25.000
In the name of Allah, the merciful.
All praises due to Allah, Lord of all worlds.
The one God to whom praise is due forever.
The one who came to us in the person of Fard Muhammad...
...and raised up the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Amen.
How do you feel?
Who do we want to hear? Malcolm X!
Are we gonna bring him on?
Yes, we gonna bring him on.
Let us hear from our minister, Mr. Malcolm X!
Let us bring him on with a round of applause.
I'm here to tell you that I charge the white man.
I charge the white man with being the greatest murderer on earth.
I charge the white man with being the greatest kidnapper on earth.
There's no place in this world that that man can go...
...and say he created peace and harmony. Everywhere he's gone...
...he's created havoc.
Everywhere he's gone, he's created destruction.
So I charge him with being the greatest kidnapper on this earth!
I charge him with being the greatest murderer on this earth!
I charge him with being the greatest robber and enslaver on this earth!
I charge the white man...
...with being the greatest swine-eater and drunkard on this earth!
He can't deny the charges.
You can't deny the charges! We're the living proof of those charges!
You and I are the proof.
You're not an American. You are the victim of America!
You didn't have a choice coming here. He didn't say:
"Black man, black woman, come over and help me build America."
He said, "Nigger, get in the boat."
"I'm taking you over there to help me build America."
Being born here does not make you an American.
I'm not a American and you are not American. You're one of the 22 million black people...
...who are victims of America. You and I, we've never seen democracy.
There's no democracy in the cotton fields of Georgia. No democracy down there.
We didn't see any democracy in the streets of Harlem, in the streets of Brooklyn, in the streets of Detroit, or Chicago.
Ain't no democracy down there. No, we've never seen democracy.
All we've seen is hypocrisy.
We don't see any American dream.
We've experienced only the American nightmare.
See that spot? Get it. The spot!
All right, that's it.
Hey, Cholly!
Where'd you get that number you hit on? Was it your girl's address?
No, my grandma gave me that number in my dreams. Straight!
3-8-4.
You said Sassy Frassy gave you...
That woman quit me.
After I hit the number, that woman was no good to me at all.
She said I was cheap because I wouldn't cop her a diamond ring.
And on top of that, had the indignation...
...to call me, of all people, Good-time Cholly...
...a cheap, black son of a bitch.
Where's homeboy?
Hey, Little.
Your man out here waiting on you.
There he is.
Fixing to get that first conk laid on?
Be hot like hell.
Don't be scared, son.
You ain't got nothing to worry about.
You in the hands of an expert.
My hair was just like yours. Look what he did for me.
Heckle and Jeckle...
...don't scare the man no more than he's scared already.
Get his forehead and eyebrows. Who's doing this?
You all heard that!
Pull my coat if it stings. This shit can burn a hole through cement.
Hold tight.
I thought you said this would sting, Shorty.
This ain't nothing.
Feel good, don't it? Real good?
Yeah, it's all right.
You'll feel better.
It is heating up a bit.
It's starting to heat up.
It's okay.
Feeling better, ain't it?
Just hold on. I'm holding, but it's heating.
Gotta make it straight.
That's what he told me too.
I gotta get this out now. It's starting...
Hold on. I'm holding, I'm holding.
Give me a hand!
Help me out! Hold him!
We're going to the sink!
I got to get up! I got to get up!
Cool it! Put water on it!
More water!
You're getting it in my eye!
How's it feel? Like there's no skin on my head!
If you can talk, it's out.
How does it look? Can't tell yet.
Is it straight? I'm not doing it again.
Let me dry it.
I can tell it's laying down.
Don't take it off yet.
Looks white, don't it?
All right!
Well, all root!
All reet!
Hit the brim with the left.
When my mother was pregnant with me...
...a party of Klansmen surrounded our house in Omaha, Nebraska.
They brandished guns and shouted for my father to come out.
My pregnant mother went to the door...
...and said that my father was in Milwaukee, preaching.
They said that good white Christians...
...would not stand for his troublemaking and to get out of town.
They broke every window with their rifles before riding away.
They rode off into the moonlight as suddenly as they had come.
My father was not a frightened Negro, as most were and many still are today.
He was 6 feet 4 and very strong.
He believed, as did Marcus Garvey...
...that freedom, independence and self-respect...
...wouldn't be achieved by Negroes in America.
...the object of building up for themselves a great nation in Africa.
Therefore...
...black men should leave America and return to their land of origin.
