malcolm x message to the grass roots.docx

malcolm x message to the grass roots.docx

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malcolmxmessagetothegrassroots

malcolmx:

"messagetothegrassroots"

...andduringthefewmomentsthatwehaveleft,wewanttohavejustanoff-the-cuffchatbetweenyouandme--us.wewanttotalkrightdowntoearthinalanguagethateverybodyherecaneasilyunderstand.weallagreetonight,allofthespeakershaveagreed,thatamericahasaveryseriousproblem.notonlydoesamericahaveaveryseriousproblem,butourpeoplehaveaveryseriousproblem.america'sproblemisus.we'reherproblem.theonlyreasonshehasaproblemisshedoesn'twantushere.andeverytimeyoulookatyourself,beyoublack,brown,red,oryellow--aso-callednegro--yourepresentapersonwhoposessuchaseriousproblemforamericabecauseyou'renotwanted.onceyoufacethisasafact,thenyoucanstartplottingacoursethatwillmakeyouappearintelligent,insteadofunintelligent.

whatyouandineedtodoislearntoforgetourdifferences.whenwecometogether,wedon'tcometogetherasbaptistsormethodists.youdon'tcatchhell'causeyou'reabaptist,andyoudon'tcatchhell'causeyou'reamethodist.youdon'tcatchhell'causeyou'reamethodistorbaptist.youdon'tcatchhellbecauseyou'reademocratorarepublican.youdon'tcatchhellbecauseyou'reamasonoranelk.andyousuredon'tcatchhell'causeyou'reanamerican;'causeifyouwasanamerican,youwouldn'tcatchnohell.youcatchhell'causeyou'reablackman.youcatchhell,allofuscatchhell,forthesamereason.

soweareallblackpeople,so-callednegroes,second-classcitizens,ex-slaves.youarenothingbuta[sic]ex-slave.youdon'tliketobetoldthat.butwhatelseareyou?

youareex-slaves.youdidn'tcomehereonthe"mayflower."youcamehereonaslaveship--inchains,likeahorse,oracow,orachicken.andyouwerebroughtherebythepeoplewhocamehereonthe"mayflower."youwerebroughtherebytheso-calledpilgrims,orfoundingfathers.theyweretheoneswhobroughtyouhere.

wehaveacommonenemy.wehavethisincommon:

wehaveacommonoppressor,acommonexploiter,andacommondiscriminator.butonceweallrealizethatwehavethiscommonenemy,thenweuniteonthebasisofwhatwehaveincommon.andwhatwehaveforemostincommonisthatenemy--thewhiteman.he'sanenemytoallofus.iknowsomeofyouallthinkthatsomeofthemaren'tenemies.timewilltell.

inbandungbackin,ithink,1954,wasthefirstunitymeetingincenturiesofblackpeople.andonceyoustudywhathappenedatthebandungconference,andtheresultsofthebandungconference,itactuallyservesasamodelforthesameprocedureyouandicanusetogetourproblemssolved.atbandungallthenationscametogether.theirweredarknationsfromafricaandasia.someofthemwerebuddhists.someofthemweremuslim.someofthemwerechristians.someofthemwereconfucianists;somewereatheists.despitetheirreligiousdifferences,theycametogether.somewerecommunists;someweresocialists;somewerecapitalists.despitetheireconomicandpoliticaldifferences,theycametogether.allofthemwereblack,brown,red,oryellow.

thenumber-onethingthatwasnotallowedtoattendthebandungconferencewasthewhiteman.hecouldn'tcome.oncetheyexcludedthewhiteman,theyfoundthattheycouldgettogether.oncetheykepthimout,everybodyelsefellrightinandfellinline.thisisthethingthatyouandihavetounderstand.andthesepeoplewhocametogetherdidn'thavenuclearweapons;theydidn'thavejetplanes;theydidn'thavealloftheheavyarmamentsthatthewhitemanhas.buttheyhadunity.

theywereabletosubmergetheirlittlepettydifferencesandagreeononething:

thatthoughoneafricancamefromkenyaandwasbeingcolonizedbytheenglishman,andanotherafricancamefromthecongoandwasbeingcolonizedbythebelgian,andanotherafricancamefromguineaandwasbeingcolonizedbythefrench,andanothercamefromangolaandwasbeingcolonizedbytheportuguese.whentheycametothebandungconference,theylookedattheportuguese,andatthefrenchman,andattheenglishman,andattheother--dutchman--andlearnedorrealizedthattheonethingthatallofthemhadincommon:

theywereallfromeurope,theywerealleuropeans,blond,blue-eyedandwhite-skinned.theybegantorecognizewhotheirenemywas.thesamemanthatwascolonizingourpeopleinkenyawascolonizingourpeopleinthecongo.thesameoneinthecongowascolonizingourpeopleinsouthafrica,andinsouthernrhodesia,andinburma,andinindia,andinafghanistan,andinpakistan.theyrealizedallovertheworldwherethedarkmanwasbeingoppressed,hewasbeingoppressedbythewhiteman;wherethedarkmanwasbeingexploited,hewasbeingexploitedbythewhiteman.sotheygottogetherunderthisbasis--thattheyhadacommonenemy.

