From Confinement to Enlargement: The Shift in Malcolm X’s Rhetoric

Abstract

This is a comparative study between Malcolm X’s speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” and his Ford Auditorium address, which reveals a shift in rhetoric. Malcolm X’s rhetoric changed from being separation-laden, calling for a black counter-cultural hegemonic orientation of black nationalism, into being more inclusive of all races and advocating for the “brotherhood of all men.” This paper explores the process, the reasons and the implications of this shift in rhetoric.