My father dedicated his life to his beliefs...
...because four of his six brothers died violently.
Three killed by white men, and one lynched.
There were nine children in our family.
My mother was a proud woman, an educated woman, a strong woman.
She was fair-skinned because her mother was raped by a white man.
One reason she married my father was because he was so black.
She hated her complexion and wanted her children to have some color.
I think this had a profound effect on me then and on most Negroes today.
Because so many of our sisters have been raped or violated by the white man...
...black men can't wait to get their hands on the white man's prize:
A white woman.
Africa for the Africans!
Say "Roseland."
Showtime!
Hi, Shorty!
You're too big!
I'm gonna come get you.
Come on, Shorty, l've gotta dance!
You in charge, boy!
You like what you see, baby?
Get back here!
Go ahead, boy!
Red, save me! Save me!
Gotcha!
Come on, Shorty. I wanna dance again!
Laura sure can go, can't she?
I gotta go freshen up. All right.
You come on back now. All right, Malcolm.
That chick is fine as May wine.
Except she lives up on a hill and got a grandmother too.
She a church girl. I don't know what I'm gonna do.
Wanna dance?
So what do they call you?
Red.
I'm Sophia.
How you doing?
Very well, thank you.
I have an idea, Red.
Why don't you take that little girl home and come on back?
Just walk, baby, don't run.
It'll be here when you get back.
Well, I better not come in.
I'm not stupid.
It's late, baby.
I know where you're going. I am not a total square.
I know what's happening... I gotta go home. It's late.
I gotta get up early in the morning. I gotta work tomorrow.
I'll call you tomorrow?
What for?
I'm not white and I don't put out, so why would you want to call me?
Good night, Mrs. Johnson. I'll call you tomorrow.
Am I the first white woman you've been with?
No, you ain't.
Shit, I done had plenty.
That isn't a whore?
Take your time.
Sophia's not going anywhere.
I told you to walk...
...don't run.
I don't like women that talk too much.
Who wants to talk?
You missed me.
Try this on for size.
I ducked. You ducked?
You didn't! I got you right between the toes!
I'm tired of playing the cops. I wanna be Bogart.
Shorty, you're too small to be Bogart.
I'm not too short to be Cagney.
One more!
You dirty, rotten, stinking copper!
You used to be a big shot.
There is just nothing I can do.
What do you mean, took his own life? You heard the verdict.
Verdict? A man takes a hammer and bashes in the back of his own head?
Then he lays on the tracks and kills himself?
We only act on the verdicts, we don't make them.
Do you pay or don't you?
Read the policy, ma'am.
It clearly states...
Come here, Sophia.
You're the man.
Sit down.
What's your story?
You one of them white chicks can't get enough colored studs?
I kiss my foot.
Go ahead, kiss it.
Now feed me.
That's your story, girl.
So when you gonna holler rape?
Me?
Yes, you. You would, if the time came.
Sure you would.
Malcolm, let me feed you.
Come on.
While they're hot.
I wish your mother and father could see you now.
And that o-fay you're gonna marry.
I sure wish Laura could see us.
Please, Malcolm.
There's nobody around.
No, this ain't right.
Why? Because you...
No, it's because of the white girl, isn't it?
It's not because of that. Folks say you run around with her.
Save it for Mr. Right. Your grandmother's smarter than you think.
I'm sorry she raised me that way.
Is your mother alive?
Yes, she's alive.
When I was a kid, I was so poor I thought "not for sale"...
...was a brand name.
I did knock.
Did you hear me say, "Come in"?
There's no point in fighting about it. I'm sorry.
May I sit down? You're nice enough to ask.
It's the same questions, Mrs. Little.
Since your husband's death... Murder. Murder.
...there's a question as to whether you can raise these children alone.
These are my children.
They're mine.
And they ain't no question.
Sometimes, Mrs. Little, candor is the only kindness.
All your children are delinquent...
...and one at least, Malcolm, is a thief.
Get out of here!
Your control over your children is therefore nonexistent.
Did you hear me?
You will regret this.
If you don't move through that door, you'll be past regretting!
We were parceled out, all of us.
I truly believe that if ever a state agency destroyed a family...
...it destroyed ours.
I was sent to a detention home and lived at this woman's house.
Mrs. Swerlin.
Boys, this is Malcolm, our new guest.
We'll treat him like a brother.
I was special. The only colored kid in the class.
I became sort of a mascot, like a pink poodle.
I got called a nigger so much, I didn't think it was wrong.