andwhenyouandihereindetroitandinmichiganandinamericawhohavebeenawakenedtodaylookaroundus,wetoorealizehereinamericaweallhaveacommonenemy,whetherhe'singeorgiaormichigan,whetherhe'sincaliforniaornewyork.he'sthesameman:

blueeyesandblondhairandpaleskin--sameman.sowhatwehavetodoiswhattheydid.theyagreedtostopquarrelingamongthemselves.anylittlespatthattheyhad,they'dsettleitamongthemselves,gointoahuddle--don'tlettheenemyknowthatyougot[sic]adisagreement.

insteadofusairingourdifferencesinpublic,wehavetorealizewe'reallthesamefamily.andwhenyouhaveafamilysquabble,youdon'tgetoutonthesidewalk.ifyoudo,everybodycallsyouuncouth,unrefined,uncivilized,savage.ifyoudon'tmakeitathome,yousettleitathome;yougetinthecloset--argueitoutbehindcloseddoors.andthenwhenyoucomeoutonthestreet,youposeacommonfront,aunitedfront.andthisiswhatweneedtodointhecommunity,andinthecity,andinthestate.weneedtostopairingourdifferencesinfrontofthewhiteman.putthewhitemanoutofourmeetings,numberone,andthensitdownandtalkshopwitheachother.[that's]allyougottado.

iwouldliketomakeafewcommentsconcerningthedifferencebetweentheblackrevolutionandthenegrorevolution.there'sadifference.aretheyboththesame?

andifthey'renot,whatisthedifference?

whatisthedifferencebetweenablackrevolutionandanegrorevolution?

first,whatisarevolution?

sometimesi'minclinedtobelievethatmanyofourpeopleareusingthisword"revolution"loosely,withouttakingcarefulconsideration[of]whatthiswordactuallymeans,andwhatitshistoriccharacteristicsare.whenyoustudythehistoricnatureofrevolutions,themotiveofarevolution,theobjectiveofarevolution,andtheresultofarevolution,andthemethodsusedinarevolution,youmaychangewords.youmaydeviseanotherprogram.youmaychangeyourgoalandyoumaychangeyourmind.

lookattheamericanrevolutionin1776.thatrevolutionwasforwhat?

forland.whydidtheywantland?

independence.howwasitcarriedout?

bloodshed.numberone,itwasbasedonland,thebasisofindependence.andtheonlywaytheycouldgetitwasbloodshed.thefrenchrevolution--whatwasitbasedon?

theland-lessagainstthelandlord.whatwasitfor?

land.howdidtheygetit?

bloodshed.wasnolovelost;wasnocompromise;wasnonegotiation.i'mtellingyou,youdon'tknowwhatarevolutionis.'causewhenyoufindoutwhatitis,you'llgetbackinthealley;you'llgetoutoftheway.therussianrevolution--whatwasitbasedon?

land.theland-lessagainstthelandlord.howdidtheybringitabout?

bloodshed.youhaven'tgotarevolutionthatdoesn'tinvolvebloodshed.andyou'reafraidtobleed.isaid,you'reafraidtobleed.

[as]longasthewhitemansentyoutokorea,youbled.hesentyoutogermany,youbled.hesentyoutothesouthpacifictofightthejapanese,youbled.youbleedforwhitepeople.butwhenitcomestimetoseeingyourownchurchesbeingbombedandlittleblackgirlsbemurdered,youhaven'tgotnoblood.youbleedwhenthewhitemansaysbleed;youbitewhenthewhitemansaysbite;andyoubarkwhenthewhitemansaysbark.ihatetosaythisaboutus,butit'strue.howareyougoingtobenonviolentinmississippi,asviolentasyouwereinkorea?

howcanyoujustifybeingnonviolentinmississippiandalabama,whenyourchurchesarebeingbombed,andyourlittlegirlsarebeingmurdered,andatthesametimeyou'regoingtoviolentwithhitler,andtojo,andsomebodyelsethatyoudon'tevenknow?

ifviolenceiswronginamerica,violenceiswrongabroad.ifit'swrongtobeviolentdefendingblackwomenandblackchildrenandblackbabiesandblackmen,thenit'swrongforamericatodraftusandmakeusviolentabroadindefenseofher.andifitisrightforamericatodraftus,andteachushowtobeviolentindefenseofher,thenitisrightforyouandmetodowhateverisnecessarytodefendourownpeoplerighthereinthiscountry.

thechineserevolution--theywantedland.theythrewthebritishout,alongwiththeuncletomchinese.yeah,theydid.theysetagoodexample.wheniwasinprison,ireadanarticle--don'tbeshockedwhenisayiwasinprison.you'restillinprison.that'swhatamericameans:

prison.wheniwasinprison,ireadanarticleinlifemagazineshowingalittlechinesegirl,nineyearsold;herfatherwasonhishandsandkneesandshewaspullingthetrigger'causehewasanuncletomchinaman,whentheyhadtherevolutionoverthere,theytookawholegenerationofuncletoms--justwipedthemout.andwithintenyearsthatlittlegirlbecome[sic]afull-grownwoman.nomoretomsinchina.andtodayit'soneofthetoughest,roughest,mostfearedcountriesonthisearth--bythewhitema