malcolm x-.docx

malcolmx-MalcolmX:quot;MessageToThmalcolmx:messagetothegrassroots.andduringthefewmomentsthatwehaveleft,wewanttohavejustanoff-the-cuffchatbetweenyouandmeus.wewanttotalkrightdowntoearthinalanguagethateverybodyherecaneasilyunderstand.Weal1agreetonight,allofthespeakershaveagreed,thatamericahasaveryseriousproblem,notonlydoesamericahaveaveryseriousproblem,butourpeoplehaveaveryseriousproblem,americasproblemisus.Wereherproblem,theonlyreasonshehasaproblemisshedoesntwantushere,andeverytimeyoulookatyourself,beyoublack,brown,red,oryellow-aso-callednegro-yourepresentapersonwhoposessuchaseriousproblemforamericabecauseyourenotwanted,onceyoufacethisasafact,thenyoucanstartplottingacoursethatwi11makeyouappearintelligent,insteadofunintelligent.whatyouandineedtodoislearntoforgetourdifferences.whenwecometogether,Wedontcometogetherasbaptistsormethodists,youdontcatchhellcauseyoureabaptist,andyoudontcatchhellcauseyoureamethodist,youdontcatchhellcauseyoureamethodistorbaptist,youdontcatchhel1becauseyoureademocratorarepublican,youdontcatchhel1becauseyoureamasonoranelk.andyousuredontcatchhellcauseyoureanamerican;causeifyouwasanamerican,youwou1dntcatchnohell,youcatchhellcauseyoureablackman.youcatchhell,allofuscatchhell,forthesamereason.soweareallblackpeople,so-callednegroes,second-classcitizens,ex-slaves,youarenothingbutasicex-slave,youdontliketobetoldthat,butwhatelseareyou?youareex-slaves,youdidntcomehereonthemayflower.youcamehereonas1avcship-inchains,likeahorse,oracow,orachicken,andyouwerebroughtherebythepeoplewhocamehereonthemayflower.youwerebroughtherebytheso-calledpiIgrims,orfoundingfathers,theyweretheoneswhobroughtyouhere,wehaveacommonenemy,wehavethisincommon:wehaveacommonoppressor,acommonexploiter,andacommondiscriminator,butonceweallrealizethatwehavethiscommonenemy,thenwcuniteonthebasisofwhatwehaveincommon,andwhatwehaveforemostincommonisthatenemy-thewhiteman.hesanenemytoallofus.iknowsomeofyoual1thinkthatsomeofthemarentenemies,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.hecouIdntcome,oncetheyexcludedthewhiteman,theyfoundthattheycouldgettogether.oncetheykepthimout,everybodyelsefellrightinandfellinline,thisisthethingthatyouandihavetounderstand,andthesepeoplewhocametogetherdidnthavenuclearweapons;theydidnthavejetplanes：theydidnthavealloftheheavyarmamentsthatthewhitemanhas.buttheyhadunity.theywereabletosubmergetheirlittlepettydifferencesandagreeononething:thatthoughoneafricancamefromkenyaandwasbeingcolonizedbytheengIishman,andanotherafricancamefromthecongoandwasbeingcolonizedbythebelgian,andanotherafricancamefromguineaandwasbeingcolonizedbythefrench,andanothercamefromangolaandwasbeingcolonizedbythePortuguese,whentheycametothebandungconference,theylookedatthePortuguese,andatthefrenchman,andattheenglishman,andattheother-dutchman-andlearnedorrealizedthattheonethingthatal1ofthemhadincommon:theywerea1fromeurope,theywerealleuropeans,blond,blue-eyedandwhite-skinned,theybegantorccognizewhotheirenemywas.thesamemanthatwascolonizingourpeopleinkenyawascolonizingourpeopleinthecongo.thesameoneinthecongowascolonizingourpeopleinsouthafrica,andinsouthernrhodesia,andinburma,andinindia,andinafghanistan,andinPakistan,theyrealizedallovertheworldwherethedarkmanwasbeingoppressed,hewasbeingoppressedbythewhiteman:wherethedarkmanwasbeingexploited,hewasbeingexploitedbythewhiteman.sotheygottogetherunderthisbasis-thattheyhadacommonenemy.andwhenyouandihereindetroitandinmichiganandinamericawhohavebeenawakenedtodaylookaroundus,wetoorealizehereinamericaweal1haveacommonenemy,whetherhesingeorgiaormichigan,whetherheSincaliforniaornewyork.hesthesameman:blueeyesandblondhairandpaleskin-sameman.sowhatwehavetodoiswhattheydid.theyagreedtostopquarrelingamongthemselves.any1ittlespalthattheyhad,theydsettleitamongthemselves,gointoahuddle-dontlettheenemyknowthatyougotsicadisagreement.insteadofusairingourdifferencesinpublic,wehavetorealizewereallthesamefamily,andwhenyouhaveafamilysquabble,youdontgetoutonthesidewalk,ifyoudo,everybodycallsyouuncouth,unrefined,uncivi1ized,savage.ifyoudontmakeitathome,yousettleitathome;yougetintheclosetargueitoutbehindcloseddoors,andthenwhenyoucomeoutonthestreet,youposeacommonfront,aunitedfront,andthisiswhatweneedtodointhecommunity,andinthecity,andinthestate.weneedtostopairingourdifferencesinfrontofthewhiteman.putthewhitemanoutofourmeetings,numberone,andthensitdownandtal