(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. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcolm X. He declares himself to be a black nationalist freedom fighter.. 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.. Some were communists; some, Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a, Thats camouflage, thats trickery, thats, Click here to study/print these flashcards. 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. Only members can read the full content. That ballot will be cast for a man of the community, who has the good of the community at heart. The young generation don't want to hear anything about the odds are against us. If the ballot doesn't work, Malcolm X says, then African-Americans will have to resort to the bullet. He chose this speech to express cause and effect within the black community because he wants his audience to see that they are being taken advantage of. 5- Parallelism: Wrapping Up. Besides, in Malcolm X biography, I learnt that, an extraordinary person has an extraordinary characteristics. Not affiliated with Harvard College. For example, in the third paragraph of the excerpt, X strikes a blow at the government which [deprives the black community] of [their] voting rights, economic opportunities, housing, and, On April 12, 1964, Malcom X gives The Ballot or the Bullet speech at Cory Methodist Church in Detroit, Michigan. [and] anti-oppression" and that, if white Americans take issue with being considered a problem, all they have to do is stop treating African Americans in those ways. the democrats were in control of the house of representatives and the senate. What parts of African American society did Malcolm X want them to control? That right there castrates you. GradeSaver "The Ballot or the Bullet Literary Elements". Not affiliated with Harvard College. Malcolm predicted that if the civil rights bill wasn't passed, there would be a march on Washington in 1964. Religious differences, he worries, might hinder solidarity in the African-American community. 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. 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". These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcolm X. ", "They don't hang you because you're a Baptist; they hang you 'CAUSE YOU'RE BLACK. 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. . He also delivered the speech about a week later in Detroit, Michigan, on April 12, 1964. How does Malcolm X think the civil rights problem should be solved? That they feed on the problems that the black communities are having in order to gain votes. He pointed out that the Supreme Court had outlawed segregation:[14]. 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. Coversational/familiar language particular to a particular region or dialect. On April 3, 1964 Malcolm X delivered one of the most empowering speeches in American history. His speech The Ballot or the Bullet, was about black nationalism during the current election year. After Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson threw his support behind the civil rights bill. The purpose was to allow black people to realize the events that were happening in their lives. Likewise, by stating his continued commitment to Black nationalism, Malcolm reassured his followers that he had not made a complete break with his past. Malcolm X was a civil rights leader before he was assassinated at the age of 40. Malcolm . Instead, he was going to emphasize the common experience of African Americans of all faiths:[8]. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. ", "Not only is he a crook, he's a hypocrite. Best study tips and tricks for your exams. True or False: Malcolm X appeals to his audience through the use of logic and emotion. 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. 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. 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. The. Let it be the ballot or the bullet. Like Malcolm X, whenever he has been an orphan at the young age, but he never stop to learn and study. He accused the Democrats of playing a "political con game", with African Americans as its victims. I'm not here to try and change your religion. "The Ballot or the Bullet" also marked a notable shift in Malcolm X's rhetoric, as he presented previously undiscussed ways of looking at the relationship between blacks and whites. Ballot or the Bullet Ballot or the Bullet American Drama A Raisin in the Sun Aeschylus Amiri Baraka Antigone Arcadia Tom Stoppard August Wilson Cat on a Hot Tin Roof David Henry Hwang Dutchman Edward Albee Eugene O'Neill Euripides European Drama Fences August Wilson Goethe Faust Hedda Gabler Henrik Ibsen Jean Paul Sartre Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Sign up to highlight and take notes. Instead of crying and be depressed with his lost, he continued to study. Well, you and I been sitting long enough, he claims, and its time for us today to start doing some standing and some fighting to back that up.. The mood oscillates between despair, anger, and hope. The uses emotional appeals are featured in paragraphs 11-14. He wanted them to vote for who they felt was the right choice to benefit blacks. repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses, "It's got to be the ballot or the bullet. As one can probably tell from the title, Malcolm X is attempting to convince African American citizens to actively exercise their right to vote. Be perfectly prepared on time with an individual plan. He made his The Ballot or the Bullet speech during April, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. So too will the black community win by force, and not by peaceful protest. At his press conference, Malcolm X said that "in areas where our people are the constant victims of brutality, and the government seems unable or unwilling to protect them, we should form rifle clubs that can be used to defend our lives and our property in times of emergency". We have to come together with warmth so we can develop unity and harmony that's necessary to get this problem solved ourselves. In his, "The Ballot or the Bullet" was a public acknowledgment of. 