I / // ItALLOT OR THE BULLET

"SAY IT LOUD, SAY IT ri<> >l II

138

B L A C K N A T I O N A L I S M AND
BLACK PRIDE

.ill a r e g o i n g
happens

139

to catch the same h e l l f r o m the same m a n . H e

to be

a w h i t e m a n . A l l o f us have suffered

here,

c OUntry, p o l i t i c a l o p p r e s s i o n a t t h e h a n d s o f t h e w h i t e m a n ,
I v|il<>itation a t t h e h a n d s o f t h e w h i t e m a n , a n d s o c i a l

just

i n this

economic

degradation

II t h e h a n d s o f t h e w h i t e m a n .
N o w i n s p e a k i n g like this, i t d o e s n ' t m e a n that w e ' r e anti-white,
I >ui i i d o e s m e a n w e ' r e a n t i - e x p l o i t a t i o n , w e ' r e a n t i - d e g r e d a t i o n , w e ' r e

The Ballot or the Bullet

iinli-oppression. A n d i f t h e w h i t e m a n d o e s n ' t w a n t us t o be a n t i - h i m ,
lc i h i m s t o p o p p r e s s i n g a n d e x p l o i t i n g a n d d e g r a d i n g u s . W h e t h e r
DfC a r e C h r i s t i a n s o r M u s l i m s o r n a t i o n a l i s t s o r a g n o s t i c s o r a t h e i s t s ,

MALCOLM X

- m u s t first l e a r n t o f o r g e t o u r d i f f e r e n c e s .
Uiything t o a r g u e a b o u t u n t i l w e g e t

While

attention

Americans
Nation
late

and,

Malcolm

The

a Black

he had

differences,

broken

with

to Mecca,
in April

Malcolm

in

Nation

and

begun
Unity.

1964,

of Islam

this lust /
while \/n;

together with

Khrushchev
with

other.

I I we d o n ' t d o s o m e t h i n g real s o o n , I t h i n k y o u ' l l have t o agree

Inui

l i s o n e o r t h e o t h e r i n 1 9 6 4 . I t i s n ' t t h a t t i m e is r u n n i n g o u t t i m e
li.is r u n o u t ! 1 9 6 4 t h r e a t e n s t o b e t h e m o s t e x p l o s i v e

S/H i

during

c o u l d get

ili.it w e ' r e g o i n g t o b e f o r c e d e i t h e r t o use t h e b a l l o t o r t h e b u l l e t ,

to <! i H

X was assassinated

Kennedy

arguing with the m a n .

ach o t h e r t h a n K e n n e d y a n d K h r u s h c h e v h a d w i t h each

prison

The

the late P r e s i d e n t

finished

II u i e x c h a n g e s o m e w h e a t , w e c e r t a i n l y h a v e m o r e i n c o m m o n

thorn >

spokesman,
while

of Afro-American

in Cleveland
21, 1965,

Muslim

II

l/i

main

nationalist

its most compelling

he became

Organization

below was given

in the South,

to the black

made a pilgrimage

of his life. On February

in

activities

drawn

By the end of 1963

movement,

rights

in particular,

Little,

Muhammad,

cerpted

on civil

were increasingly

1940s.

Elijah
own

focused

of Islam

X . Born

I f we have

l i t us d i f f e r i n t h e c l o s e t ; w h e n w e c o m e o u t i n f r o n t , l e t u s n o t h a v e

year

America

lias e v e r w i t n e s s e d . T h e m o s t e x p l o s i v e y e a r . W h y ? I t ' s also a p o l i t i c a l

liar. It's t h e year w h e n all o f the w h i t e politicians will be back i n t h e

Harlem.

i a i l e d N e g r o c o m m u n i t y j i v i n g y o u a n d m e f o r s o m e votes.

