Speech Analysis Essay on The Ballot or the Bullet

Introduction

"The Ballot or the Bullet" is one of the most empowering speech in American history that was delivered by Malcolm X on 03rd April 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr X was one of the black activists at that time who played an essential role in advocating for the voice of the Blacks in the mid-20th century. The speech came few months after President John K. Kennedy was assassinated. The speech addressed various issues that the Blacks faced. Some of the keys issues that Malcolm X addressed included civil rights, human rights, economic exploitations, religious differences, racial discrimination among others. Mr X tried to offer directions and options to deal with oppression in the hands of the Whites. This paper provides insight into the content of the speech.

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The primary goal for the speech was the call for the Black Nationalism. Malcolm pointed out how countries in Asia and Africa fought against colonialization through nationalism. He explained how nationalism would bring freedom to over 22 million black men who were colonized by the European-Americans for over 400 years. The Whites exploited the Blacks to get votes and leave them out once they were in the office. 1964 people were going to vote, and X wanted the Blacks to elect the right candidates who would address their needs. Brother X reiterated on how the Blacks had experienced political oppression, economic exploitations, and social degradations at the hands of the white men. Therefore, in his speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet," Malcolm X advocated for social, economic as well as racial justice in the system. He acknowledged the differences they had in their religions but voiced the need to put their religious differences in their closets and unite to fight their common enemy (the white exploitation) citing how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr advocated for justice and not his religion. He emphasized on the hindrance religions could cause to their solidarity. Also, "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech criticizes the power of the religion as it had failed to assist the Blacks to fight their oppressors. X proclaimed it was time to stop singing and start swinging. For X the Blacks could swing their way to freedom, but singing would not lead them to that freedom. To him it was liberty or death, that is, either be free or die to try. The enemy to the Blacks were not just the White politicians but also the Blacks who had been paid to support the White politicians. Mr X expresses the need for the Black community to redirect their support for the Black political leaders who had the blacks' interests at their heart. He explained that this would only be possible if the Blacks voted as a united group because the Whites were divided among themselves (the Republicans and the Democrats). When united, the stood a chance to determine who gets elected. Also, he pointed out that despite the Blacks putting the Democrats first, they were put last by the Democrats. He used President Lyndon B, Johnson, as an example that despite being a Democrat, he was a racist and a segregationist.

Economic discrimination was one of the major contributors to the fight towards Black Nationalism in America. "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech showed the need for the Black Nationalism that would develop a sound Black community that relied on its black resources and ensure there is economic growth to overcome manipulation from the Whites. Malcolm offered directions to achieve this objective. He said the Blacks needed to spend their money in the areas they reside, that is, in the black community. If they spent their money outside their communities, those communities become richer as they continued lagging thus being a target for exploitation by the richer communities, the Whites. The Blacks needed to create their stores which would make the whites unable to establish their own and as a result reducing their richness. In his speech, the X does not just advocate for developing small stores for their communities but expand the stores to reach national capacity. National capacity would mean more Blacks being employed by fellow Blacks thus reducing dependence for the oppressors to offer them jobs.

The speech also reflected on how the government and the While liberals failed the people of color. The Blacks, therefore, had themselves to realize their liberty, that is, freedom by own efforts. Brother X championed for the Black progression through self-helped philosophy. He opposed the idea of just sitting and waiting, boycotting and marching around chanting how they were going to overcome without taking wise actions. The Blacks needed to be more aggressive rather than using passive approaches. This was a critique of Dr. King's philosophy. X was never the passive type as he was both liberal and willing to fight. He referred to Mohammad Ali as a good friend. This is to show how he was ready to bring the fight to the doorstep of the whites. Boycotting at their homes would not help because the Whites never came in the poor Black neighborhood except during the election period.

Malcolm X, in his speech, disclosed how the Blacks were victims of the American hypocrisy and they had not benefited from the democracy. X urged for a fight beyond civil rights. Mr X urged the Blacks to fight for human rights. He pointed out his intentions of taking the fight for the civil right to the organizations such as the United Nations to make the world aware of how America was guilty of various genocides that were being carried out on those who advocated for human rights. Throughout the southern states, the Jim Crow laws were enforced while the Ku Klux Klan tortured blacks, and nothing was being done by the government to bring help. He asserted that there had never been a non-violent revolution - a witty critique of Dr. King philosophy again. The fight for racial inequality also dominated Malcolm's speech. The Blacks were referred to as the second-class citizens. A term that X refuted saying what the Whites meant is that they were still slaves to the European-Americans.

Conclusions

Though Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965 due to his stance in politics and difference with his Islam leader, his footprints were felt in the hearts of the blacks. Activists like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr bought many changes in America. The results of such commitments were the expansion of the Civil Rights Act. They led to the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which eliminated the prohibition of voting on literacy tests and many other voting discrimination. Fair Housing Act was also signed and implemented removing discrimination in land sales, renting and financing of properties. Though the fight against racism continued, legal segregation had been addressed in the US.

Work Cited

Malcolm, X. "The Ballot or The Bullet," 03 April 1964, Cleveland: Ohio.