back into the black community and strengthen it. The tone is provocative and righteous. 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. Right there it brings you down. 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. 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. He appeals to the crowd's sense of pride, telling them that their children won't respect them if they don't take a stand against the white man. [17], Malcolm said that the philosophy of Black nationalism was being taught in the major civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, CORE, and SNCC. The local governments of the African-American communities should be managed by African Americans. African Americans should be "re-educated into the science of politics" in order to understand the importance and effect of the vote they cast:[12]. [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]. Malcolm X advised African Americans to judiciously exercise their right . "The Ballot or the Bullet" is the title of a public speech by human rights activist Malcolm X.In the speech, which was delivered on two occasions the first being April 3, 1964, at the Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio and the second being on April 12th 1964 at the King Solomon Baptist Church, in Detroit, Michigan. He acknowledges that they black people have the power to determine who is in office and who is not. Separate to the "big" ballot, we are running ballots in the Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and other areas. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring! The purpose was to allow black people to realize the events that were happening in their lives. In a speech on May 18, 1858, Abraham Lincoln said, "To give victory to the right, not bloody bullets, but peaceful ballots only are necessary. Everything south of the Canadian border is the South, he jokes. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcolm X. It took decades for the men involved to be prosecuted as FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, prevented their prosecution in 1968. This government has failed the Negro". He also delivered the speech about a week later in Detroit, Michigan, on April 12, 1964. More books than SparkNotes. 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. Malcolm X was a civil rights leader and part of The Nation of Islam. . Malcolm X addressed the issue of "rifles and shotguns", a controversy that had dogged him since his March 8 announcement that he had left the Nation of Islam. [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]. You can subscribe to whichever religious beliefs youd like, and remain a member of whichever civic organizations youd like. The text shown above is just an extract. intentional omission of a word or words that are readily implied by the context, intentional unconventional rearranging of word order to create an effect, create, study and share online flash cards, "realize that it is best for us to first see that we have the same problem, a common. ", "As they nourish these dissatisfactions, it can only lead to one thing, an explosion;", extreme exaggeration of something that in reality may be quite logical to prove a point, "If the late President Kennedy could get together with Khrushchev and exchange some wheat, we certainly have more in common with each other than Kennedy and Khrushchev had with each other. "The Ballot or the Bullet" opens by addressing the differences in religious beliefs that divide the African-American community. Analyzes how malcolm x's ballot or bullet speech was highly esteemed, despite dr. martin luther king being a pacifist and civil rights activist. A chump can sit. It was very influential speech that . 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". The main points of "The Ballot or the Bullet" are: Who was the audience of "The Ballot or the Bullet"? "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech was delivered by Malcolm X on March 3, 1964 at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. Earlier in the year, Malcolm X, once an outspoken follower of Elijah Muhammed, declared his separation from the Nation of Islam and realigned himself with the civil rights movement. He gave this speech on April third in order to talk about both the election and how African-American people should proceed in order to benefit from the election. 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. [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 says he and other African Americans are not really Americans because they have to fight for the same rights others are given by birth. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is a speech that Malcolm X first delivered at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 3, 1964. In this speech, Malcolm stresses the need for the population of African American voters to increase in order to fight for equality. On April 3, 1964, human rights activist Malcolm X gave the speech "The Ballot or the Bullet." The speech was . When a racial powder keg goes off, it doesn't care who it knocks out of the way. More books than SparkNotes. Black Nationalism: an ideology that African Americans should separate from white America and form their own institutions. Words: 732 - Pages: 3 Premium Essay Malcolm X's The Ballot Or The Bullet . By the same token, the time when that same white man, knowing that your eyes are too far open, can send another negro into the community and get you and me to support him so he can use him to lead us astray- those days are long gone too. So too will the black community win by force, and not by peaceful protest. In April 1964, in the midst of a 54 day Senate filibuster of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, Malcolm X gave his famous speech, The Ballot or the Bullet. The history of America is one of colonialism; Malcolm likens the colonists struggle against the British to that of African-Americans against white supremacy. He thought Democrats and Republicans worked together to deny African Americans their rights. [2] Malcolm X advised African Americans to judiciously exercise their right to vote, but he cautioned that if the government continued to prevent African Americans from attaining full equality, it might be necessary for them to take up arms. Instead of promoting peace to solve problems, Malcolm X used violence when necessary to get his points across to his audience. He emphasizes that the Negro vote is the key factor (para 12) that it is the only reason why they Democratic Party is a part of the government. Ballot or the Bullet Ballot or the Bullet American Drama A Raisin in the Sun Aeschylus Amiri Baraka Antigone Arcadia Tom Stoppard August Wilson Cat on a Hot Tin Roof David Henry Hwang Dutchman Edward Albee Eugene O'Neill Euripides European Drama Fences August Wilson Goethe Faust Hedda Gabler Henrik Ibsen Jean Paul Sartre Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "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. The tone of "The Ballot or the Bullet" is both urgent and angry. He declares that religion is a personal matter, not a political one. Correct the word in italics. The repetition of the phrase the ballot or the bullet shows how that community of people feel about change. However, he clarifies that they have yet to see the America dream but only to experience the American nightmare (para 11). Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair were killed when a bomb detonated in Birmingham, Alabama, in the 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963. First he says, It. Underline the word in parentheses that correctly completes the sentence. Read this article to know What is Ballad in Literature, characteristics of a ballad, types of ballads, a ballad in literature, ballad literary definition. If the ballot = the political system and the bullet = civil rebellion, what type of figurative language does the title employ? Also, his teachings were able to connect to a wide audience and allow them to even set aside their differences to focus on the information Malcolm talks about. 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. Malcolm X uses rhetorical techniques to persuade his audience to push for equality between races. Narrator and Point of View Malcolm X narrates the speech from a first-person point of view. He pointed out that the Supreme Court had outlawed segregation:[14]. The Ballot or the Bullet Literary Elements Genre Political Speech Setting and Context 1964, against a backdrop of segregation and social unrest. In doing so, the African-American community loses money and becomes poorer while the community the dollar was given to gains money and becomes richer. 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