A fight for civil rights was a domestic matter, and "no one from the outside world can speak out in your behalf as long as your struggle is a civil-rights struggle". Malcolm X states that, since 1964 was an election year, it was the year for African Americans to stand up and show the United States government they would no longer wait for the rights they deserve. He made his The Ballot or the Bullet speech during April, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. Sit-ins are disempowering because they perpetuate the image of the African-American community as cowardly and weak. Malcolm X is the protagonist. Malcolm X's "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech was a powerful call to action for African Americans to take a more militant approach to the civil rights movement. In 1964, it's the ballot or the bullet. The bill proposed a ban on discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin in jobs and public accommodations. What does this mean? 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. "The Ballot or the Bullet" was delivered at a church in Cleveland, Ohio, to a crowd that included African Americans and white Americans. Understand this, it's dangerous. "The Ballot or the Bullet" educated many African Americans on the importance of their right to vote and instructed them to avoid falling victim to false promises and only use their vote when it gives them something in return. the democrats were in control of the house of representatives and the senate. He contrasted civil rights, which he described as "asking Uncle Sam to treat you right", to human rights, which he called "your God-given rights" and "the rights that are recognized by all nations of this earth". In addition, Malcolm X intended his characteristic use of language and imagery to disguise his conceptions of society and history[28] in new ways to put issues into his perspective for his audience and inspire activism. Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes. Work Cited "Malcolm X: The Ballot or the Bullet." American Public Media . 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. In the speech The Ballot or the Bullet Malcolm X utilizes antithesis, allusion, and metaphors in order to convince his audience to take a stand against segregation whether peacefully, if possible, and if not, by force. 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. Lyndon B. Johnson is the head of the Democratic Party. In America at the time The Ballot or the Bullet was given, segregation was still occurring. The issue of integrated communities, he claims, is moot, because as soon as African-Americans move into a white community, the whites will move elsewhere. 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. Rhetorical devices in The Ballot or the Bullet [ 2] 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. 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. 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. Malcolm X wa the leading black figure in the American Civil Rights movement advocating for a stronger even violent response to White American apathy of black rights. . resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. ", "Patrick Henry was a patriot, and George Washington. ", "They've become dissatisfied, and all of this has built up frustrations in the black community that makes the black community throughout America today more explosive than all of the atomic bombs the Russians can ever invent", "Whenever you got a racial powder keg sitting in your lap, you're in more trouble than if you had an atomic powder keg sitting in your lap. Deliberate use of many conjunctions for special emphasis. The media misconstrued Malcolm X's calls for self-defense as calls for violence. For instance he describes the African population in America as "Africans who are in America." . 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. Our faith is sure, our resolve is firm, and our union is strong. If the word is correct, write C./ Correct the word in italics. It was very influential speech that empowered the. Although he supported black equality, he attacked the problem unlike others such as Martin Luther King Jr. did. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Nothing but Africans." Gradesaver has a complete summary of "The Ballot of the Bullet" speech readily available in its study guide for this unit. The Question and Answer section for The Ballot or the Bullet is a great Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet.. He declares himself to be a black nationalist freedom fighter.. He explains that he does not subscribe to either the Democratic or the Republican party, because he considers himself a victim of Americas so-called democracy. For African-Americans, there is no American dream, only an American nightmare. This resource includes the annotated text of Malcolm X's famous "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech. 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. Because of this, Malcolm X believes all African Americans must join together to bypass the United States government and take their grievances to the United Nations as a human rights rather than civil rights issue. Malcolm speaks from a personal perspective. Malcolm X juxtaposes black nationalism with the non-violent philosophy of advocates like Martin Luther King Jr., who favor peaceful protest, which Malcolm denounces as passive. Malcolm asserts that African Americans have earned their rights because they've secured massive wealth for the United States by working for free as enslaved people. Everything you need for your studies in one place. Have all your study materials in one place. . In The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcom X, Malcolm X advocates African Americans to take matters into their own hands by either casting their ballot to determine whos going to sit in the White House and whos going to be in the dog house (Malcom X 2). More books than SparkNotes. You don't throw your ballots until you see a target, and if that target is not within your reach, keep your ballot in your pocket. Did Malcolm X believe the Democrats wanted to help African Americans achieve equal rights? If he waits too long he will be responsible for letting a condition develop in this country which will create a climate that will bring seeds up out of the ground with vegetation on the end of them looking like something these people never dreamed of. Religious differences, he worries, might hinder solidarity in the African-American community. . Malcolm X delivered a powerful speech on April 3, 1964 at the Congress of Racial Equality in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 text shown above is just an extract. 