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Malcolm X And The Voting Rights Movement

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The right to vote is one of the most cherished and important rights for each citizenship living in the United States. Unfortunately, throughout our history the right to vote was not the case for African Americas in the early part of the 20th century. African Americans have struggles to gain basic civil rights, such as the right to vote (Bayer). When marchers gathered at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, in the Selma Alabama, on march 7, 1965 to demand voting rights, the nations were forced to acknowledge the depth and breadth of racial discrimination and bigotry that existed in the United States (Bouyer). In in our history voting rights has come a long way in the past years. It has been a climatic battle that has captured and focused …show more content…

He was an apostle of the black nationalism, self-respect and a polarizing figure who understood of what the nation of African Americans were suffering and the injustices. On April 12, 1964, he gave his “Ballot of the Bullet” speech at the King Solomon Baptist church in Detroit. It was a declaration of his black nationalist philosophy. His speech was empowering the black community to fight control of the “white man “by using ballot or the bullet. “The Ballot or the Bullet” became one of the Malcolm X’s most recognizable phrases and the speech was powerful to thousands of African American people. He outlined a new global sensibility in the fight for racial justice. He was known for captivating the idea to expand the freedom struggle from the level of civil rights to the level of human rights. After many years of injustices, the most powerful act to breach the injustice and destroying walls which imprison many African Americans is when President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the signing of the Voting Right Act of 1965. In addition, to the Act passed there was another influential person in our history was Martin Luther King, was one of the most beloved and one of the most hated men in our history. Martin Luther King legacy was very simple, equality and nonviolence. After the passing of the Civil Rights, King turned his focus completely to register all African Americans voters, especially in the South area. King, wrote, spoke and organized nonviolent protest and mass demonstrations to draw attention to racial discrimination and demand civil rights legislations to protect the rights of African Americans. He was a powerful with his movement that inspired many people across the nation. King put so much energy to fight for Civil Rights. In August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., organized a demonstration that drew more than 200,00 people in the

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608 Words | 3 Pages

The Ballot or the Bullet is a speech delivered by Malcolm X in 1964. The main aim of the speech is to urge African Americans to vote, and if they do not attain equality through voting, they can use violence to fight for their rights. The speech is among the top persuasive speeches of the 20th century. It was very influential speech that empowered the black people to fight against the domination of the white man. Malcolm X used the speech to advocate for racial, social and economic justice for all individuals.

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During a tumultuous time in US History, when brave Americans across the country were fighting in the civil rights movement, a leader emerged; Malcolm X, who promoted black empowerment, self-defense, retaliation, and separation over the peaceful protest and integration of other civil rights leaders of his time. During the election year of 1964, on April 3rd, to a crowd of mostly African-Americans, Malcolm X delivered his public speech “The Ballot or the Bullet,” an address focused on the importance of politics and a change in philosophy. Malcolm X, through his passionate rhetoric within “The Ballot or the Bullet,” wishes to persuade African American communities to unify their strength and utilize their voting power in order to lead the black

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The speech I chose to discuss is Malcolm X’s (1964) speech entitled “The Ballot or the Bullet”. The title of the speech is a metaphor that refers to “give me liberty or give me death” a phrase once used by Patrick Henry against the British Empire during the Revolutionary War. X’s general purpose of his speech was to persuade the African American audience to believe in the philosophy of black nationalism and to vote in the upcoming election. White politicians had the tendency to go into African American communities to get their vote and then control these communities without fulfilling promises made to them (X, 1964).

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Significant amounts of people today often do not comprehend how recently African-Americans truly gained the right to vote. About fifty-some years ago, less than one generation, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act; a landmark piece of federal legislation. The Voting Rights Act help African-Americans across the nation to overcome the legal barriers, such as the racially discriminatory Jim Crow Laws, that often prevented them from exercising their right to vote—which is guaranteed under the fifteen amendment, in national, state, and local elections. More specially, from the ratification of the fifteen amendment to the passage and signing of the Voting Rights Act, African-Americans, as well as other minority groups, endure countless

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When WW1 happened it did a lot more than just ruin peoples lives in the countries it was taking place in it, also affected, countries that wars were not in. like women got the right to vote New York city dock workers went on strike in 1918,trolley car operators went on strike in buffalo and machinists’ strike in schenectady. One of the Civil Rights Movement leaders was Malcolm X. He was originally named Malcolm Little

