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). X’s purpose is to awaken the black community to their potential to put an end to discrimination in the 1964 election. He develops an informal yet forceful tone in order to convey his message in a way that is understandable for the audience while he stresses that the colored communities aren’t true Americans for they don’t possess the rights of an American citizen including the right to vote, and utilizes pathos to further connect and inspire his audience.
X delivers his speech with personal …show more content…
To inspire his audience, X uses comments like , “If you and I were Americans, there'd be no problem”(X). Bluntly stating that the black community is not truly part of America is a strategic yet risky choice. This angers the audience and provokes their feelings of nationalism which is needed in anti-segregation causes. Though it can be helpful, too much anger leads to violence, pain and creates the potential of more hate and stereotypes of brutality and craze. This is supported when X states, “Take an uncompromising stand, [but] don't go out and get violent” acknowledging the risks that come with his call to action. Nationalism is also expressed when X declares, “I'm one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism.” Because America is a very nationalistic country, this inspires the audience to take action, angering them just enough to give them the extra push to making a difference for themselves. Using strong words like ‘victim’ and pairing it with staggering statistics, X emphasizes the magnitude of the cause and as said above, as well as the degree at which the black community needs to fight back. Malcolm X’s use of nationalism is most effective because it calls for the black community of America to be their own person and group and use their ballot in the 1964 election to benefit their community. X urges his audience to continue
X delivers his speech with personal …show more content…
To inspire his audience, X uses comments like , “If you and I were Americans, there'd be no problem”(X). Bluntly stating that the black community is not truly part of America is a strategic yet risky choice. This angers the audience and provokes their feelings of nationalism which is needed in anti-segregation causes. Though it can be helpful, too much anger leads to violence, pain and creates the potential of more hate and stereotypes of brutality and craze. This is supported when X states, “Take an uncompromising stand, [but] don't go out and get violent” acknowledging the risks that come with his call to action. Nationalism is also expressed when X declares, “I'm one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism.” Because America is a very nationalistic country, this inspires the audience to take action, angering them just enough to give them the extra push to making a difference for themselves. Using strong words like ‘victim’ and pairing it with staggering statistics, X emphasizes the magnitude of the cause and as said above, as well as the degree at which the black community needs to fight back. Malcolm X’s use of nationalism is most effective because it calls for the black community of America to be their own person and group and use their ballot in the 1964 election to benefit their community. X urges his audience to continue