Rhetoric and Research Portfolio

A Rhetorical Analysis

Cherie Henry

Northwest University

March 11, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis of “The Ballot or the Bullet” by Malcolm X

Malcolm X was a civil rights activist. He is popular for his contribution toward fighting for civil rights in the 1960s. Malcolm X was particularly famous for his influential speeches. One of his highly esteemed speeches is “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech. The speech was influenced within the historical context of the period between 1960s and 1970s which was rife with racial segregation and racism. Black Americans and other minorities were not allowed equal rights as Whites. The speech was given after the famous speech by Dr. Martin Luther King” I Have a Dream.” However, unlike other activists like Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X was tyrannical (Andrews, 2017). Malcolm X advocated and incited blacks to violent resistance unlike Luther’s call for nonviolence. Malcolm perpetuated that a mad scientist created the white race. In other words, he advocated for violence rather than facing issues amicably. In this regard, Malcolm X as the spokesman for the Nation of Islam had a violent agenda against white Americans and Christianity and always preached on black supremacy. The United States politics are majorly controlled by two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. During Malcolm X’s era, the Democrats were in control of both houses, House of Representatives and the House of Senate. As a result, both Houses were reluctant toward providing civil rights to minority groups. The aim of Malcolm X’s speech was to convince African Americans to protest usually with violence against the injustices of the American government such as segregation. The “Ballot or the Bullet” speech is considered as one the most dynamic speeches made by Malcolm X in his career as an activist because it highlighted critical arguments which provided more clarity on the relationship between blacks and whites in America.

Malcolm X, in his speech, uses “hunkies” and ‘Pollack’s.” As aforementioned, during this period, the Whites perceived themselves to be superior thus disregarding Blacks. Some of these words used in the speech were derogatory against the Whites. In the speech, he seems to continuously repeat these malicious phrases. These are words and their repetition are key in delivering the message to his fellow men. The words and phrases are used to express a sense of hate for the Whites and courage for the Blacks to fight the Whites. The Whites during this period had diffused the perception that they are superior, such as living in better neighborhoods, attending better schools and better voting rights. Basically; the words are used to instill a sense of fearlessness amongst the audience to take up arms against the government for their rights and freedoms. This strategy is very effective in his speech for various reasons. One shows that the speaker is aware of the situation. Malcolm X knows that the larger system was unfair to blacks in terms of access to wealth and resources as compared to Whites.

In addition, Malcolm X use of slippery slope works quite perfectly amongst the audience. The style is used to enlighten the black race of the need for equality. Malcolm X presents a unique analogy in the speech where he addresses the aspect of patterns and change. From a psychological perspective, Malcolm X tells the audience that when you change the philosophy several things are likely to change. The first thing that is likely to change is the pattern. The Whites had humiliated the Blacks for a long period of time which to some extent had created a pattern of fear. Malcolm X asserted within the speech that there is a need to change the philosophy because it will eventually lead to a change of attitude. Malcolm X communicates the importance and the need for equality (Andrews, 2017. To Malcolm X, when there is inequality of wealth, the minority suffer because they cannot access justice, education, jobs, and health care all which are attached to the American Dream.

Malcolm X use of anaphora is seen at the beginning of his speech such as the statement, “I am a Muslim minister. The same as they are Christian Ministers, I’m Muslim minister. And I don’t believe in fighting today on any one front, but on all fronts”. Malcolm X, first, clarifies something concerning himself. He makes it clear that he still a Muslim and that he was not there to address the audience about religion. He also makes it clear that he was not there to try and change anyone’s religion. However, his main objective of the speech was to address African American problems and why they need to unite against one common enemy. He stated that it was the high time they viewed themselves as one and fight for their freedom. Black Americans were suffering from the same problems, thus the need to unite. Malcolm X uses this approach to capture the attention of the audience. He states very clearly irrespective of region and other aspects they were facing the same challenges. This approach works well amongst the audience in the sense that it eliminates any forms that could have been motivated by religion regarding Christianity and Islam.

Going through the speech, the tone of the speech is quite unique. Every word and phrase in the speech is meaningful and purposed to send the message of Black Nationalism through voting and community organization. It is no doubt that this is one of the most memorable speeches in history. The speech is delivered in totality. Malcolm X delivers the speech depicting various emotions such as anger and seriousness. This is critical because based on the setting of the speech the blacks were going through a very tough time of segregation and mistreatment. His totality of the speech helps in causing the audience also to immerse them in the situation. His emotions send a sense of urgency for the African Americans to unite and fight for their rights. This also enables the audience to have an impression of the problems that existed in society.

Repetition is key when delivering a speech. Repetition enables the audience to relate to the context of the situation. As stated, every word and phrase and analogies used in the speech are so memorable. Malcolm X employs the use of repetition throughout the speech. Basically, repetition leaves a lasting impression of the audience. Some of these phrases that date back in history include, “So we’re trapped, trapped, double –trapped, triple-trapped,” but interestingly they are so memorable and indulging. Use of repetition in the speech would help people to reflect upon the speaker’s point of view. As mentioned earlier use of repetition is also utilized when Malcolm X uses the words “hunkies” and “blue-eyed things,” to describe the Whites even though these words were derogatory during the time. Malcolm X’s use of repetition, tone variation, analogy and malicious words makes the speech fit to its context quite perfectly. The speech is one the most studied speeches in history by scholars of the American public address due to its uniqueness and mode of delivery which aptly depicts the speaker’s vehemence against the authorities and passion for his people.

References

Social Justice Speeches. (n.d.). The Ballot or the Bullet. Retrieved from http://www.edchange.rg/multiculturalspeeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html

Andrews, K. (2017). Beyond Pan-Africanism: Garveyism, Malcolm X and the end of the colonial nation state. Third World Quarterly, 38(11), 2501-2516.