April 12, 1964, Malcolm X delivered, in Detroit, one of the most important speeches in the history of the Civil Rights Movement, “The Ballot or the Bullet.”
The title alludes to an article written by Frederick Douglass over a hundred years before, also called “The Ballot or the Bullet.” They both openly confront racism, enslavement and argue that either people of color will have the vote, the power to take control of their communities or violence will prevail.
Malcolm had broken with the Nation of Islam a month before and was attempting to create two new organizations designed to engage the civil rights movement. He was about to travel to Africa to consult with leaders who had already largely defeated the colonialists. He was different. He was expanding. He spoke differently. His political views were changing. What transformed him was not always clear but transformed he was.
Malcolm saw more clearly by 1964 how structural racism held the nation – black and white – by its throat. He now conceived of the world more globally, understanding that blacks were part not of a minority but a worldwide majority, a majority that faced similar problems of economic and political disenfranchisement. And he had matured into a highly skilled and profound leader who disavowed even his own racism. While perhaps once understandable, he realized that racism made him no different than those he opposed.
For the full article, see Ron Manuto and Sean Patrick O’Rourke, “Ballot or the bullet, 50 years later”, Detroit News, April 10, 2014.