28 pages • 56 minutes read
Malcolm XThe Ballot or the Bullet
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1964A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
How do Malcolm X’s arguments for black nationalism, particularly his presentation of it as a “do-it-yourself philosophy,” relate to the ideas of previous black separatist leaders like Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey? In what ways does Malcolm’s philosophy about black nationalism expand beyond his predecessors’ ideas?
In his speech, Malcolm X discusses a number of problems which remain relevant in the United States. Which of his concerns remain today? How do these issues continue to deprive certain groups of civil rights and voting rights?
Malcolm X compares the situation of black Americans to that of the colonized in Africa and Asia. Do you agree with this comparison? If so, in what ways are their conditions similar? If you disagree, explain why the circumstances are not comparable.
In 1966, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) leader Stokely Carmichael and the Black Panther Party took on a philosophy of black militancy. The latter set up free clinics and school breakfast programs in their communities. How were these organizations influenced by Malcolm X’s ideas about self-sufficiency and black nationalism?
At one point in his speech, Malcolm X criticizes some members of his audience by saying that some of them believe that they arrived in the United States on the Mayflower. What does he mean by this? How might this thinly veiled criticism relate to his more obvious criticism of the mainstream civil rights movement?
Malcolm X’s language markedly contrasts from that of his contemporary Martin Luther King, Jr., both in its aim and its delivery. In many instances, Malcolm X uses language that is grammatically incorrect and colloquial. Does this language undermine or improve the effectiveness of his message? Explain.
