Revolutionary Black Liberation Leader in the U.S.
1925-1965
Sitting at the table doesn't make
you a diner, unless you eat some
of what's on that plate. Being
here in America doesn't make
you an American. Being born
here in America doesn't make you
an American. Why, if birth made
you American, you wouldn't need
any legislation; you wouldn't
need any amendments to the
Constitution…
No, I'm not an American. I'm
one of the 22 million black
people who are the victims of
Americanism. One of the 22
million black people who are the
victims of democracy, nothing
but disguised hypocrisy. So, I'm
not standing here speaking to you
as an American, or a patriot, or a
flag-saluter, or a flag-waver -- no,
not I. I'm speaking as a victim of
this American system. And I see
America through the eyes of the
victim. I don't see any American
dream; I see an American
nightmare.”
- The Ballot or the Bullet.
April 3, 1964
