Ballot or the Bullet Quotes
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Source: Ballot or the Bullet
Speaker: Malcolm X
"We've got to fight until we overcome."
We want freedom now, but we're not going to get it saying "We Shall Overcome." We've got to fight until we overcome.
Context
This line was spoken by Malcolm X in his "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech in Cleveland, OH (April 3, 1964).
There are peaceful protests and not-so-peaceful protests, and the country teetered between the two in 1964, when Malcolm X delivered his "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech. In it, he says that he is sick of sitting around, waiting for change to happen. If the only people on the ballot are people who don't have the best interests of African-Americans in mind, what can possibly be done? This quote is Malcolm X's way of saying change needs to happen… or else.
Where you've heard it
You might hear this quote mentioned while talking about Malcolm X or more recent civil rights movements, like #blacklivesmatter.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
X = 3 when solving the equation of "How pretentious is this Malcolm X quote?"