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Rhetorical Analysis Of Malcolm X's 'Ballot Or The Bullet'

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The black community is one of the most common minority groups that are impacted by a multitude of injustices; in the speech “Ballot Or The Bullet” Malcolm X speaks on behalf of the political and economic issues that impact everyday lives of African Americans. Malcolm X successfully attempts to persuade his audience to become Black Nationalists, which is a national identity where the ideology is unity and self determination-that is separation or independence (Wikipedia). He persuades his audience to become Black Nationalists by stating that him, along with his audience, are victims of false political promises and creates the antagonist “the white man”. The idea of creating the “white man” antagonist proves that they’re all fighting the same …show more content…

He speaks on behalf of political ties and in order to become a strong black nationalist community they must put aside other differences such as religion and etc. He specifically mentions the disregard of differences on behalf of feuds and wars caused by these differences within political, historic instances that have lead to failure. Throughout Malcolm X’s speech he references world wide politics that have been successfully achieved and can be similarly achieved within the current political revolution he’s attempting to rouse. As he states, “And it will take Black Nationalism - that to bring about the freedom of 22 million Afro-Americans here in this country where we have suffered colonialism for the past 400 years. America is just as much a colonial power as England ever was”. Where he compares America and England to exploit the white man and their power hungry and sadistic ways upon minority groups. That by definition England was known as one of the most controlling governments of all time and how their provinces had the right to gain their independence even though it was through war, where it relates back to the title or choice of Ballot Or The Bullet. In addition, Malcolm X understands and mentions that they may be seen as weak, particularly being part of one of the largest minority groups known today, but they are still capable of overthrowing the white dominant power. He illustrates the concept of the downtrodden individuals in society uprising in success to support his persuasion to use “The Ballot Or The Bullet” where he exclaims, “Up in French Indo-China those little peasants, rice growers took on the might of the French army and ran all the Frenchmen ..”. Where he specifically uses the adjectives

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