In the public speech “The Ballot or the Bullet” Malcolm X established a more appropriate approach to the struggle for civil rights by African Americans in America .In his speech he emphasizes the African Americans to use whatever means it takes to fight for civil rights and he was in favor of using violet means. Malcom X emphasized the abolition of religious differences and encouraged unity among all black people regardless of their religious affiliation. Malcon X’s approach was more suitable for the struggle against injustices because he emphasized re-education, religious unity and reminded the black population of their true enemy.
The struggle for civil rights by the blacks in America was led by various freedom fighters who had different approaches and theories to the cause. Martin Luther king Jr in his “letter from Birmingham Jail “A response to the critic of his approach by the Alabama Clergymen, emphasized nonviolent action to curb the menace of racial segregation. King justifies the reason for his presence in Birmingham and explains the analysis carried out before action is taken ” In my nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self- purification and direct actions. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham”. King was responding to the criticism by defending the reason for his presence in Birmingham. However, Malcom x had a different approach to the struggle for civil rights based on unification of all black people of different religions and education backgrounds. “But if we keep our religion at home, keep our religion in the closet, keep our religions between ourselves and our God, but when we come here we have a fight that is common to all of us”.
Malcolm X presented the need to eliminate religious differences, stating that it is one path to disunity among black people and a hindrance to the common cause of the struggle against racial segregation. In Malcolm X ‘speech he uses imagery of the boat and the bag to show that all African Americans regardless of their religion they are experiencing the same problems of discrimination, oppression. “We’re all in the same boat. In the same bag”.
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Malcolm x encouraged the black community to develop a good understanding of the political dynamics and gain a considerable level of political maturity capable of aiding the transformation of the black community.” And until we become politically mature, we will always be misled, led astray, or deceived, or maneuvered into supporting someone politically who doesn’t have the good of our community at heart”.
The political climate is misleading to the black people because of lack of basic knowledge to make good political choices. This reduces the voters ability to change the statusquo. The black people must learn to back their own, prioritize those politicians who want good for black community and not those who have the power to convince them.
Malcolm X argues that the black people must gain control over the economic affairs of their community, support their fellow black people’s business as a way of promoting economic prosperity. “The economic philosophy of black nationalism only means that we should own and operate and control the economy of our community”. This is an avenue through which economic liberation of the black community can be obtained. The black population gains strong financial muscle thus transformation of African American livelihood.
In conclusion, Malcolm X’s approach to the civil rights struggle was of great importance especially through sensitization of the black community and uniting the socially segregated races against a common enemy. This approach matters today because unity and re-education have created more awareness of the need for civil rights demand and a continued fight against racial segregation.
References
- King letter from a Birmingham jail
Malcolm X: Ballot or the Bullet 1964 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRNciryImqg
- https://www.studienet.dk/the-ballot-or-the-bullet-malcolm-x/analysis/language/rhetorical-deviceshttps
- https://www.studienet.dk/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream/analysis/language/rhetorical-devices
