African
Revolutionary Writers, Part 2b
Malcolm X
In this speech (“By Any Means Necessary”), linked below, Malcolm
X recalls the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and how
inspiring it was to him. The speech goes on:
“So we have formed an
organization known as the Organization of Afro-American Unity which has the
same aim and objective-to fight whoever gets in our way, to bring about the
complete independence of people of African descent here in the Western
Hemisphere, and first here in the United States, and bring about the freedom of
these people by any means necessary.
“That's our motto. We
want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We
want equality by any means necessary.”
The phrase “by any
means necessary” is repeated throughout the speech, and it ends:
“We declare our right
on this earth to be a man, to be a human being, to be respected as a human
being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth,
in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.”
Other speeches of Malcolm X include (these are links to PDF
downloads): “The Ballot or the Bullet”;
“Message to the Grassroots”;
and “Confronting White Oppression”.
You can also find videos of Malcolm X on YouTube, and MP3 files of his
speeches.
Malcolm X, a great revolutionary leader of his people, and
an inspiring orator, (Barack Obama tries to fake Malcolm X’s style) was gunned
down in 1965.
Reading these speeches confirms the close and active
relationship that remained between the struggling masses in Africa and in
America.
- The above serves
to introduce the original reading-text: Excerpts from the Speech
Founding the OAAU, Malcolm X, 28 June 1964.
- A PDF file of the reading text is attached
- To download any of the CU courses in PDF files please click here.
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