I thought it was my name.
They talked about me like I wasn't there. Like a pedigreed dog...
...or a horse.
Like I was invisible.
The important thing is to be realistic.
We all like you here, you know that.
But you're a nigger...
...and a lawyer is no realistic goal for a nigger.
But why, Mr. Ostrowski?
I gets the best grades in class.
I got voted class president. I want to be a lawyer.
I want you to think about something that you can be.
You're good with your hands, making things.
People would give you work. I would.
Why not become a carpenter?
That's a good profession for a colored.
Wasn't your pa a carpenter?
Jesus was a carpenter.
People like you as a person. You're doing real well.
Remember what we said.
"Nothing succeeds like success." Say it.
Nothing succeeds like success.
As long as you're realistic.
It's not the end of the world.
I said, "Don't..."
"...let them give that boy no pig."
It wasn't the end of the world for me.
But it was the beginning of the end for my mother.
A right cross to the jaw by Louis.
Louis takes Conn's head back with a right uppercut.
Louis hits left and right.
And Conn is down with a right cross to the jaw!
He's taking the count.
Four, five, six...
...seven. He's on his back. Eight. Nine.
He's getting up! The referee says it's all over!
What in hell is going on?
Nothing, Mr. Cooper.
The customer's are hungry.
Soup done finished, Mr. Cooper.
Right, Mr. Charlie.
The name is Mr. Cooper.
Don't you forget it.
Mr. Cooper.
What's the matter with you? You want me to get fired!
I got a wife and six kids!
Mr. Cooper is good white folk!
You is a young fool!
There'll never be another one like that!
He's done it!
And by a knockout...
...and still the world's heavyweight champion:
Joe Louis!
Ham and cheese! Excuse me, sir.
Ham and cheese here! I got coffee.
Lemon meringue pie. Hey, boy!
Ham and cheese. Yes, sir. Best in the house.
You're pleased with yourself. I aims to please, sir.
I'm pleased to aim.
I like you, boy. Thank you.
I keep the change.
Right, sir! Ham and cheese!
Harlem!
And here's Joe Lewis, back in Harlem.
They're celebrating! They're going crazy!
They're dancing! They're hanging from street signs!
Everybody's out!
Everyone's having a great time! Listen to them roar!
Joe's a credit to his race. What a fine gentleman!
But he's also a fine American.
The Brown Bomber, Joe Louis!
Hey, sugar.
Slow down. What's your hurry? No hurry.
Let me show you something new.
I got gold watches, diamond rings.
Any one of these. Whatever you need.
I don't need that.
You need something, baby. Whatever you need!
A couple of these make a player look good.
My man!
The word is "excuse me," boy. "Excuse me" don't shine my shoes.
Then stay out of my way.
Old country nigger.
What you gonna do?
Go home to your mama?
Nigger, don't you ever in your life say anything against my mother!
Give me a whiskey.
I ordered a single, Jack.
The double's on that gentleman, "Jack."
Who is that?
That's West lndian Archie.
What's his angle?
Some of this, some of that.
Nothing's gonna bite you.
You look like you're new in town.
From what I can see, you're pretty handy with a bottle.
He had it coming.
Pull up a chair.
What do they call you?
Red.
And I ain't no punk.
You better not be.
Any cat toe you down here, you stand up or make tracks.
Man live by his rep.
Better believe it.
So what do you do?
Working on the train.
Like that job?
It keeps me out of the Army. They want you, nothing'll keep you out.
Not this boy.
So I hear tell you're a good man to know.
Where you hear that? Boston, where I'm from.
I kiss my neck.
I've never been in Beantown.
Like the man said, a man's rep travels.
How about that!
You bullshitting me?
My father told me never bullshit a West lndian.
Your daddy's West lndian?
My mama.
She's from Grenada.
Grenada.
I like this guy.
I like your country.
Grenada.
Where'd you get them goddamn vines you got on?
And them shoes?
Oh, my.
We can do something about that.
But he's putting a hurting on my vision, man!
Relax.
How do I find you?
You can't.
I get a hold of you.
All right, I'll write it down.
Don't ever write anything down.
File it up here.
Like I do.
If the man don't have any paper, he will never have any proof.
Dig?
Yeah, I dig. Right.
Look me in the face.
Did you just con me?
Yes, sir.
Why?
Because I want in.
It don't take a lot to know you're already there.
At least he ain't lying.
I have a run to make.
