Malcom X - the True Cost of Freedom

The True Cost of Freedom

In the words of an ancient Chinese proverb “The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out.” When one party in an argument resorts to violence they acknowledge their ideas hold no ground. Since the founding of this country, the African American community has been subjected to racial discrimination and violence. During the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, when faced with racial equality, racists resorted to violence rather than allowing African Americans their basic human rights. In chapter 19 of Malcolm X’s autobiography, titled The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm X advocates the use of defensive violence as a means of gaining civil rights for African Americans. This proves to be an efficient and effective method of combating injustice and oppression in society.

Malcolm X, a famous black civil rights activist, endorses the idea of defensive violence as a valid way to go about changing society and the fight against injustice. This need for force is derived from “...the unemployment, bad housing and inferior education…” (Malcolm X) that African American’s are already subjected to. Malcolm X blames these societal inequalities as the reason that a violent uprising is inevitable. Rather than waiting for society to acknowledge the plights of the African Americans, Malcolm X opts to use violence to gain a more instant solution to the problem of racial segregation, by saying “I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to the American black man’s problem… To me a delayed solution is a non-solution” (Malcolm X). A nonviolent approach takes more time for a point to be made and even longer for real change to occur, whereas a violent approach draws attention to the need for immediate change. Malcolm X demands that change come as soon as possible, no matter what the cost. When violence is thrust upon another Malcolm X believes that “...it’s a crime for anyone who is being brutalized to continue to accept that brutality without doing something to defend himself” (Malcolm X). Just sitting idly by and continuing to accept violence, from Malcolm’s perspective, is just as harmful as the violence itself. It is a basic right for people to be able to defend themselves when being faced with aggression, regardless of their gender, race or personal creed. Malcolm X uses this reasoning, which not all people may agree with, to defend his fierce tactics in trying to end segregation in America.

Some may find Malcolm X’s reasoning for aggression as a catalyst for change unconvincing. These people may say that this violence for desegregation is racially charged and directed at all white people, racist or otherwise. However Malcolm X directly addresses this by saying “I have learned that not all white