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Rhetorical Analysis of Malcolm X

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Rhetorical Analysis of Malcolm X
Chris Dennis Critical Analysis of Communication

Malcolm X’s Effectiveness as a Speaker Should not be in Question

The context in which a statement is made can change the entire meaning of what was said. This is why many times people will use context as a defense for statements they make that offend or cause some sort of public backlash. The manner in which a person delivers a message and what messages the rhetor chooses to deliver can be a great indication of foundation of that persons value and belief system. There are a number of value systems present in Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech that he delivered in the storied election year of 1964. There are many statements made in the ballot or the bullet speech that would paint Malcolm X in negative light. Though, the manner in which a statement is delivered relevant to the context can make the difference between a person being labeled positively or negatively. Often, when people read the words of Malcolm X in present day, without knowledge of the historical situation, his messages and his identity as a diplomat and a visionary, can get distorted. I think many fail to realize the contextual situation that Malcolm X was involved in, which caused him to come off as militant or aggressive. When really his word choice was a product of his passion and pride in what he believed in. I think many consider Martin Luther King Jr. to be the driving force behind the civil rights movement but there is just as much to be said about Malcolm X. Malcolm X is one of the most discussed, but least understood figures of contemporary history (Varda, pg.3). Malcolm X’s speech ” The Ballot or the Bullet“ was a speech given in the wake of the passing of the civil rights bill and was a call to action to not just the African American community but to all of those United States citizens who claimed to believe in human rights. The call to action was to not be satisfied and pretend like they are “Eating


Cited: -Childs, Dennis. ""You Ain 't Seen Nothin ' Yet: Beloved, the American Chain Gang, and the Middle Passage Re-Mix" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Studies Association, Oct 12, 2006 . 2009-05-24 -Procter, Melvin. “Notes on Malcolm X Ballot or the Bullet- Black Liberation” July 3rd, 2004. http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/a-list/2004-July/049622.html -Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine, 1965: 347. X, Malcolm -Joseph Varda, Scott. “A Rhetorical history of Malcolm X” July 2007 Proquest. UMI.
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