Malcolm X: The Ballot Or The Bullet

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Malcolm X was a standout amongst the most dynamic, sensational, and influential figures of the civil rights era. He was known to be a relentless truth-teller, who declared that the civil rights movement was naive in their hopes to receive freedom through non-violence. His tactics have motivated millions of African Americans throughout to fight for their rights, and be proud of the lineage they come fromt . On April 3,1964, in Cleveland, Ohio to the Cory Methodist Church, Malcolm X gave one of the most influential speeches of all time “The Ballot or the Bullet”. “The Ballot of the Bullet” is discussing liberty or death, to either receive their rights or to die trying. This concept of using violence in hopes of progressing socially, was completely …show more content…
Malcolm X is persuading the audience that it is now time to take violence to obtain their rights to vote. His audience has been oppressed for centuries, and he believes that it is time to end this oppression.The intended crowd were African Americans and the government to let it be known that they were now going to take a different approach in receiving their rights. Civil rights were the biggest black issue during the time of “The Ballot or the Bullet”. Blacks were fighting against segregation, racism, and black codes. X wanted the audience to realize the truth about America.He pleads the audience to start taking …show more content…
Other civil rights leaders took a peaceful approach, meanwhile X had a different approach; an approach that I personally live by “By any means necessary”. I believe that Malcolm X’s strategies for equality were brilliant. His “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech empowered African Americans to fight for equal rights and educated them of their imprisonment that the government has locked them in. The speech was more than a self-help and personal message for black people. “The Ballot of the Bullet” speech is argumentally the most prophetic political analysis made by an American citizen. Personally, I believe that Malcolm X uses emotions to effectively to relay the message that it is time to fight for their rights. Shortly after the speech was given, he was assassinated, the Vietnam War escalated, and rioting erupted across America. I agree with X’s approach of “By any means necessary”, for years Blacks had been waiting for their freedom through peaceful nonviolent
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