The

year w h e n a l l o f t h e w h i t e p o l i t i c a l c r o o k s w i l l b e r i g h t b a c k i n y o u r
.IIKI

m y c o m m u n i t y w i t h t h e i r false p r o m i s e s , b u i l d i n g u p o u r h o p e s

l i n a l e t d o w n , w i t h t h e i r t r i c k e r y a n d t h e i r t r e a c h e r y , w i t h t h e i r false
A l t h o u g h I ' m s t i l l a M u s l i m , I ' m n o t h e r e t o n i g h t t o d i s c u s s m\ i ||
g i o n . I ' m n o t here to try a n d change y o u r r e l i g i o n . I ' m nol h r i i
a r g u e o r discuss a n y t h i n g t h a t we d i f f e r a b o u t , because it's
us t o s u b m e r g e
f i r s t see

o u r differences

that we

a n d realize

t h a t i t is best

have t h e same p r o b l e m , a c o m m o n

nises w h i c h t h e y d o n ' t i n t e n d t o k e e p .

As

problem
ill

M e t h o d i s t , o r a M u s l i m , o r a nationalist. W h e t h e r y o u ' r e editi

ill

o r i l l i t e r a t e , w h e t h e r y o u l i v e o n t h e b o u l e v a r d o r i n t h e all< \

these

have t h e type o f b l a c k m a n o n t h e scene i n A m e r i c a t o d a y

|iisi d o e s n ' t i n t e n d t o t u r n t h e o t h e r c h e e k a n y

p r o b l e m t h a t w i l l m a k e y o u c a t c h h e l l w h e t h e r y o u ' r e a Bapliftl

they n o u r i s h

'liss.itisfactions, i t c a n o n l y lead to o n e t h i n g , a n e x p l o s i o n ; a n d n o w
who

longer.

D o n ' t let a n y b o d y tell y o u a n y t h i n g a b o u t the o d d s are

against

M M i . I f t h e y d r a f t y o u , t h e y s e n d y o u t o K o r e a a n d m a k e y o u face 8 0 0
1

11111 l i o n C h i n e s e .

I f y o u can be brave over there, y o u can be

brave

i l | h l h e r e . T h e s e o d d s a r e n ' t as g r e a t as t h o s e o d d s . A n d i f y o u

g o i n g to catch h e l l j u s t like I a m . W e ' r e all i n t h e same bo.u ;tml

l e r e , y o u w i l l at least k n o w w h a t y o u ' r e
I'm

fighting

fight

for.

n o t a p o l i t i c i a n , n o t even a s t u d e n t o f politics; i n fact,

I'm

mil a student of m u c h of anything. I ' m not a Democrat, I ' m not a

Copyright
permission.

1965 &

1989 b y B e t t y Shabazz a n d P a t h f i n d e r Press. R<-|

ll

Kcpublican, a n d I d o n ' t even consider myself an A m e r i c a n . I f y o u

140

"SAY IT LOUD, SAY IT PROl I >

.mil

I w e r e Americans,

t h e r e ' d be n o p r o b l e m . T h o s e H u n k i c s th.ii

| i i s i ^ o i o f f t h e b o a t , t h e y ' r e a l r e a d y A m e r i c a n s ; P o l a c k s are
Americans;

the I t a l i a n refugees are

already

dial t a m e o u t o f E u r o p e , every blue-eyed

Americans.

alreach

Everything

mi I FALLOT OR THE BULLET

141

Si H I i e t h e o n l y o n e c a t c h i n g h e l l . T h e y d o n ' t h a v e t o p a s s c i v i l - r i g h t s

Mill l o r A f r i c a n s . A n A f r i c a n c a n g o a n y w h e r e h e w a n t s r i g h t n o w .
Ml y o u ' v e g o t t o d o is t i e y o u r h e a d u p . T h a t ' s r i g h t , g o a n y w h e r e

t h i n g , is a l r e a d y a n A m c i i

nil

c a n . A n d as l o n g as y o u a n d I h a v e b e e n o v e r h e r e , w e a r e n ' t A m c i i

I Ii . I I ' I I s h o w y o u h o w

cans yet.

i l l \. A f r i e n d o f m i n e w h o ' s very d a r k p u t a t u r b a n o n h i s h e a d

W e l l , I a m o n e w h o d o e s n ' t believe i n d e l u d i n g myself.