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. ", "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. I'm not here to try and change your religion. [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. They attack all of us for the SAME reason; all of us catch hell from the SAME enemy. I'm nonviolent with those who are nonviolent with me. X's purpose is to awaken the black . (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. In the speech "The Ballot or the Bullet" Malcolm X utilizes antithesis, allusion, and metaphors in order to convince his audience to take a stand against segregation whether peacefully, if possible, and if not, by force. He points out that if the government can't bring whoever killed "four little girls while they were praying" to justice, then it is either unwilling to help them or entirely incapable. Let it be the ballot or the bullet. 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. Let him go in there right now and take a moral stand right now, not later. Not affiliated with Harvard College. 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. 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. [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. He was also muslim. In response to Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Malcolm X delivered a speech entitled "The Ballot or the Bullet". Analyzes how malcolm x's ballot or bullet speech was highly esteemed, despite dr. martin luther king being a pacifist and civil rights activist. anti-degradation . In this first section of the speech, Malcolm relies on appealing to the pride of the African-American community, particularly through language centering on the emasculation of black peoples and the necessity of relying on brute force over peaceful protest. Malcolm X was no banal man he was a extravagant civil rights speaker, he showed the truth on how coming together can put the end to African American indifference. Rhetorical Analysis Of The Ballot Or The Bullet. "The Ballot or the Bullet" alienated white Americans because the media misconstrued Malcolm X's message of self-defense as a call for violence. If gaming the political system doesnt work, he recommends African-Americans turn to outright revolution. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is listed as one of the most important speeches Malcolm X ever gave because: One of them makes believe he's for you, and he's got it fixed where the other one is so tight against you, he never has to keep his promise. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is a speech made by Malcolm X in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 3, 1964. Zip. What do we care about odds? Antithesis refers to creating contrast between ideas, concepts, or people to maintain the audiences attention and to emphasize an idea thespeakersupports. A coward can sit. Due to the lack of government the dichotomy between african americans and the white men was still a major problem ; as African americans needed to put and end to the separation and earn civil rights. He made a fool out of you. 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. Everything that came out of Europe, every blue-eyed thing, is already an American. On April 3, 1964 Malcolm X delivered one of the most empowering speeches in American history. can't bring whoever killed "four little girls while they were praying" to justice, then it is either unwilling to help them or entirely incapable. He made you think you were going somewhere and you end up going nowhere but between Lincoln and Washington. Will you pass the quiz? Let the world know how bloody his [Uncle Sam's] hands are. Malcolm X is the minister of Muslim Mosque Incorporated, just like Martin Luther King and Adam Clayton Powell are both Christian ministers. $4.00. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. Likewise, by stating his continued commitment to Black nationalism, Malcolm reassured his followers that he had not made a complete break with his past. We have to see each other with new eyes. Black people in America came together to receive motivation to fight for equality.In this speech Malcolm X inspires black people to take a stance and fight for their civil rights. Summary of Malcolm X's "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech. It took decades for the men involved to be prosecuted as FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, prevented their prosecution in 1968. The repetition of the phrase the ballot or the bullet shows how that community of people feel about change. [23], But, Malcolm said, there was still time to prevent this situation from developing:[23]. What is Malcolm X's rhetorical strategy in 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 . 5- Parallelism: Wrapping Up. 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. Its 100% free. The current dispute mandate runs out on 6 May, and so the new ballot will run from 20 March until 9 May. 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. The mood oscillates between despair, anger, and hope. [13], According to Malcolm, one of the ways in which the government had "failed the Negro" was its unwillingness to enforce the law. The Question and Answer section for The Ballot or the Bullet is a great ", "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. Through repetition of inflammatory phrases and accusatory diction both which create appeals to anger, Malcolm X effectively persuades his audience during The Ballot Or The Bullet.. Lerne mit deinen Freunden und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persnlichen Lernstatistiken. Hoover, prevented their prosecution in 1968 Hoover, prevented their prosecution in.... 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