Message to the Grass Roots facts for kids
"Message to the Grass Roots" is a famous speech given by civil rights leader Malcolm X. He delivered it on November 10, 1963, in Detroit, Michigan. The speech happened at a meeting called the Northern Negro Grass Roots Leadership Conference. In his speech, Malcolm X talked about important ideas. He explained the difference between a "Black revolution" and a "Negro revolution." He also compared "house Negroes" and "field Negroes" from the time of slavery to modern times. He also shared his thoughts on the 1963 March on Washington.
Contents
Understanding the Speech
A Common Goal
Malcolm X started his speech by saying that all African Americans shared similar experiences. He believed they should focus on what united them, not what made them different.
What you and I need to do is learn to forget our differences. When we come together, we don't come together as Baptists or Methodists. You don't catch hell because you're a Baptist, and you don't catch hell because you're a Methodist. You don't catch hell 'cause you're a Methodist or Baptist. You don't catch hell because you're a Democrat or a Republican. You don't catch hell because you're a Mason or an Elk, and you sure don't catch hell because you're an American; because if you were an American, you wouldn't catch hell. You catch hell because you're a Black man. You catch hell, all of us catch hell, for the same reason.
He said that Black Americans faced similar challenges because of their race. He felt they should unite against these challenges. Malcolm X mentioned the Bandung Conference from 1955. At this meeting, leaders from Asia and Africa came together. They put aside their differences to discuss their shared struggles against European control. Malcolm X said Black Americans should do the same.
Two Kinds of Revolution
Next, Malcolm X talked about two types of "revolution." He called them the "Black revolution" and the "Negro revolution." He explained that a true revolution often involves big changes and sometimes conflict. He pointed to revolutions like the American, French, Russian, and Chinese ones. These revolutions, he said, were about people wanting their own land and freedom. They also involved fighting.
Malcolm X then spoke about the "Negro revolution" in the United States. He felt that some people in the Civil Rights Movement believed in a "nonviolent revolution." He disagreed with this idea for a true revolution.
You don't have a peaceful revolution. You don't have a turn-the-other-cheek revolution. There's no such thing as a nonviolent revolution. The only kind of revolution that's nonviolent is the Negro revolution. The only revolution based on loving your enemy is the Negro revolution. ... Revolution is bloody, revolution is hostile, revolution knows no compromise, revolution overturns and destroys everything that gets in its way. And you, sitting around here like a knot on the wall, saying, "I'm going to love these folks no matter how much they hate me." No, you need a revolution. Whoever heard of a revolution where they lock arms, singing "We Shall Overcome"? You don't do that in a revolution. You don't do any singing, you're too busy swinging. It's based on land. A revolutionary wants land so he can set up his own nation, an independent nation. These Negroes aren't asking for any nation—they're trying to crawl back on the plantation.
He believed that a real revolution meant taking strong action to gain freedom and control.
House and Field Slaves
Malcolm X used an example from the time of slavery to make a point. He described two types of enslaved people: the "house Negro" and the "field Negro."
- The house Negro lived in the owner's house. They often had better clothes and food. Malcolm X said they sometimes felt loyal to their owner. If the owner was sick, a house Negro might say, "Are we sick?" They might not want to escape because they thought their life was as good as it could be.
- The field Negro worked outside on the plantation. They lived in small shacks and wore old clothes. Malcolm X said they often disliked their owners. If the owner's house caught fire, a field Negro might hope it burned down. If someone offered them a chance to escape, they would leave right away.
Malcolm X said these types of people still existed in his time. He saw modern "house Negroes" as those who wanted to live or work only among white people. He said they might brag about being the only Black person in their area. He saw the majority of Black people as modern "field Negroes," and he included himself in this group.
The March on Washington
Finally, Malcolm X talked about the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom from August 28, 1963. He said that many Black Americans were angry and wanted to march on the White House. He saw this as a powerful movement from the people.
He claimed that President Kennedy asked civil rights leaders to stop the march. But the leaders said they couldn't stop it because they didn't start it. Malcolm X said that rich white people then helped organize the march. He believed this changed the march from a strong protest into something less powerful, like "a circus."
They controlled it so tight, they told those Negroes what time to hit town, how to come, where to stop, what signs to carry, what song to sing, what speech they could make, and what speech they couldn't make; and then told them to get out town by sundown. And everyone of those Toms was out of town by sundown.
He felt that the march became too controlled and lost its original strong message.
Speech's Impact
Malcolm X's speech has been remembered and used in different ways. For example, the music group Public Enemy used parts of "Message to the Grass Roots" in their 1987 song "Bring the Noise." They made it sound like Malcolm X said "Too black, too strong."
Another band, Living Colour, used a quote from the speech in their 1988 song "Cult of Personality." The quote was:
And during the few moments that we have left, we want to talk right down to earth in a language that everybody here can easily understand.
See also
In Spanish: Mensaje a las bases (discurso) para niños