I'm

nol

mil

legated.

u n l e s s y o u e a t s o m e o f w h a t ' s o n t h a t p l a t e . B e i n g h e r e i n A U K i Ii |

in I I
In

make

you

an

American.

Why,

if birth

made

you

American,

w o u l d n ' t n e e d any legislation, y o u w o u l d n ' t n e e d any

you

filibustering;

went into a white restaurant, he

themselves

sat d o w n ,

they

" A n d t h e r e h e ' s s i t t i n g , b l a c k as n i g h t , b u t b e c a u s e h e h a d h i s

i d w r a p p e d u p t h e waitress l o o k e d

b a c k a t h i m a n d says,

"Why,

there w o u l d n ' t n o n i g g e r d a r e c o m e i n h e r e . " . . .

amendment

to the C o n s t i t u t i o n ,y o u w o u l d n ' t be faced w i t h civil-rights

He

i rved h i m , a n d h e s a i d , " W h a t w o u l d h a p p e n i f a N e g r o c a m e i n

doesn't make you an American. Being b o r n here i n America

doesn't

s i l l y t h e w h i t e m a n is. Y o u ' r e d e a l i n g w i t h

went into a restaurant i n Atlanta before they called

g o i n g t o s i t a t y o u r t a b l e a n d w a t c h y o u e a t , w i t h n o t h i n g o n m y plaU
a n d call myself a d i n e r . S i t t i n g at the table d o e s n ' t m a k e y o u a d i n c i .

you

|ust d r o p b e i n g a N e g r o . C h a n g e y o u r n a m e t o H o o g a g a g o o b a .

The

political philosophy o f black nationalism means that the black

in.in should c o n t r o l the politics a n d the politicians i n his o w n c o m m u -

i n W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . , r i g h t n o w . T h e y d o n ' t h a v e t o pass c i v i l - r i g h t !

nis,

legislation to make a Polack an

' I i I I . i t e d i n t o t h e s c i e n c e o f p o l i t i c s so h e w i l l k n o w w h a t p o l i t i c s is

American.

N o , I ' m n o t a n A m e r i c a n . I ' m o n e o f t h e 2 2 m i l l i o n b l a c k p c i ipli

who

are

the victims of Americanism.

One

o f t h e 2 2 m i l l i o n blai \

no more. The

supposed

b l a c k m a n i n t h e b l a c k c o m m u n i t y has t o be

re-

to b r i n g h i m i n r e t u r n . D o n ' t be t h r o w i n g o u t any ballots.

\t is l i k e a b u l l e t . Y o u d o n ' t t h r o w y o u r b a l l o t s u n t i l y o u see

p e o p l e w h o are the victims o f democracy, n o t h i n g b u t disguised h y p K

I . I I n e t , a n d i f t h a t t a r g e t is n o t w i t h i n y o u r r e a c h , k e e p y o u r b a l l o t i n

r i s y . S o , I ' m n o t s t a n d i n g h e r e s p e a k i n g t o y o u as a n A m e r i c a n , 01 >

M)UI

p a t r i o t , o r a flag-saluter, o r a flag-waverno,

feUghl

n o t I . I ' m speaking

a v i c t i m o f t h i s A m e r i c a n s y s t e m . A n d I see A m e r i c a t h r o u g h t h e c\ |
o f t h e v i c t i m . I d o n ' t see

any A m e r i c a n

d r e a m ; I see

a n American

nightmare. . . .

pocket. T h e

p o l i t i c a l p h i l o s o p h y o f b l a c k n a t i o n a l i s m is b e i n g

in the C h r i s t i a n c h u r c h . It's b e i n g t a u g h t i n the N A A C P . It's

I " m i ; taught i n C O R E meetings. It's b e i n g taught i n S N C C

II

meetings.

Iicing taught i n M u s l i m meetings. It's b e i n g taught where n o t h i n g

Inn . i i h e i s t s a n d a g n o s t i c s c o m e t o g e t h e r . I t ' s b e i n g t a u g h t e v e r y w h e r e .

