The historical background of Malcolm X's speech is shrouded in the entirety of the civil rights movement. The speech was told in the spring of 1964, near the peak of the movement, only a year after the events in Selma and the march on Washington. At this point, X made himself very prominent on TV and the news with his views on the superiority of the black race, as well as his derivation from the civil rights movement, believing that a separation between the races is what is best for the African American people. These views are heavily influenced by his conversion to the Nation of Islam, back in 1948, since their views are that which X was advocating for to the anyone who would listen. The speech, however, is also made about one month after X broke from the Nation of Islam, and started inclining more towards Dr. King's ideas of unity between the races. This is shown in the speech, as his focal points touch base on the importance of exercising caution when voting for the white man, as the ties between the two groups are important for the future of the country. In regards to government, the white male ruled most of the supreme court and congress, making it difficult towards people of color to get a say in the law. This white predominance is what causes X to speak up about the importance of voting.
-Yoseph T.
This is a good historical background on the civil rights movement. It is definitely important to clarify that this speech took place after Malcom X broke away from the Nation of Islam. I think that the reason behind the speech might need a little more expansion.
ReplyDelete-Sean
I liked how you summarized the events surrounding the speech, as well as Malcolm X's political and religious views. I do agree with Sean though, you should include a section that explains the reasons behind the speech. Other than that, its a good summary.
ReplyDelete-Kyle Strouth