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The speech opened the eyes of many blacks, inspiring a change to begin to occur. Through analogies, metaphors, and a vitriolic and urgent tone, Malcolm X concisely and clearly informs the audience of their mistreatment and encourages them to get their just deserts. X’s intelligence, passion, and oratorical skills helped make “The Ballot or the Bullet” one of the greatest rhetorical acts in black history. This phrase, “The Ballot or the Bullet”, truly defines Malcolm X’s stance on the current treatment of blacks and how he believes a violent response is necessary when all other means of communication are ignored or

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Martin Luther King Jr. changed and greatly transfigured America as we know today. He played the leading role in the American Civil Rights Movement and believed in ensuring equality for all people, regardless of race. King was not afraid stepped out of his traditional bounds of society to gain publicity for his cause. Inspired by peaceful leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Benjamin Franklin, King fought for equality in a peaceful manner such as protest in economically disadvantaged areas and taught Americans to express love and diversity. King slightly reached his goal of having a society where race is not an issue.

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Malcolm X Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omha, NE. African American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam who articulated concepts of race pride and black nationalism in the early 1960s. After his assassination, the widespread distribution of his life story—The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965)—made him an ideological hero, especially among black youth. Malcolm X was one if not the greatest and most influential African American in history because he refuse to be silent on issues affecting African Americans. Malcolm was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks, he was very outspoken and unafraid to speak out.

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On April 12, 1964, a Muslim minister and human rights activist, Malcolm X, delivered his speech "The Ballot or the Bullet. " His speech highlights the importance of African Americans fighting for their electoral rights. Malcolm X emphasizes that "whenever we are ready to cast our ballot, that ballot will be cast for a man of the community, who has the good of the community at heart" (TheNewPress, par 10, 2012) or by "the bullet." He explains the need to improve electoral rights in any way possible, even if that is through violence.

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1024 Words | 5 Pages

He dedicated his life to fighting for equality and justice for all people, regardless of their race. His nonviolent approach to activism and his powerful speeches, like the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, continue to inspire generations. King's impact can be seen in the significant strides made in civil rights legislation, as well as the ongoing pursuit of social justice. His legacy serves as a reminder that individuals can make a profound difference in the world through their passion, dedication, and unwavering belief in equality. I hope you now see what kind of a man Martin Luther King Jr. was and his impact on the world today.

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As the United States was being built as a country many years ago, specifically during the Reconstruction era, African Americans in the South were given the right to vote while they were constantly strayed away from voting. For many years the right to vote was not given to all American citizens. In 1870 the 15th Amendment was ratified so that the right to vote for any American citizen should not be denied or abridged. Although this amendment was put in place many times African Americans strayed away from voting due to poll taxes, literacy tests and other things that easily discouraged them. Not until 1965 was the “Voting Rights of 1965” established, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which prohibited the racial discrimination of voting.

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He had inspired many citizens who wanted peace in the nation and to stop racism around the world. He had severed jail time many times for what he believed in. Everything he had believed in and fought to stop segregation end. Shortly, in 1968 Martin Luther King Jr had been assassinated. Even though Dr. King has passed his legacy still lives on and many still partake in making the world a better place.

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1016 Words | 5 Pages

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is known for his strategy of nonviolent civil disobedience, which he used to advance the civil rights of black Americans who had been treated as second-class citizens for more than a century. King was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He was a man that persuaded people worldwide to follow him during the Civil Rights Movement. King was a very passionate, caring man. A great leader that pushed and motivated blacks to achieve equal rights for all.

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841 Words | 4 Pages

Malcolm X was an American Muslim leader who contributed to the Civil Rights Movement by spreading his ideas of black nationalism in the 1950s and early ’60s. He was an influential figure in a black Islamic organization, Nation of Islam, and served as a spokesperson for the organization. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965 while making a speech in Harlem. After his death, his life story was made well-known through his autobiography, The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) (Mamiya 1). Malcolm X is a man whose background and activism contributed to the Civil Rights Movement and America as a whole.

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The Voting Rights Act of 1965 The Fifteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution states that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude” (qtd. in “Voting Rights for”). This amendment passed in 1870 allowed for every U.S. citizen to have the right to vote, however, inequality among groups of people has been a pressing issue in the United States for numerous centuries. From the influx of native Africans during the slave trade to the Americas in the 1700s, African Americans have endured extreme amounts of discrimination and oppression.

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