In the 20th century, there was a problem at the west of the earth’s map, in American’s history. People in that part of the world were separated by the race, such as blacks and whites. The system that had established white citizens as kings and black citizens as slaves made it necessary for blacks to continue fighting for freedom and equality will into the 1950s and 60s. In November 10th, 1963, Malcolm X delivered his famous speech “Message to The Grassroots” in Detroit, Michigan at the Northern Negro Grass Roots Leadership Conference that was held in the King Solomon Baptist Church (MrDaveyD). This speech was ranked as 91st in the top 100 American speeches of the 20th century (“Top 100”). By analyzing Malcolm’s public speech, we can see that his passion and determination drove him to create such a great speech, in which he used many of modes of persuasion, but the most significant ones are logos, pathos, and metaphors. 

First of all, because of Malcolm’s passion, he first started with introducing the meaning of the revolution and its concepts. Then he went to describe the difference between the “Black” revolution and “Negro” revolution. In his speech, the choice and use of words and phrases was perfect. This is called diction. His diction helped him a lot in getting the audience attention, delivering his goal correctly and making the tone more seriously. We can see this in his beginning when he said: “We want to have just an off-the-cuff chat between you and me — us” (Malcolm X). Malcolm was not just giving a speech for the audience, but he includes himself as one of the people that he wants to deliver his message to. We can see this in “between you and me — us”. He also stated in this statement "you" and "me" are one because we all share the same problem of racism. In addition, “Off-the-cuff” this expression has a smooth rhyme and rhythm. This is also a colloquial expression that makes the audience feel his speech is casual, accessible, intimate, and personal. Also it works perfectly on taking the audience ears and make them focusing on the real meaning the words following this expression. Both phrases are given at the first sentence to give the attention to the audience first, so they will hear carefully and be persuading on the rest of the speech. Also, these two phrases shows that this problem is still in hand, and they can solve it, but because of its importance they should solve it soon and there is no more time to be wasted. 

Malcolm realized the racial issues in America against Negros were getting worse against “Negros”. And this is what made him passion to do this speech. The crisis of the Civil Rights movement here started

“From the earliest years of European settlement in North America, whites enslaved and oppressed black people. Although the Civil War finally brought about the abolition of slavery, a harsh system of white supremacy persisted thereafter. In the early twentieth century, African Americans in the South and in many parts of nearby border states were banned from associating with whites in a host of institutions and public accommodations—schools, hospitals, old folks’ homes, rest rooms, waiting rooms, railroad cars, hotels, restaurants, lunch counters, parks and beaches, swimming pools, libraries, concert halls, and movie theaters. Some recreational areas posted signs, “Negroes and Dogs Not Allowed.” Racial discrimination deprived Southern blacks of decent jobs and schools and of elementary rights of citizenship, including voting. White intimidation and violence, including lynching, remained an ever-present threat. Outside of the South, blacks had legal rights, but they suffered from widespread discrimination and from de facto residential and school segregation.” (T. Patterson)

Malcolm continued his speech with a clear and simple language, so educated and non-educated people can understand him and the issue. He was proving the importance of his speech and its value by addressing his concerns. He states that Black people have rights as a citizens and they are US civilians and their rights should not be violated. Blacks were treated inhumanely compared with treating others in the same nation. He repeats the word “Problem” many times in his speech, “America has a very serious problem. Not only does America have a very serious problem, but our people have a very serious problem. America’s problem is us. We’re her problem. The only reason she has a problem is she doesn’t want us here” (Malcolm X). He wants from his audience to consider this problem more seriously. So it’s not only Blacks’ problem, but it’s everyone’s problem. It’s the whole nation and the country’s problem. So citizen should feel guilt and compelled to find a solution.

 Moreover, Malcolm X used lots of logos. For example, when he said: “If violence is wrong in America, violence is wrong abroad. If it’s wrong to be violent defending black women and black children and black babies and black men, then it’s wrong for America to draft us and make us violent abroad in defense of her” (Message to The Grassroots). Malcolm X used logos with a view for the audience to understand that while they're being nonviolent, they are asked to be violent for America. But they cannot be violent against America when it is violent on them. Additionally, he said: “Revolution is based on land. Land is the basis of all independence. Land is the basis of freedom, justice, and equality." The logo here is the land. Here, Malcolm X was trying to tell the audience the importance of the land. In another words, land is for everyone and it’s not only for white people nor blacks. And no race on the world has the right to own the land and enslaves whom living on it. And because of Blacks are also American, they have the rights to own and work on their land and bee free in their place. So Malcolm X made the language here simple and the words very clear. So the meaning of this sentence delivered significantly. He wants the independence, and he wants Black people to understand and return their freedom, justice, and equality. 

Also, Malcolm X used pathos to infuse queries and declarations in order to inspire his auditors to do action, to stimulate emotions, and to indicate the conflict of an argument for nonviolence when the nation responds with violence whenever menaced. A prove of this is when he stated: “You bleed for white people. But when it comes time to seeing your own churches being bombed and little black girls be murdered, you haven’t got no blood. You bleed when the white man says bleed; you bite when the white man says bite; and you bark when the white man says bark. I hate to say this about us, but it’s true. How are you going to be nonviolent in Mississippi, as violent as you were in Korea? How can you justify being nonviolent in Mississippi and Alabama, when your churches are being bombed, and your little girls are being murdered, and at the same time you’re going to violent with Hitler, and Tojo,and somebody else that you don’t even know?” (Message to The Grassroots). Using words like “black girls be murdered”, “bleed for white people”, “bombed” took audience emotions to make them moving to start the revolution against this injustice. These words have such an emotional power because they show the bad reality, and the word “blood” is a symbol to the life, so when you bleed for someone is like you are selling your life to someone with no value.  

Metaphors were shown significantly in Malcolm’s speech. According to him: “This is the way it is with the white man in America. He’s a wolf and you’re sheep.” Here, when Malcolm stating that “the white man” is “wolf”, he refers that white people have all the power and rights in America and they can do whatever they want, like the wolf, without any interrogation. And when he said “you’re sheep”, he refers to the weakness that Blacks had at that time, and how they were in injustice of a racialized system by white people. But in the other hand, Malcolm gave a likening of what Blacks should be. The example is when he said: “It's just like when you've got some coffee that's too black, which means it's too strong. What do you do? You integrate it with cream; make it weak. If you pour too much cream in, you won't even know you ever had coffee. It used to be hot, it becomes cool. It used to be strong, it becomes weak. It used to wake you up, now it'll put you to sleep." In here, Malcolm is trying to awake Black people from their sleeping. He’s telling them that you are the strong. You have all the rights to get your rights back. Not alike the whites. They are like the cream, making the strong weaker. “It used to wake you up, now it'll put you to sleep.” Here Malcolm X specified that Whites put Blacks to sleep, but they should be awake to start the revolution and get the freedom back, because they are going to bring the evolution to America.In addition, Malcolm included some imagery in his speech. According to him: “When they found out that this black steamroller was going to come down on the capital, they called in Wilkins; they called in Randolph; they called in these national Negro leaders that you respect and told them, “Call it off.”” He used it to clarify the terror of the white race after the blacks get their freedom and integrity. 

In sum, Malcolm’s speech was well prepared. His passion made a big change in the Blacks revolution. He used different literary techniques on “Message to The Grassroots”. He used diction, logos, pathos, metaphors, and imagery to show a hurting emotion which he obtained due to the way the white men persecuted the blacks.
