In these speeches, consider that King says “1963 is not an end, but a beginning,” while Malcolm X states in his 1964 speech that
it could be “the year of the ballot or the bullet.” Although Malcolm X and King are leaders of the civil rights movement, how are their purposes and points of view different?
King’s speech is from the point of view of a fellow African American who seeks civil rights and will not rest until the African American community achieves equal rights in the United States, but only through nonviolent methods. He states that African Americans will keep striving for freedom, but at the same time, he encourages the African American community to not indulge in any wrong or violent deeds. Malcolm X also attempts to encourage the African American community to revolt against destructive inequality, but he advocates using force and violence when necessary. His words “the ballot or the bullet” are meant to serve as an ultimatum to the government. If African Americans are not allowed to vote, then they may turn to violence to achieve their goals.
King’s speech is from the point of view of a fellow African American who seeks civil rights and will not rest until the African American community achieves equal rights in the United States, but only through nonviolent methods. He states that African Americans will keep striving for freedom, but at the same time, he encourages the African American community to not indulge in any wrong or violent deeds. Malcolm X also attempts to encourage the African American community to revolt against destructive inequality, but he advocates using force and violence when necessary. His words “the ballot or the bullet” are meant to serve as an ultimatum to the government. If African Americans are not allowed to vote, then they may turn to violence to achieve their goals.
