Rhetorical Analysis Of The Ballot Or The Bullet. [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. 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. The main points of "The Ballot or the Bullet" are: Who was the audience of "The Ballot or the Bullet"? It was very influential speech that empowered the. [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. Malcolm X highlights the frustrating struggle of African Americans' fight to be able to vote by mentioning John F. Kennedy's desire to force Cuba to have democratic elections. These 22 million victims are waking up. Will you pass the quiz? ", a form of verbal irony generally intened as a witty insult. Originally obtained from. Besides, in Malcolm X biography, I learnt that, an extraordinary person has an extraordinary characteristics. Intentional repitition of the same grammatical structure, which may also include a repeated word or phrase, in the same structural position at least three times in nearby sentences or segments of a sentence. Putting normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases together to generate a new/interseting effect. [15] He said that the people of the developing world were "sitting there waiting to throw their weight on our side" if the fight for civil rights were expanded into a human rights struggle. balanced sentence), comparision of two unlike things using "like" or as", deliberate omission of conjunctions in a series of related clauses, "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. In "The Ballot or the Bullet," Malcolm X clarifies that African Americans have no inherent bias toward the white man; they are "anti-exploitation . I think the title suggests an ultimatum between voting or violence, and one action or the other is to be done depending on how the government will handle the case. Why did Malcolm X deliver "The Ballot or the Bullet"? Civil Rights Activist, Malcolm X, in his speech "The Ballot or The Bullet" addressed the issue that the black community needs to take action about how the government treats them unfairly. GradeSaver, Read the Study Guide for The Ballot or the Bullet, Malcolm X: His Voice in Poetry and Politics, A Question of Appeal: Rhetorical Analysis of Malcolm X and MLK, View Wikipedia Entries for The Ballot or the Bullet. Be perfectly prepared on time with an individual plan. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Emancipation from British Dependence Poem, Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral. The current dispute mandate runs out on 6 May, and so the new ballot will run from 20 March until 9 May. He pointed out that the Supreme Court had outlawed segregation:[14]. Malcolm X was a civil rights leader and part of The Nation of Islam. It outlawed segregation. This guide is based on the latter version of this speech. Well, in this situation, it teaches me that even a legend person like Malcolm X are once easily distorted by the words of the people around him. Zip. Their eyes are coming open. The mood oscillates between despair, anger, and hope. Did Malcolm X believe the Democrats wanted to help African Americans achieve equal rights? Likewise, by stating his continued commitment to Black nationalism, Malcolm reassured his followers that he had not made a complete break with his past. More books than SparkNotes. Although he supported black equality, he attacked the problem unlike others such as Martin Luther King Jr. did. Malcolm X was a civil rights leader before he was assassinated at the age of 40. Gradesaver has a complete summary of "The Ballot of the Bullet" speech readily available in its study guide for this unit. Douglass received an invitation to speak at a Fourth of July celebration in his hometown, and the speech he gave called out the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom as a country while millions of its residents are enslaved. If the black community throws their support behind a single candidate, as they did behind Kennedy, that candidate will win. The bill proposed a ban on discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin in jobs and public accommodations. Some were communists; some, Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a, Thats camouflage, thats trickery, thats, Click here to study/print these flashcards. That old Uncle Tom action is outdated. "They don't have to pass civil rights legislation to make a Polack an American," said Malcolm X "The Ballot or the Bullet," a speech he made on April 3, 1964, in Cleveland, Ohio. The tone is provocative and righteous. Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. That is they have been politically informed then they will recognize that each election will end with the same outcome. In the speech, Malcolm X states, "It isn't that time is running out time has run out." Analyzes how malcolm used parallelism to establish credibility amongst his predominately christian audience by . Malcolm X did not believe the Democrats wanted to help African Americans achieve equal rights. Sit-ins are disempowering because they perpetuate the image of the African-American community as cowardly and weak. 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. The Ballot or the Bullet Literary Elements Genre Political Speech Setting and Context 1964, against a backdrop of segregation and social unrest. When a racial powder keg goes off, it doesn't care who it knocks out of the way. of the users don't pass the Ballot or the Bullet quiz! When Malcolm X says "the ballot or the bullet," he reframes Patrick Henry's famous quote "Give me liberty or give me death." "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. Everything you need for your studies in one place. Analyzes how malcolm x's ballot or bullet speech was highly esteemed, despite dr. martin luther king being a pacifist and civil rights activist. 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. You can't open up a black store in a white community. Separate to the "big" ballot, we are running ballots in the Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and other areas. The most significant modification of Malcolm X's rhetoric that can be observed in "The Ballot or the Bullet" is the broadening of his audience, as he "emphasizes individualized judgement rather than group cohesion"[29] and allows for more analytical "flexibility restrained by a purposive focus on particular goals. (Malcolm X) Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925. . What parts of African American society did Malcolm X want them to control? 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". Insulting his listener is meant to stoke the listeners sense of anger and injustice, and therefore to provoke him into more direct action against white supremacy than the peaceful protests advocated for by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are able to do. Malcolm X's speech "The Ballot or the Bullet" is intended to encourage African Americans to take the Civil Rights Movement forward and become even more determined in actively fighting for their rights. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. intentional balancing clauses within a sentence to create equality of development between ideas (a.k.a. A ballot is like a bullet. [23], But, Malcolm said, there was still time to prevent this situation from developing:[23]. Tone and Mood The tone is provocative and righteous. An old man can sit. 