W e n e e d n e w f r i e n d s , we n e e d n e w allies. W e n e e d t o e x p a n d

the

civil-rights struggle to a h i g h e r l e v e l t o the level o f h u m a n rights

HI.II k p e o p l e a r e f e d u p w i t h t h e d i l l y d a l l y i n g , p u s s y f o o t i n g ,

compro-

IIIIling approach that we've been using toward getting o u r

freedom.

W h e n e v e r y o u a r e i n a c i v i l - r i g h t s s t r u g g l e , w h e t h e r y o u k n o w i i 01

\ want freedom

not, y o u are c o n f i n i n g yourself to the j u r i s d i c t i o n o f U n c l e Sam.

i w H o m e . "

No

o n e f r o m t h e o u t s i d e w o r l d c a n s p e a k o u t i n y o u r b e h a l f as l o n g

It's

now, b u t w e ' r e n o t g o i n g t o g e t i t s a y i n g " W e

We've got to

fight

time for you and me

Shall

u n t i l we overcome. . . .

to stop sitting i n this c o u n t r y , l e t t i n g

y o u r s t r u g g l e is a c i v i l - r i g h t s s t r u g g l e . C i v i l r i g h t s c o m e s w i t h i n I I K

K i i n c c r a c k e r s e n a t o r s , N o r t h e r n c r a c k e r s a n d S o u t h e r n c r a c k e r s , sit

domestic

i l n i r e in W a s h i n g t o n , D.C., a n d c o m e to a c o n c l u s i o n i n t h e i r m i n d

affairs o f t h i s c o u n t r y . A l l o f o u r A f r i c a n b r o t h e r s a n d otU

Asian brothers and our Latin-American brothers cannot open

mouths a n d interfere

i n the domestic

affairs o f t h e U n i t e d

ihcii
Statei

ili.ii

y o u a n d I are supposed

to have civil rights. T h e r e ' s n o

A n d as l o n g as i t ' s c i v i l r i g h t s , t h i s c o m e s u n d e r t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n <>

ilu.i\

Uncle Sam . . .

presidential p r o c l a m a t i o n s to give f r e e d o m

R i g h t n o w , i n this c o u n t r y , i f y o u a n d I , 22 m i l l i o n A f r i c a n - A m c 11
c a n s t h a t ' s w h a t we a r e A f r i c a n s w h o are i n A m e r i c a . Y o u ' r e n o t h
ing

b u t Africans.

Nothing

b u t Africans.

I n fact, y o u ' d

get

farthci

calling yourself African instead o f N e g r o . Africans d o n ' t catch

hell

white

11i.i11 g o i n g t o t e l l m e a n y t h i n g a b o u t my r i g h t s . B r o t h e r s a n d s i s t e r s ,
remember,

if it doesn't

take senators

and congressmen

i n ( cssary f o r l e g i s l a t i o n o r p r o c l a m a t i o n o r S u p r e m e C o u r t
|0 g i v e f r e e d o m

and

t o t h e w h i t e m a n , i t is n o t
decisions

to the black m a n . You let that white m a n k n o w , i f

t h i s is a c o u n t r y o f f r e e d o m , l e t i t b e a c o u n t r y o f f r e e d o m ; a n d i f i t ' s
mil

.i country of freedom,

change it.

"SAY IT LOUD, SAY IT PROUD1

142

W e w i l l w o r k w i t h a n y b o d y , a n y w h e r e , a t a n y t i m e , w h o is g e n u i n t I)

\< )lNCE IN THE CITY

tin

i n t e r e s t e d i n t a c k l i n g t h e p r o b l e m h e a d - o n , n o n v i o l e n t l y as l o n g .>I
t h e e n e m y is n o n v i o l e n t , b u t v i o l e n t w h e n t h e e n e m y g e t s v i o l e n t ,

cooUs.

t\

A decade's
economic

activity

around

condition

frustration,

questions

of blacks

combined

with

living

ongoing

and local police,

often led to urban

the Los Angeles

ghetto

looting,

and

arrests,

riots of
interviews

set ii// in

of Watts

of race had done

outside

the Deep

hostilities
tensions

exploded

between

little

to improve

South.

