Speeches of Malcolm X
Speeches of Malcolm X
The Speeches of Malcolm X, interspersed with historical, civil rights and lifestyle footage of African-Americans in the 20th century. SPEAKING AT THE BLACK FRONT UNITY RALLY. Audio over general shots. (MS/CUs police car in urban setting, late 1950s to early 1960s.) "The White man is your enemy, whether you're a Baptist, whether you're a Methodist, whether you're an Episcopalian, whether you're a Muslim or whether you're a Mason, or whether you're an Elk. If you find yourself running into opposition when you re looking for freedom, justice and equality," (MS/CUs police car in urban setting, late 1950s to early 1960s. Integration at Ole Miss: TLSs National Guardsmen at front gate of Ole Miss, MS marker & plaque (Memorial University of Mississippi); TLSs Nat l Guard on campus MSs JAMES MEREDITH being escorted into Grad School building to enroll; MS Meredith exiting bldg. ) "or some kind of right, you have to agree always the one who opposes your rights is the white man, some old blue-eyed, brown haired, bad smelling White man. And he doesn t like you any better than he likes me. Some of you are dumb enough to think that he makes a distinction, that he makes a difference, but in his eyesight there is no difference. When he puts his club upside your head he doesn t care whether you re Baptist or Methodist." (MOS excerpts of 1965 newsreel of Second Freedom March on Selma, police blocking road, non-violent civil rights protest.) "But he does want to know whether or not you re a Muslim cause he knows if your a Baptist or a Methodist you're gonna turn the other cheek. You're gonna try and love your enemy. You're gonna pray for them if they use you. So he's not worried about you. But he knows if you re a Muslim you re not going to turn the other cheek. If you pray for him you pray that God kills him, or God helps you to kill him. That's the only kind of prayer you pray." (MOS newsreel of inner city black poverty, early 1960s. Young black men & children horse around in streets, women gabbing on stone stoops of walkups, etc). "So, since you and I can realize we re all in the same boat, catching the same hell from the same man, it s time for you and me to unite. To get together and get this big White ape off our backs. You ve got a bad habit. You re hooked and don t know it. You've got what's known as "White's disease." You think you can t get along without the white man. You think you can't get some clothes without the white man. You think you can't get a house without the white man. You think you can't even get a job without the white man. You're worse than the man who thinks he can't get along without heroin. You're worse than the man who thinks he can't get along without morphine. You re worse than the junkie. You're in worse shape than the junkie because the junkie only has a little monkey on his back and you're running around with a big white ape named Uncle Sam on your back."