Malcolm X Rhetorical Devices

“We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary.” This famous quote was spoken by African-American Muslim and human rights activist Malcolm X in June of 1964. At this period of time America was going through the era of segregation and the civil rights movement so leaders like Malcolm X wished to bring blacks together to form strong organizations for change. Throughout the speech Malcolm attempts to engage his listeners to his ideas and explain the creation of an organization to increase Black Nationalism.

The first device that Malcolm x uses to make his claim that “blacks need to exercise their voting right in either a peaceful or violent manner”, is by using emotional appeals. One example of this is when he states “The year when all of the white political crooks will be right back in your and my community with their false promises, building up our hopes for a letdown, with their trickery and their treachery, with their false promises

April 3, 1964, Malcolm X gives his well renowned speech; The Ballot or the Bullet in Cleveland Ohio. His purpose behind the speech is to encourage African-Americans of the United States to stand up to the unfair treatment that he believes they receive. Throughout the speech, Malcolm X creates an ambition in the audience, encouraging change through the numerous uses of ethos, logos, and pathos. Malcolm X uses his personal experiences to show the audience that he has experienced the same negativity that they do everyday. X suggests everyone should be treated equally; religion, gender and race aside. His audience was made up of a majority of African-Americans, he uses the common ground of wanting to achieve equal treatment to show his audience he is on the same side as them. Through the organization of the speech, it is rhetorically effective. He practices the phrase “The Ballot or the Bullet” which uses repetition, forcing listeners to remember the phrase which later becomes more effective. X begins using ethos by introducing himself, immediately gaining the attention of the audience as well as respect of the audience. X then makes the current problem in the African-American community extremely clear to the audience, this is his use of pathos, where he engages them in his thought process and bringing them in using emotion. The speech uses rhetoric to emotionally and logically

- [ ] Malcolm X believed that if all the other races came together in unity, they could stop the oppression of the white man and as well to bring awareness to the oppression that many face

Throughout his life Malcolm X faced oppression from white people. From having his family’s house burned by the KKK, to having his father killed by a white supremacy group and leaving his mother destroyed, Malcolm had a deep sense of hatred towards white people in America. This resulted in Malcolm developing this philosophy that black people should in no way accept the help of white people. While he was in prison learning about the nation of Islam, his views on “white” America grew strong. Leading to his advocacy to Pan-Africanism. Malcolm shares in the book, “that freedom, independence and self-respect could never be achieved by the Negro in America, and that therefore the Negro should leave America to the white man and return to his African land of origin.” He simply believed that unless black people create a black nation, blacks in America could never be economically stable due to the discrimination they will continuously face. Later on in the book, he contradicts himself after his trip to Mecca and changes his views. Neglecting his past belief of Pan-Africanism, Malcolm came to the realization that blacks in America could be successful with the participation of whites fighting alongside them for equal rights. This came to be as a result of Malcolm witnessing race problems from different perspective around the

In this he reaches out to all backgrounds and religions to try and unite them in the common cause. Claiming that they have all suffered in this together. And that to be aware that it is election year and that the white man will smile at you most when he needs you and look down upon you when he doesn’t. This speech resonated because I could not help but think of this year. 2016 is an election year. Yes we have come a long way but not as far as we had hoped. We are still facing the race debate. And many of the battles and obstacles that Malcom X faced then, are still being faced

Unlike King, Malcolm X encouraged his followers to rebel against whites. Malcolm X, for the most part, believed that non-violence and integration was a trick by the whites to keep African Americans oppressed. “Don’t you run around here trying to make friends with somebody who’s depriving you of your rights” (X 1964). He was furious at white racism and encouraged his followers through his speeches to rise up and protest against their white enemies. “They’re not your friends, no, they are your enemy. Treat them like that and fight them”(X 1964). He encouraged African Americans to stand up against the white America that oppressed them.

While advocating for racial justice as a minister of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X claims that blacks must separate from their corrupt society and squarely blames the white man for the plight of blacks. The

Reading stimulates your mind, reduces stress, expands your vocabulary, and also gives you knowledge. Books are literary works that can inspire change, not only personally but also socially and politically. The Autobiography of Malcolm X is an example of one of those books which sparked a movement. The Black Arts Movement empowered black people to create their own literature and art and was triggered by the assassination of Malcolm X. His book, written by him and Alex Haley, was widely read and influenced the movement and views on racial issues at that time. Part of the reason why this book is so influential is the literary devices it uses. The Autobiography of Malcolm X utilizes tone, symbolism, and metaphors to connect with the audience and

After reading an excerpt of “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” and Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, I felt that both men were conveying their alarm for equality for the African-American race. Malcolm and Martin had already experienced the atrocities that extreme racism brought on to their families. Martin projects a peacemaking, and more rational demeanor Malcolm showed a more radical, controversial, and an unwavering unwillingness position on compromise. The characteristic of standing up for what he or she believes in is one influence that these men have on my life.

        People often refer to Malcolm’s use of terms such as the “white devil” and his overall tone as a reason for him not being the visionary that Martin Luther King was. Martin Luther King is known for teaching in a very non-violent manner in which he avoided labeling others (Litwack, pg 8). Martin Luther King certainly deserves admiration for the manner in which he got things accomplished but that shouldn’t warrant any discredit aimed at Malcolm X. Malcolm uses a very aggressive tone because he wanted to get a reaction from his audience. For Malcolm, It was absolutely imperitive that his audience realize the severity and consequences of this election year. He uses this insistent tone when he

To begin, Malcolm X’s speech detailing his his political views on black nationalism, the hypocrisy of the United States, as well as the radical steps needed to be taken by the black community to achieve equal rights, is laden with elevated language in order to create an ethical appeal to the audience. For example, Malcolm X states that “The political philosophy of black nationalism only means that the black man should control the politics and the politicians in his own community” (par 2). The use of the elevated language, such as “philosophy” and “nationalism”, sophisticates the speech altogether, which successfully reflects the professional tone used by Malcolm X, as well as the seriousness of the matter; which, in turn, strengthens the overall argument being made. Moreover, through Malcolm X’s sophistication of language, and thus the speech, it

Malcolm X puts a great emphasis on the debates which have lingered for some decades over certain topics, such as freedom, equality, justice. Through debate experience, Malcolm hones skills he would use later in formal debates with other civil and human rights activities. Those skills are successfully utilized in public speaking occasions and were considered the central foundation of Malcolm X's rhetorical

It is a strong, unique argument and call to arms against any government which unjustly governs its law-abiding citizens. II. Research Question: How does an individual, in this case - Malcolm X, incite a people to rise against their government, particularly through violent means? III. Artifact Description: This speech, entitled "The Ballot or the Bullet", was given by Malcolm X; the speech itself was performed several times, however the analysis of this paper is based upon the delivery on 3, April 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Malcolm was explaining to the people he’s Religion and he was saying that his beliefs are not different then the other ministers believe. He was also told about what he was going to do is the same think about what other ministers doing. So he was saying that do not look for me like a Muslim man, but look to me as a one of you. He was explaining that I am a black man and am going to fight for freedom. I believe in action, self-difference and am going to do anything that is needed. He was not there to discuss the difference, but we need to understand our self and submerge our differences because we have some problem no matter your belief we all have shared same problem, and we all same situation. we do not have any bower and we are poverty everything is in the white man’s hand.