Malcolm X "Message To Th

MalcolmX"MessageToThmalcolmx:messagetothegrassroots...andduringthefewmomentsthatwehaveleft,wewanttohavejustanoff-the-cuffchatbetweenyouandme--us.wewanttotalkrightdowntoearthinalanguagethateverybodyherecaneasilyunderstand.weallagreetonight,allofthespeakershaveagreed,thatamericahasaveryseriousproblem.notonlydoesamericahaveaveryseriousproblem,butourpeoplehaveaveryseriousproblem.america'sproblemisus.we'reherproblem.theonlyreasonshehasaproblemisshedoesn'twantushere.andeverytimeyoulookatyourself,beyoublack,brown,red,oryellow--aso-callednegro--yourepresentapersonwhoposessuchaseriousproblemforamericabecauseyou'renotwanted.onceyoufacethisasafact,thenyoucanstartplottingacoursethatwillmakeyouappearintelligent,insteadofunintelligent.whatyouandineedtodoislearntoforgetourdifferences.whenwecometogether,wedon'tcometogetherasbaptistsormethodists.youdon'tcatchhell'causeyou'reabaptist,andyoudon'tcatchhell'causeyou'reamethodist.youdon'tcatchhell'causeyou'reamethodistorbaptist.youdon'tcatchhellbecauseyou'reademocratorarepublican.youdon'tcatchhellbecauseyou'reamasonoranelk.andyousuredon'tcatchhell'causeyou'reanamerican;'causeifyouwasanamerican,youwouldn'tcatchnohell.youcatchhell'causeyou'reablackman.youcatchhell,allofuscatchhell,forthesamereason.soweareallblackpeople,so-callednegroes,second-classcitizens,ex-slaves.youarenothingbuta[sic]ex-slave.youdon'tliketobetoldthat.butwhatelseareyou?youareex-slaves.youdidn'tcomehereonthemayflower.youcamehereonaslaveship--inchains,likeahorse,oracow,orachicken.andyouwerebroughtherebythepeoplewhocamehereonthemayflower.youwerebroughtherebytheso-calledpilgrims,orfoundingfathers.theyweretheoneswhobroughtyouhere.wehaveacommonenemy.wehavethisincommon:wehaveacommonoppressor,acommonexploiter,andacommondiscriminator.butonceweallrealizethatwehavethiscommonenemy,thenweuniteonthebasisofwhatwehaveincommon.andwhatwehaveforemostincommonisthatenemy--thewhiteman.he'sanenemytoallofus.iknowsomeofyouallthinkthatsomeofthemaren'tenemies.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.hecouldn'tcome.oncetheyexcludedthewhiteman,theyfoundthattheycouldgettogether.oncetheykepthimout,everybodyelsefellrightinandfellinline.thisisthethingthatyouandihavetounderstand.andthesepeoplewhocametogetherdidn'thavenuclearweapons;theydidn'thavejetplanes;theydidn'thavealloftheheavyarmamentsthatthewhitemanhas.buttheyhadunity.theywereabletosubmergetheirlittlepettydifferencesandagreeononething:thatthoughoneafricancamefromkenyaandwasbeingcolonizedbytheenglishman,andanotherafricancamefromthecongoandwasbeingcolonizedbythebelgian,andanotherafricancamefromguineaandwasbeingcolonizedbythefrench,andanothercamefromangolaandwasbeingcolonizedbytheportuguese.whentheycametothebandungconference,theylookedattheportuguese,andatthefrenchman,andattheenglishman,andattheother--dutchman--andlearnedorrealizedthattheonethingthatallofthemhadincommon:theywereallfromeurope,theywerealleuropeans,blond,blue-eyedandwhite-skinned.theybegantorecognizewhotheirenemywas.thesamemanthatwascolonizingourpeopleinkenyawascolonizingourpeopleinthecongo.thesameoneinthecongowascolonizingourpeopleinsouthafrica,andinsouthernrhodesia,andinburma,andinindia,andinafghanistan,andinpakistan.theyrealizedallovertheworldwherethedarkmanwasbeingoppressed,hewasbeingoppressedbythewhiteman;wherethedarkmanwasbeingexploited,hewasbeingexploitedbythewhiteman.sotheygottogetherunderthisbasis--thattheyhadacommonenemy.andwhenyouandihereindetroitandinmichiganandinamericawhohavebeenawakenedtodaylookaroundus,wetoorealizehereinamericaweallhaveacommonenemy,whetherhe'singeorgiaormichigan,whetherhe'sincaliforniaornewyork.he'sthesameman:blueeyesandblondhairandpaleskin--sameman.sowhatwehavetodoiswhattheydid.theyagreedtostopquarrelingamongthemselves.anylittlespatthattheyhad,they'dsettleitamongthemselves,gointoahuddle--don'tlettheenemyknowthatyougot[sic]adisagreement.insteadofusairingourdifferencesinpublic,wehavetorealizewe'reallthesamefamily.andwhenyouhaveafamilysquabble,youdon'tgetoutonthesidewalk.ifyoudo,everybodycallsyouuncouth,unrefined,uncivilized,savage.ifyoudon'tmakeitathome,yousettleitathome;yougetinthecloset--argueitoutbehindcloseddoors.andthenwhenyoucomeoutonthestreet,youposeacommonfront,aunitedfront.andthisiswhatweneedtodointhecommunity,andinthecity,andinthestate.weneedtostopairingourdifferencesinfrontofthewhiteman.putthewhitemanoutofo