Let me make that run with you, Mr. Archie.
I like your heart.
I like your style.
You might just do, Mr. Red.
Unless you have to get back to your train job.
I've told him what to do with that train.
When? Just now.
All right.
Come with me.
I'm taking you shopping.
Cadillac's the name.
Sammy, man.
You ready? Good.
Button more buttons on the jacket.
You look good.
But you're missing something.
Frisk me.
Go ahead, frisk me.
Nothing, right?
I'm still carrying.
This was my first gun.
Now it's yours.
Thank you.
You wear it...
...wear it so.
Small of the back.
Now you're outfitted.
Ready for the streets?
I'm ready.
Let them come.
Let us now turn to the Gospel According to St. John.
Chapter 3...
...verse 23.
323.
"And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim..."
"...because there was much water."
"And they came..."
"...and were baptized."
313.
255.
It got to be 251.
403.
I saw it in my dream.
555.
What do you know? I feel straight.
Your lucky day.
Roll it for me.
I told you, no paper, no trouble.
I'm working on it.
I keep my numbers in my head.
I've never written a number down yet. Remember that.
Your turn.
Easy.
You there?
If I ain't, I'm next door.
Nothing in this world can give you that real deep cool.
The girl.
About as mellow as I can be.
Cool enough to kill.
I realize that.
Easy, easy, easy, easy. Stick them up.
Archie!
Baby?
Malcolm, you're so funny.
Give me some money, baby.
Come on, baby.
The bitch move too slow.
Sometimes this guy has a big ugly mouth.
What time is it, baby?
8:21.
I like that. Combinate me.
821.
128.
218.
I'm taking the bet.
Time to reload.
I thought you said we was going to the movies last night.
You said that.
I'm sorry. I say a lot of things.
I believed you.
Do your job now. Get me a pack of Lucky Strikes and a cognac.
Daniel come in yet?
Ain't that him?
Gorgeous!
How you been today? You been waiting long?
Let me look at you.
I've been missing you today, Laura. How you doing, baby?
I'm all right. Copacetic. Great. Did you work today?
No, baby, I didn't go to work.
I need a five-spot. I gave you 10 this morning.
Give me the goddamn $5!
It ain't the money. I wanna...
...make sure you're okay.
I gotta pay back this guy.
I'll be right back.
Like last time?
I swear, I'll be right back.
Laura, I love you.
You know that chick?
You a private detective now?
Just asking.
Don't ask me no goddamn questions.
I ask you the questions. You understand?
She come in here a lot? Almost every night.
With him?
She know he's high? If she got eyes, she do.
She ain't hooking?
Not yet, Red.
But the way things are, he'll turn her out any day now.
You stuck on her?
That's your problem. You need to mind your own business.
Don't do that!
I wanna talk to you, all right? Have a seat.
Don't pay him any mind, hear? All right.
All right? I'm all right.
Buy yourself something nice.
Hey, baby.
Give me a light.
You look uptight. What's the problem?
No problem. Sure?
Everything's all right. I'm not worrying about it.
I'm thinking about my money.
Six big ones you owe me, right?
What?
821. lt hit, didn't it?
You didn't have 821.
Were you high? I threw the slats at you, told you to combinate me.
You never had it.
I tell you I did. Sophia was there.
You remember, don't you?
What would she say?
Don't do this.
All right?
All right.
All right, skip it.
But you're slipping, aren't you?
You done slipped.
Archie, wait.
Come on, Archie. Look...
Come on. You want a drink or something? I'm buying.
I ain't drinking with you.
All right?
Come, Sam.
I'll be right there, man.
Twenty-two years.
Twenty-two years, I never knowed him to forget a number.
First time for everything.
What are you talking about?
The first thing he'll do is check with the collector for an oversight.
His rep is on the line. So is yours.
And, Red, if you're lying, you're a dead man.
Dead, dead, dead.
You go and tell him that.
My man, Red.
Night to you.
I don't understand Archie. You had the number.
Didn't I tell you never sit with your back to no door?
You know what?
You're a damn liar.
And so is she.
So you figure to take me...
...you bastard?
I'm taking you.
So it's you and me? That's right.
I'll give you the $600.
I don't want it. I'm wearing.
There's three guns on you, so you take your chances.
Let's walk.
So this is how I'm going out?
In a toe-down? Toe-down, yes.
Let's go. We'll let Billie finish.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Wake up.
Wake up!
There's somebody out there.
Wake the kids.
Follow me! