To what extent were Malcolm X’s speeches during 1964 and 1965 show how his ideology
was becoming less radical than the media depicted him within the civil rights movement?
Jacob Delgado
Word Count: 2104
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Section 1: Evaluation of Sources
This investigation will answer the question, of to what extent Malcolm X’s speeches
during 1964 and 1965 show how his ideology was becoming less radical than the media depicted
him within the civil rights movement? The time frame for this section will be between 1964 and
1965, and specifically, Malcolm X’s speeches and scope will be focused on Malcolm X’s
ideology change over time, especially after the Pilgrimage to Mecca. The two sources I chose to
evaluate are Malcolm X: The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley and Malcolm
X. Oxford University Union Debate in 1964.
Malcolm X: The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As told to Alex Haley By Malcolm X
The first source evaluated is Malcolm X’s autobiography, Malcolm X: The
Autobiography of Malcolm X: As told to Alex Haley published in 1994 and collaborated with
Alex Haley. This is valuable as it is directly forming Malcolm X himself, so we get to hear what
and how his ideology changed in his own words, however, this is limited as it is biased towards
Malcolm X as he wants to portray himself in a positive light, which might make his claims about
himself false. Also, he is speaking to Alex Haley who might’ve taken out some information, as
the book was published after Malcolm X’s death, and Malcolm isn’t able to show us how the
media depicted himself, only how he believes he acted. The purpose of this article is to inform
the reader about his life, and what/how his ideology changed over time. This is valuable as it is
an attempt to teach the reader about his life, meaning it isn’t created to try and push for a specific
ideology, but instead just to inform the reader about his life and how he formed his ideologies.
However, this is limited as we are unsure about Alex Haley’s reasons for publishing the book.
Finally, the book’s content is about his whole life, from his upbringing to his death in 1965. This
is valuable as it tells us everything about Malcolm X, even some thoughts that we can’t hear
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from his speeches and insight into his life we wouldn’t receive normally, however, it’s limited as
he discusses mostly his own life, and doesn’t explain about the media’s opinion of him.
Malcolm X. Oxford University Union Debate in 1964 By Kitche
Malcolm X Oxford University Union Debate in 1964 is a video and transcript of his
speech at Oxford University, published by Black History Month. This is valuable as it is a
primary video source, as we hear the words directly from Malcolm X, and is a direct speech held
in 1964 which is perfect to show his beliefs changed. However, this is limited as it was
published by Black History Month, which is biased towards depicting Malcolm in a positive
light and we don’t know much about the author of this article. The purpose of this would be to
inform and show Malcolm X’s speech at Oxford University to people interested in Black History,
this is valuable as it’s created to inform people about Malcolm X and his beliefs, however, this is
limited as we can only really speculate why Kitche made this article, as he never includes any
information about himself. The content of this is a video and transcript of his speech in which he
explains his definition of extremism, his beliefs on the topic of murder, how he only advocates
for self-defense, not murder, and how he deems moderation and non-violence as ineffective. This
is valuable as it doesn’t leave anything out, it includes the entire video without any censorship,
also it doesn’t include any biased information but instead only the words directly from Malcolm
X himself so we can assume that there is no bias in the article, and during this speech, Malcolm
X seems open to his belief, and he said that “I never try to hide what I am.” However, this is
limited, as it only shows Malcolm X’s speech, and doesn’t provide any context of other speakers
or the point of holding the speech in the first place.
Word Count: 687
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Section 2: Investigation
The Civil Rights movement was a time of rising change, as black consciousness and
protests speaking out against unjust racism began to rise, two leaders began gaining popularity,
Martin Luther King, who was revered as a hero, and Malcolm X, who was vilified and feared for
being a demon. However, to what extent did Malcolm X’s speeches during 1964 and 1965 show
his ideology was becoming less radical than the media depicted him within the civil rights
movement? I believe that his beliefs from 1954 to 1965 prove that he was becoming less radical
to large extent, as before he was much more violent and focused only on black lives and vilifying
all the whites, while after his trip to, Mecca he began to mellow out and become open to new
ideas.
First, before his trip to Mecca in 1954 Malcolm X was a much more racist and violent
person, and thus the media depicted him as one. For example, in his 1963 speech “Message to
the Grassroots,” Malcolm X declares that they should “…put the white men out of our meetings,
number one, and then sit down and talk shop with each other.” 1 Malcolm X’s speech on the
white man, reveals that he is completely against working with whites at all, and in fact when
talking about peace treaties he doesn’t even consider including them in the conversations. This
reveals how radical and racist he was as he doesn’t even consider working with Whites at all and
in a weird way, stereotypes all whites to just be a racist person who isn’t even willing to work or
talk with Blacks at all, which in a sense is the same thought process of the so-called-enemy.
Furthermore, he is extremely violent at this time and completely against non-violence, as shown
1
BlackPast, contributed by: (2019, September 23). (1963) Malcolm X, "message to the grassroots" •. (1963)
Malcolm X, "Message to the Grassroots" •. Retrieved February 18, 2023, from [Link]
american-history/speeches-african-american-history/1963-malcolm-x-message-grassroots/
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in the same speech where he calls white men wolves and black sheep, and states that those who
“teach us not to fight the white man, he’s a traitor to you and me.” 2 He compares white racism to
a wolf and believes that those who try to make peace with the said wolf, are traitors that are
trying to get them all killed. This not only portrays him as completely against non-violence, as he
considers those who preach the values of peace are traitors but also shows how violent he is as he
only believes that fighting against the white man is the only option and that nothing else will
bring about change. Finally, we can see how the media depicted him through his speech at Ford
Auditorium, where he states that “…she was looking for horns and all that, and for someone who
was out to kill all white people …this image had been given to her by the press.”3 This random
stranger on a bus explains the media’s perception of Malcolm X, as a violent literal demon
whose out just to kill all the whites, and that the general populace genuinely believes this to be
true. These speeches perfectly capture his mentality before his trip to Mecca, as a violent and
radical person believing that the only option to combat racism is violence and that there are no
white friends, only enemies.
After his experience in Mecca, we can see exactly how he changes through his speeches
in 1964 and 1965. This is shown in his speech at the Oxford University Union Debate in 1964,
where on the topic of racism he states that “But as long as the situation exists as it is, we’re going
to need some extremism, and I think some of you will need some moderation too.” 4 His words
prove that he is not nearly as radical as the media depicts him, as while he does state the
importance of extremism, he now admits that moderation is needed and that there is such a thing
2
IBID
3
Malcom X. “Speeches on Social Justices .” Malcolm X: Speech at Ford Auditorium. So Just, 1965.
[Link]
4
Kitche, 03/12/2021 by. “Malcolm X. Oxford University Union Debate in 1964.” Black History Month 2022. Black
history Month, May 8, 2021. [Link]
debate-dec-3-1964/.
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as being too extreme. Not only that, but Jones Trevin states that he started to become more open
to White friends,5 and Malcolm openly admits his willingness to work with others, as proven in
his autobiography, where states that “I have learned that not all white people are racists.” 6 This
comes directly from his autobiography, showing that these ideals are something that he admits
and in multiple speeches advocates and even defends white people sometimes, saying that some
whites are helping Blacks. Finally, he is not nearly as violent as the media depicts him, as shown
in his speech at Ford Auditorium, where he says that he’s not for violence, he’s for justice and
self-defense7 During the speech, he openly recognizes the media’s depictions of him, as this
violent demon, but he also points out that he never intends for wanton violence and isn’t for
indiscriminate killing. He only wants Blacks to defend themselves and have justice for actions
that wronged them. All these speeches from 1964-1965 prove his beliefs have started to change,
and he is no longer a “demon” against whites, but, as Lerone states, like his rival Martin Luther
King Jr.8
To sum up, Malcolm X played a huge role in the Civil rights movement, being an
inspiration to many, and to his enemies a radical killer. The media depicted him as some demonic
being and says that he indiscriminately kills, but after closely analyzing and understanding
Malcolm X’s speeches from 1964-1965 this is not the case. Malcolm believed in protection and
justice and wasn’t as radical as he was open to hearing new sides and words from other people,
even whites. While he may not have been nearly as radical as the media depicts him, his core
5
Jones, Trevin. “The Ideological and Spiritual Transformation of Malcolm X.” EBSCO. Journal of African American
Studies, September 2020. [Link]
93c9-2279176159f7%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPXNoaWImc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZl#AN=145348490&db=a9h.
6
X., Malcom. Malcom X: The Autobiography of Malcom X As Told To Alex Haley. Grove Press, October 29, 1965.
7
Malcom X. “Speeches on Social Justices .” Malcolm X: Speech at Ford Auditorium. So Just, 1965.
[Link]
8
Martin, Lerone A. “Malcolm X.” The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. Stanford, August 4,
2020. [Link]
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beliefs still haven’t changed, and is pro-violence and despises non-violence. In the end, Malcolm
X wasn’t a mass murderer, but a protector of those in need.
Word Count: 1099
Section 3: Reflection
For my method, I mostly used the sources that were provided to me by my school, mostly
from Gale, however, my method highlighted that Gale had a lot of secondary sources and
historical analysis, so I instead changed my method to researching online about Malcolm
Speeches which while was effective, made it difficult to weed out weaker sources. The biggest
challenge for me was that I had many speeches, however trying to find secondary sources was
difficult, and I couldn’t find any newspapers about Malcolm X. Unlike Math or Science, History
means that I also must take into consideration people’s opinions and try and piece together facts
and the “truth” through small hints, rather than a complete picture. Not only that, but the
reliability of the articles varies, as many historians are biased and picture Malcolm X in a good
or bad light depending on their opinion, especially considering their audience. However, for my
specific topic, I had the advantage of being able to use Malcolm’s speeches, which are a strong
source that enabled me to find the truth from Malcolm X’s perspective. However, Malcolm X is
very biased toward himself and is trying to convince the reader and audience his stance is
correct, but also knows himself the most. I think the abundance of resources mainly all Malcolm
X’s different speeches, really helped with the research, analysis, and conclusion by making it so I
can try and find a “true” Malcolm X and find some common factor to see what his beliefs were.
In my opinion Value Judgments cannot be avoided in history, as due to our own opinions and life
we always will judge something even without meaning to, it’s instinctual, and shouldn’t be
avoided. Also, I do agree we shouldn’t judge historical figures based on modern opinions,
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however, accepting it as moral is effectively agreeing with atrocities that should be shunned in
any time frame.
Word Count: 318
Total Word Count: 2104
Works Cited
Jones, Syl. “The Organization of Afro-American Unity Is Formed.” African American Registry.
AAREG, January 13, 2022. [Link]
unity-formed/.
Jones, Trevin. “The Ideological and Spiritual Transformation of Malcolm X.” EBSCO. Journal
of African American Studies, September 2020.
[Link]
2279176159f7%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPXNoaWImc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZl#AN
=145348490&db=a9h.
Kitche. “Malcolm X. Oxford University Union Debate in 1964.” Black History Month 2022.
Black history Month, May 8, 2021.
[Link]
3-1964/.
Martin, Lerone A. “Malcolm X.” The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute.
Stanford, August 4, 2020. [Link]
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Malcom X. “Speeches on Social Justices .” Malcolm X: Speech at Ford Auditorium. So Just,
1965. [Link]
Malcom X. “The Ballot or the Bullet.” Malcolm X: The ballot or the bullet. Social Justice
Speeches, 1964. [Link]
Rangel, Charles B. “[Link].70 — 108th Congress (2003-2004).” [Link]. Congress,
2003. [Link]
Verdieu, Gloria. The transformation of Malcolm X. Workers World, 2005.
[Link]
X., Malcom. Malcom X: The Autobiography of Malcom X As Told To Alex Haley. Grove Press,
October 29, 1965. (really good information, I need to read more in depth)
X, Malcom. Malcom X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements. January 11, 1994
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