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. Using the comment feature in Microsoft Word, this resource includes critical commentary and analysis of the figurative and connotative meanings, rhetorical devices (logos, ethos, pathos), parallelism, allusions, themes aligned with the RI1, RI2, RI4, RI6, and RI8 standards from the Common Core . Malcolm X, a Muslim, credits Elijah Muhammed, the leader of the Nation of Islam, with making him into the man he is today. Malcolm X maintained his use of repetition as "communications of the passion that is satisfied by a single statement, but that beats through the pulses",[27] and this can be exemplified by his consistent use of the phrase "the ballot or the bullet". The main aim of the speech is to urge African Americans to vote, and if they do not attain equality through voting, they can use violence to fight for their rights. It was very influential speech that . Dixicrats: a southern segregationist faction of the Democratic Party. 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. A march led by the Black Panthers, Wikimedia Commons. parallelism "And until we become politically mature we will always be mislead, lead astray, or deceived or maneuvered into supporting someone politically who doesn't have the good of our community at heart." epistrophe "They don't hang you because you're a Baptist; they hang you 'CAUSE YOU'RE BLACK. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Second-class citizenship, such as is held by the African-American community, is tantamount to 20th-century slavery, says Malcolm. [6], Malcolm also chose not to discuss the religious differences that divide Muslims and Christians, a common theme of his speeches when he was the spokesman for the Nation of Islam. The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcolm X: Rhetorical Analysis If you don't take this stand now your kids will grow up and think "shame" Rhetorical Strategies Malcolm X uses a lot of strong dialect . And this was pointed out by the Supreme Court decision. Because election time is a time where the black community is taken advantage of; Malcolm X addresses the issue about the legislation civil rights with defines the right to guarantee the voting rights to the Negros within the states. On the other hand, "The Ballot or the Bullet" alienated white Americans. He used ethos, pathos, and logos to gain the audience's trust and appeal to them both emotionally and logically, in order to inspire them to fight back. He was also muslim. The title "The Ballot or the Bullet" has an underlining meaning. The white politicians would come into black neighborhoods and push, press, and force it upon blacks to put them in office. Instead, he was going to emphasize the common experience of African Americans of all faiths:[8]. 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. You're nothing but Africans. Rhetorical Analysis Of 'The Ballot Or The Bullet', Civil Rights Activist, Malcolm X, in his speech The Ballot or The Bullet addressed the issue that the black community needs to take action about how the government treats them unfairly. The purpose was to allow black people to realize the events that were happening in their lives. On April 3, 1964, human rights activist Malcolm X gave the speech "The Ballot or the Bullet." The speech was . Let him go in there right now and take a moral stand right now, not later. The Ballot or the Bullet Analysis Jasmine Grant Jackson State University By Any Means Necessary! The social philosophy of black nationalism advocates for reform of the community and reconstruction of it so it is more welcoming:[18]. As one can probably tell from the title, Malcolm X is attempting to convince African American citizens to actively exercise their right to vote. [3][4], On March 8, 1964, Malcolm X announced his separation from the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist religious organization for which he had been the spokesman for nearly a decade. Two thousand people including some of his enemies turned out to hear him speak in Cleveland, Ohio. Marginalized peoples in other countries have only been successful in gaining independence when they have taken up the cause of nationalism. (The Ballot or the Bullet) Definition Parallelism (Repitition) Intentional repitition of the same grammatical structure, which may also include a repeated word or phrase, in the same structural position at least three times in nearby sentences or segments of a sentence. We have to see each other as brothers and sisters. This resource includes the annotated text of Malcolm X's famous "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech. One sentence he said stuck out like a sore thumb. He declares that religion is a personal matter, not a political one. It's either a ballot or a bullet. Some of them were, some were atheists. The mood oscillates between despair, anger, and hope. 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. 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. I'm not here to try and change your religion. [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]. 1964, against a backdrop of segregation and social unrest. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. He came back to America with renewed purpose and a new perspective that redefined racism as an American rather than a black versus white problem. Compared to whom we are now. I'm not here to argue or discuss anything that we differ about,", "I'm not a politician, not even a student of politics; in fact, I'm not a student of much of anything. Malcolm wants the audiences to understand they have the power to change America or still continue to allow the government to control. "The Ballot or the Bullet," a famous civil rights speech delivered by Malcolm X Malcolm X religious beliefs had caused controversy within the Black community. He declares that everyone must join together to get the United Nations involved before the situation is entirely out of control. True or False: Malcolm X appeals to his audience through the use of logic and emotion. in "the Ballot or the Bullet" with Malcom X. what made the speaker qualified to give this speech. Directly or indirectly labeling those against you in a negative way. 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. Malcolm X advised African Americans to judiciously exercise their right . By contrast, Martin Luther King Jr. advocates for an engagement of Civil Disobedience by calling for nonviolent direct action which allows for African Americans to be heard by forcing their, How Does Malcolm X Use Ethos In The Ballot Or The Bullet, The Ballot or the Bullet is a speech delivered by Malcolm X in 1964. Malcolm Xs speech was an effective example of pathetic because he understands the mindset that the audience is in, and knows what to say to excite them about his cause. 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]. The Ballot or the Bullet is a speech delivered by Malcolm X in 1964. The dollar is taken from the African-American community and given to outsiders. At the same time, the speech indicated that Malcolm still supported Black nationalism and self-defense and thus had not made a complete break with his past. THE GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED US and you walkin' around here singing "We Shall Overcome"- THE GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED US. The. . 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. Malcolm X begins "The Ballot or the Bullet" by announcing that he'll explain what he believes the next steps of the Civil Rights Movement should be. In the speech, which was delivered on two occasions the first being April 3, 1964, at the Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio[1] and the second being on April 12th 1964 at the King Solomon Baptist Church, in Detroit, Michigan. [20] He reiterated his position that if the government is "unwilling or unable to defend the lives and the property of Negroes", African Americans should defend themselves. 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