Revolutionary Black Liberation Leader in the U.S.
1925-1965
Don’t I think that we should become
involved in some direct action,
demonstrations? We are going to unveil
our program on that next Sunday at
two o’clock. Brother, I’m for anything
you’re for as long as it’s going to get
some results. I’m for anything you’re
for. As long as it’s intelligent, as long
as it’s disciplined, as long as it’s aimed
in the right direction—I’m for it. And
what determines what we should
do, or shouldn’t do, will in no way be
influenced by what the man downtown
thinks.
We don’t need anybody on the outside
laying the ground rules by which we are
going to fight our battles. We'll study
the battle, study the enemy, study what
we’re up against, and then outline or
map our own battle strategy. And we’ll
get some results. But as long as you have
someone coming in from the outside
telling you how you should do it and
how you shouldn’t do it—and always
what they tell you is nonviolence,
peaceful, love everybody, forgive them
Lord, they know not what they do. As
long as you get into that kind of bag,
why you’ll never get anywhere. What
we want is to let them know that our
aims are just. Our aims are within the
realm of justice. And since they are,
we’re justified in going after those aims.
Excerpt from the Q&A period of
Malcolm's speech: There's A Worldwide
Revolution Going On (Feb. 15, 1965)
