"The Ballot or the Bullet" is the title of a public speech by human rights activist Malcolm X. With the help of properly chosen stylistic means, Malcolm X was able to create a powerful speech and become a famous figure in American history. 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. 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 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. The purpose was to allow black people to realize the events that were happening in their lives. "that's what we are -- Africans who are in America. ", "Patrick Henry was a patriot, and George Washington. We ourselves have to lift the level of our community to a higher level, make our own society beautiful so that we will be satisfied in our own circles and won't be running around here try to knock our way into a social circle where we're not wanted. Malcolm X was a fighter for civil rights. The Ballot or the Bullet, Part 2 Summary and Analysis. In these opening paragraphs, Malcolm X calls for increased political participation and awareness in the black community. Have all your study materials in one place. The. 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. of the users don't pass the Ballot or the Bullet quiz! 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. Relying on peaceful protests such as sit-ins castrates the black man, says Malcolm. Create flashcards in notes completely automatically. 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. The Nation of Islam, as led by Elijah Muhammed, forbade its members from participating in political processes. What are the main points of "The Ballot or the Bullet"? Thesis: In The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm X in his telling of his life to Alex Haley uncovers the theme of positive and negative environments unearthed by the interaction of African Americans and White Americans in his life and what those kinds of environments inherently produce. Malcolm X was a civil rights leader and part of The Nation of Islam. Let the world know the hypocrisy that's practiced over here. Putting normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases together to generate a new/interseting effect. A chump can sit. "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech was delivered by Malcolm X on March 3, 1964 at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. False. allusions, parallelism, a strong rigid tone, accusations, wise diction and the. 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. Your vote, your dumb vote, your ignorant vote, your wasted vote put administration in Washington D.C. His repetition of your followed by a negative adjective and vote made his parallel structure apparent he used your to throw shade on african americans and how they complain about our white presidents. Identify your study strength and weaknesses. [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]. His name was Malcolm Little (known as Malcolm X), a widely acknowledged human rights activist. Why did "The Ballot or the Bullet" alienate white Americans? Human rights activist Malcolm X in his speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet" reiterates the injustice in America towards people of color and inspires the black community to use their power in numbers in the election (ballot) or if necessary by force (bullet). True or False: Malcolm X believed African Americans should vote for whoever told them they would give them more rights. Imagine living in a world of segregation - constantly judged by color of ones skin and not being permitted to associate with the superior race. Cone, pp. The bill proposed a ban on discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin in jobs and public accommodations. He accused the Democrats of playing a "political con game", with African Americans as its victims. 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. The major conflict is between African-Americans and white supremacy, concretized in the twin issues of the upcoming election and the ongoing filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The dollar is taken from the African-American community and given to outsiders. This guide is based on the latter version of this speech. Malcolm X delivered "The Ballot or the Bullet" shortly before leaving the United States to travel through North Africa and the Middle East. He notes that politicians are more aware of this fact than African Americans, so they tell African Americans whatever will secure their vote. Some of them were Christians. One sentence he said stuck out like a sore thumb. 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. ", a form of verbal irony generally intened as a witty insult. Create and find flashcards in record time. Let the world know how bloody his hands are. Read this article to know What is Ballad in Literature, characteristics of a ballad, types of ballads, a ballad in literature, ballad literary definition. It outlawed segregation. Publicly, his criticisms of the system fell on mostly deaf ears. The history of America is one of colonialism; Malcolm likens the colonists struggle against the British to that of African-Americans against white supremacy. 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. These cover over 30,000 members. Cleage, brothers and sis "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. Although "The Ballot or the Bullet" advocates self-defense, it discusses non-violent ways of achieving equal rights for African Americans. In "The Ballot or the Bullet," Malcolm X clarifies that African Americans have no inherent bias toward the white man; they are "anti-exploitation . In his, "The Ballot or the Bullet" was a public acknowledgment of. And where you and I are concerned, not only do we lose it when we spend it out of the community, but the white man has got all our stores in the community tied up; so that though we spend it in the community, at sundown the man who runs the store takes it over across town somewhere. An old woman can sit. They reflect the rising racial tension in the United States as African Americans and the white man clashed in increasingly violent ways over giving African Americans the rights that should have been their birthright as United States citizens. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Let it be the ballot or the bullet. [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]. More books than SparkNotes. This resource includes the annotated text of Malcolm X's famous "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech. "The Ballot or the Bullet" served several purposes at a critical point in Malcolm X's life: it was part of his effort to distance himself from the Nation of Islam, and it was intended to reach out to moderate civil rights leaders. 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". Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? 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 . On April 3, 1964 Malcolm X delivered one of the most empowering speeches in American history. 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. Create beautiful notes faster than ever before. 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. In June 1963, President John F. Kennedy sent Congress a civil rights bill. Not affiliated with Harvard College. 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 made a fool out of you. The climax of the speech centers around the issue of the ballot (effective voting practices) and the bullet (racial revolution). He states that African Americans continue to struggle because the Democrats and Republicans work together to deny African Americans their rights. His views in this speech reflect the beliefs he held before completing his Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Antithesis refers to creating contrast between ideas, concepts, or people to maintain the audiences attention and to emphasize an idea thespeakersupports. . The Black Panther Party was organized in 1966 in California to combat police brutality, and it eventually spread to many other parts of the country. 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. Its 100% free. Tone and Mood The tone is provocative and righteous. In what follows, we will look at some of the most important rhetorical devices used by the speaker and how they work with the speech. Malcolm X states that achieving a resolution for the African American cause would be more likely if it was taken to the United Nations. If the black community throws their support behind a single candidate, as they did behind Kennedy, that candidate will win. The media misconstrued Malcolm X's calls for self-defense as calls for violence. 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. He made his "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech during April, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. What does this mean? 11. 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. Let the world know how bloody his [Uncle Sam's] hands are. Selecciona la palabra que no est relacionada. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, and activists like Dennis Peron whose partner died of AIDS in 1990 played key roles in organizing the ballot measure. intentional repetition of 3 or more vowel sounds among nearby words. 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. Provocative and righteous history of America is one of colonialism ; Malcolm likens the colonists struggle against the to. 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