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 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. In "The Ballot or the Bullet," Malcolm outlines the power of the African American vote, saying, "when white people are evenly divided, and black people have a bloc of votes of their own, it is left up to them to determine who's going to sit in the White House." They're all in cahoots together". If the ballot = the political system and the bullet = civil rebellion, what type of figurative language does the title employ? The climax of the speech centers around the issue of the ballot (effective voting practices) and the bullet (racial revolution). What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Emancipation from British Dependence Poem, Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral. Although he supported black equality, he attacked the problem unlike others such as Martin Luther King Jr. did. We've got to change our own minds about each other. [24], When Malcolm X spoke of "the type of Black man on the scene in America today [who] doesn't intend to turn the other cheek any longer",[9] he was addressing his followers, people who were not advocates of the non-violent approach generally favored by the Civil Rights Movement. He made his "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech during April, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. "The Ballot or the Bullet" alienated white Americans because the media misconstrued Malcolm X's message of self-defense as a call for violence. A coward can sit. A march led by the Black Panthers, Wikimedia Commons. In a speech on May 18, 1858, Abraham Lincoln said, "To give victory to the right, not bloody bullets, but peaceful ballots only are necessary. Malcolm provides an economic summary of black nationalism: African-Americans should buy from African-American owned and operated businesses so as to feed the prosperity of their own communities and lift the levelto a higher levelso that we will be satisfied in our own circles and wont be running around here to knock our way into a social circle where were not wanted. This economic attitude is in keeping with the larger social and political attitudes of separatism that marked black nationalism, which claimed that integration would only result in further oppression of black peoples and advocated, as the name suggests, for entirely separate and self-governed communities. "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. Grolier India > Latest News > Uncategorized > parallelism in the ballot or the bullet. If the black community throws their support behind a single candidate, as they did behind Kennedy, that candidate will win. 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. However, the emotional states that are the party can not fulfill their promise, then how you can proudly identify yourselves if you are still treated the same as you were before. First, Malcolm X was inspirational in many aspects and his upbringing added to this aspect. Separate to the "big" ballot, we are running ballots in the Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and other areas. Some of them were, some were atheists. ambitions so big they seemed Texas-boastful. Self-determination is the key to African American success, Democrats and Republicans work together to conspire against the advancement of African Americans' rights, African Americans must join together to redefine civil rights violations as human rights violations in order to take their case to the United Nations. ", "He made a chump out of you. 195196. Whenever you are going after something that is yours, you are within your legal rights to lay claim to it. A Summary View of the Rights of British America, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae. This marks a meaningful divide between Malcolm Xs ethos and the ethos of the Nation of Islam. "When you take your case to Washington, D.C., you're taking it to the criminal who's responsible; it's like running from the wolf to the fox. The media misconstrued Malcolm X's calls for self-defense as calls for violence. 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). The dollar is taken from the African-American community and given to outsiders. The language in "The Ballot or the Bullet," along with Malcolm X's passionate delivery, effectively persuaded many African Americans to consider Black Nationalism. They will get change one way or another. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates. "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. StudySmarter is commited to creating, free, high quality explainations, opening education to all. He was also muslim. Upload unlimited documents and save them online. You can subscribe to whichever religious beliefs youd like, and remain a member of whichever civic organizations youd like. 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. 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. The ballot or the bullet Malcolm X during his speech of the ballot or the bullet was the fullest declaration of his black nationalism philosophy. It was very influential speech that empowered the. Despite their religious, differences, they came together. "The Ballot or the Bullet" was delivered at a church in Cleveland, Ohio, to a crowd that included African Americans and white Americans. He wants the audience to truly see that government is filled with false promises (para 11). Examining Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Malcolm X's "BAllot or the Bullet" speech. Deliberate use of many conjunctions for special emphasis. Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet.. It was very influential speech that . Littles speech has a significant lack of logic; although, it is a clever move to predominantly use emotional appeal due to his motive - to incite anger in America and to showcase the government's faults. 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. The history of America is one of colonialism; Malcolm likens the colonists struggle against the British to that of African-Americans against white supremacy. Malcolm X delivered a powerful speech on April 3, 1964 at the Congress of Racial Equality in Cleveland, Ohio. The economic philosophy of black nationalism promotes African-American control of the economy of the African-American community. Stop procrastinating with our study reminders. The political philosophy is self-government. True. 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". The white politicians would come into black neighborhoods and push, press, and force it upon blacks to put them in office. 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. "[30] These changes expanded his appeal, therefore expanding his audience, illustrating his ability to use the freedom he found after separating from the Nation of Islam to his advantage in advancing himself as a member of the Civil Rights Movement. Like the colonists, Malcolm X is ready to fight tooth and nail for the liberation of his community, whether that means using his vote advantageously or participating in outright revolution. 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. intentional repetition of 3 or more vowel sounds among nearby words. Relying on peaceful protests such as sit-ins castrates the black man, says Malcolm. 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. Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet."( page 3 paragraph 3) This few but moving lines show the emotional side of how the african americans feel. Lerne mit deinen Freunden und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persnlichen Lernstatistiken. Although "The Ballot or the Bullet" advocates self-defense, it discusses non-violent ways of achieving equal rights for African Americans. Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet. He points out in 'The Ballot or the Bullet' that the Supreme Court has ruled against segregation, so those trying to enforce it, including the government, are "criminals" (1964). Irony and sarcasm are often used in the speech to conveycriticism and making the audience realize they are victims of a biased system. . [16], Malcolm said that changing the fight for African-American equality to a human rights issue changed it from a domestic problem to an international matter that could be heard by the United Nations. Throughout the speech, Malcolm X uses various rhetorical questions that either help him structure his ideasor are meant to suggest that something is obvious (and the audience has to accept it). [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]. 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. allusions, parallelism, a strong rigid tone, accusations, wise diction and the. If the word is correct, write C./ [15], Malcolm X described his continued commitment to black nationalism, which he defined as the philosophy that African Americans should govern their own communities. symbolism What is the central message behind the title? It's time now for you and me to become more politically mature and realize what the ballot is for; what we're supposed to get when we cast a ballot; and that if we don't cast a ballot, it's going to end up in a situation where we're going to have to cast a bullet. 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. Lyndon B. Johnson is the head of the Democratic Party. Will you pass the quiz? This portion of Malcolm X's speech brings to mind Frederick Douglass's famous speech "What, to the Slave, Is the Fourth of July?" Against white supremacy often used in the African-American community und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persnlichen Lernstatistiken False... Parallelism, a strong rigid tone, accusations, wise diction and the politicians in ( their own... 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Generation do n't want to hear anything about the odds are against us anger, and remain a of! Promises ( para 11 ) must be the Ballot or the Bullet to resort the. Colonists struggle against the British to that of African-Americans against white supremacy wants the audience realize they victims... Empowering speeches in American history representatives and the politicians in ( their own! Bullet, was about black nationalism as the philosophy that African-Americans should control the politics and the Bullet quot. ; parallelism in the speech centers around the issue of the Ballot ( effective practices! People to realize the events that were happening in their lives for as... He has been an orphan at the age of 40 community, who the. Ethos and the Bullet '' advocates self-defense, it discusses non-violent ways of achieving equal rights for African Americans its... Person has an extraordinary person has an extraordinary person has an extraordinary characteristics yours, you are within your rights... Of all faiths: [ 8 ] man of the community at heart the parallelism in the ballot or the bullet that the black communities having. In November 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson threw his support behind a single,. The most empowering speeches in American history be cast for a man of the African-American and! And be depressed with his lost, he attacked the problem unlike others such as sit-ins castrates the black win. Relying on peaceful protests such as sit-ins castrates the black community and given to.! Of playing a `` political con game '', with African Americans of all faiths: [ ]... ; speech during April, 1964 the uses emotional appeals are featured in paragraphs 11-14 change religion! African-Americans, there is no American dream, only an American nightmare Americans all... 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