In honor of Malcolm X day, and the birth of the intellectual who continues to inspire activists and freedom fighters across the globe,  want to share my favorite Malcolm X speech.

The Ballot or the Bullet was given on April 3, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio, ten days prior to his pilgrimage to Mecca. It marks a very distinct perspective of X. In the speech, Malcolm doesn’t ask us to exclude ourselves from brethren of other religions, genders, or races; but asks us to collectively unite against oppression, degradation, and discrimination, because all of our plights are intertwined.

Read an excerpt here: 

Now in speaking like this, it doesn’t mean that we’re anti-white, but it does mean we’re anti-exploitation, we’re anti-degradation, we’re anti-oppression. And if the white man doesn’t want us to be anti-him, let him stop oppressing and exploiting and degrading us. Whether we are Christians or Muslims or nationalists or agnostics or atheists, we must first learn to forget our differences. If we have differences, let us differ in the closet; when we come out in front, let us not have anything to argue about until we get finished arguing with the man. If the late President Kennedy could get together with Khrushchev and exchange some wheat, we certainly have more in common with each other than Kennedy and Khrushchev had with each other.

Read the full speech here : http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html