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Malcolm X

Malcolm X Quotes

Human rights activist

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Famous Malcolm X Quotes

“I learned early that crying out in protest could accomplish things. My older brothers and sister had started to school when, sometimes, they would come in and ask for a buttered biscuit or something and my mother, impatiently, would tell them no. But I would cry out and make a fuss until I got what I wanted. I remember well how my mother asked me why I couldn't be a nice boy like Wilfred; but I would think to myself that Wilfred, for being so nice and quiet, often stayed hungry. So early in life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise.”

IfsThinkingWantWellsSometimesWantedSchoolRememberMotherAsksBoysNiceCryBrotherQuietAccomplishHungryNoiseProtestBrothers And SistersWant SomethingOlder BrotherBiscuits
Book:The Autobiography of Malcolm X
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“I can't turn around without hearing about some 'civil rights advance's White people seem to think the black man ought to be shouting 'hallelujah's Four hundred years the white man has had his foot-long knife in the black man's back — and now the white man starts to wiggle the knife out, maybe six inches! The black man's supposed to be grateful? Why, if the white man jerked the knife out, it's still going to leave a scar!”

PeopleIfsThinkingMenYearsLongStillsI CanSeemsTurnsBlackWhiteFourRightsFeetOughtSixHundredGratefulHearingCivil RightsSupposed To BeKnivesScarInchesBe GratefulWhite ManShoutingHallelujah
Author:Malcolm X
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“We have a common enemy. We have this in common: We have a common oppressor, a common exploiter, and a common discriminator. But once we all realize that we have this common enemy, then we unite on the basis of what we have in common. And what we have foremost in common is that enemy - the white man. He's an enemy to all of us. I know some of you all think that some of them aren't enemies. Time will tell.”

ThinkingKnowsMenRealizingWhitePowerfulCommonEnemyBasesWhite ManOppressorsCommon EnemyTime Will Tell
Author:Malcolm X
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“Look at yourselves. Some of you teenagers, students. How do you think I feel and I belong to a generation ahead of you - how do you think I feel to have to tell you, 'We, my generation, sat around like a knot on a wall while the whole world was fighting for its hum an rights - and you've got to be born into a society where you still have that same fight.' What did we do, who preceded you ? I'll tell you what we did. Nothing. And don't you make the same mistake we made.”

ThinkingWorldFeelsLooksMadeStillsWholeFightingBornMistakeRightsGenerationsStudentsWallWhole WorldTeenagerSatMy GenerationKnotsSame Mistakes
Author:Malcolm X
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“I've never seen a sincere white man, not when it comes to helping black people. Usually things like this are done by white people to benefit themselves. The white man's primary interest is not to elevate the thinking of black people, or to waken black people, or white people either. The white man is interested in the black man only to the extent that the black man is of use to him. The white man's interest is to make money, to exploit.”

PeopleThinkingMenDoneHelpingUseBlackInterestWhiteBenefitsPrimariesMaking MoneySincereBlack PeopleWhite ManExploits
Author:Malcolm X
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“The white man knows what a revolution is. He knows that the Black Revolution is worldwide in scope and in nature. The Black Revolution is sweeping Asia, is sweeping Africa, is rearing its head in Latin America. The Cuban Revolution - that's a revolution. They overturned the system. Revolution is in Asia, revolution is in Africa, and the white man is screaming because he sees revolution in Latin America. How do you think he'll react to you when you learn what a real revolution is?”

ThinkingKnowsMenRealAmericaBlackWhiteRevolutionLatinWhite ManAsiaScopeLatin AmericaSweepingCubanCuban Revolution
Author:Malcolm X
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“I believe in Islam. I am a Muslim and there is nothing wrong with being a Muslim, nothing wrong with the religion of Islam. It just teaches us to believe in Allah as the God. Those of you who are Christian probably believe in the same God, because I think you believe in the God Who created the universe. That's the One we believe in, the One Who created universe - the only difference being you call Him God and we call Him Allah. The Jews call Him Jehovah. If you could understand Hebrew, you would probably call Him Jehovah too. If you could understand Arabic, you would probably call Him Allah.”

IfsThinkingBelieveChristianUniverseI BelieveDifferencesTeachIslamJewI Believe InHebrewJehovahReligion Of IslamBelieve In Allah
Book:February 1965: the final speeches
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“Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern, you change your attitude. Once you change your attitude, it changes your behavior pattern and then you go on into some action. As long as you gotta sit-down philosophy, you’ll have a sit-down thought pattern, and as long as you think that old sit-down thought you’ll be in some kind of sit-down action.”

ThinkingKindLongPhilosophyActionAttitudeGoes OnBehaviorPatternsChange Your AttitudeChange Your ThoughtsBehavior Patterns
Author:Malcolm X
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“I think the black man in America wants to be recognized as a human being; and it's almost impossible for one who has enslaved another to bring himself to accept the person who used to pull his plow, who used to be an animal, subhuman, who used to be considered as such by him-it's almost impossible for that person in his right mind to accept that person as his equal.”

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Author:Malcolm X
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