The

community
rampage

of

report

evokes

in subsequent

a sense
years

conflagration

1992.
with

Portions
Watts

of the report
residents

of irony,

as many

and the problems

quarter

are reprinted

conducted

by Paul

of

it

its

identified

century

here, along
Bullock.

with

These

are

italics.

the

resulting
membtn

and riots. In the summer

in a six-day

this

went unheeded

urban

tntral
N Utral

The Watts Riots

Rereading

ingestions

143

of 1 ')<> ">
bur/inn ,,
1

death.

I n the u g l i e s t i n t e r v a l , w h i c h l a s t e d f r o m T h u r s d a y t h r o u g h S a t u r d a y ,
p e r h a p s as m a n y as 1 0 , 0 0 0 N e g r o e s t o o k t o t h e s t r e e t s i n m a r a u d i n g
b a n d s . T h e y l o o t e d s t o r e s , s e t fires, b e a t u p w h i t e p a s s e r b y w h o m t h e y
hauled f r o m s t o p p e d cars, m a n y o f w h i c h w e r e t u r n e d u p s i d e
Hid

burned, exchanged

Itoned a n d shot at

shots w i t h

firemen.

law e n f o r c e m e n t

down

officers,

T h e rioters seemed to have b e e n

and

caught

u p i n a n insensate rage o f d e s t r u c t i o n . By Friday, the d i s o r d e r spread

to a d j o i n i n g a r e a s , a n d u l t i m a t e l y a n a r e a c o v e r i n g 4 6 . 5 s q u a r e m i l e s
h a d to b e c o n t r o l l e d w i t h t h e a i d o f m i l i t a r y a u t h o r i t y b e f o r e p u b l i c

Violence in the City-AD End or a

Beginning?

o r d e r was r e s t o r e d .
W h e n t h e spasm passed, t h i r t y - f o u r p e r s o n s w e r e d e a d , a n d t h e
w o u n d e d a n d h u r t n u m b e r e d 1,032 m o r e . P r o p e r t y d a m a g e w a s a b o u t
110,000,000. A r r e s t e d f o r o n e c r i m e o r a n o t h e r w e r e 3,952 persons,

THE MCCONE COMMISSION REPORT ON WATTS

W o m e n as w e l l as m e n , i n c l u d i n g o v e r 5 0 0 y o u t h s u n d e r
The lawlessness

i n this one segment

eighteen.

o f the m e t r o p o l i t a n area

had

t e r r i f i e d t h e e n t i r e c o u n t y a n d its 6 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 c i t i z e n s .
and

SOWING THE WIND

Watts: The

Aftermath

In the s u m m e r o f 1964, N e g r o c o m m u n i t i e s i n seven eastern

PAUL BULLOCK

c o n t r i b u t i n g circumstances n o t existing elsewhere,

Causes w e r e l a r g e l y t h e

The report

of the governor's

to identify

solutions

commission

to urban

cities

were stricken by riots. A l t h o u g h i n each s i t u a t i o n there were u n i q u e

problems,

that investigated
as well as discuss

the riots

attempted

responsibility

for

the fundamental

same:

N o t e n o u g h j o b s t o go a r o u n d , a n d w i t h i n this scarcity n o t e n o u g h by
a wide m a r g i n o f a character w h i c h the u n t r a i n e d N e g r o c o u l d

fill.

N o t e n o u g h s c h o o l i n g d e s i g n e d to m e e t t h e special needs o f t h e disadv a n t a g e d N e g r o c h i l d , w h o s e e n v i r o n m e n t f r o m i n f a n c y o n w a r d places

E x c e r p t s f r o m Watts:

The Aftermath

e d i t e d by P a u l B u l l o c k , c o p y r i g h t

B u l l o c k . U s e d by p e r m i s s i o n o f G r o v e Press, I n c .

1969 by P a u l

h i m u n d e r a serious h a n d i c a p .
A r e s e n t m e n t , even h a t r e d , o f t h e p o l i c e , as t h e s y m b o l o f a u t h o r i t y . . . .

lat

"Takin' it
to the
streets"
Edited by
ALEXANDER BLOOM
WINl BREINES

New York

Oxford

O X F O R D U N I V E R S I T Y PRESS
1995