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Malcolm X Bullet

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“Let it be the ballot or the bullet. Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet.” (X). What inspired Malcolm X to deliver a dignifying speech about discrimination? There were many hardships in Malcolm X’s life from personal to historical events that led to his speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet”, delivered on April third, 1964 to address all African-Americans to take action through either the ballot or the bullet with his use of emotional appeals, parallelisms, and diction. However, there were many ambivalent responses following the controversial speech, but the effects it has on today’s society is undeniably notable.
Malcolm X’s brutal childhood influenced him to become a significant activist in the Civil Rights Movement and his passion for equality. According to “Say It Plain, Say It Loud - American RadioWorks”, after Malcolm X’s family …show more content…

history especially with his message of ‘nonviolence and violence, integration and separatism, pragmatism and revolution.’ (Raymond). In contrast to the white men who viewed Malcolm X as a ‘tragic victim’, Raymond viewed Malcolm X as one of the most influential people because of his speech in dealing with violence versus nonviolence. According to X, “It's time now for you and me to… 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.” The ideals and values Malcolm X expressed serve as a foundation for many people to admire especially his nonviolence and violence by the ballot or the bullet. The repetition of ‘the ballot or the bullet’ is key to emphasize the significance of the message Malcolm X wanted to convey, it is either equality through the ballots or it is inequality through the bullets. The impact and the influence of “The Ballot or the Bullet” on today’s society are absolutely notable due to its

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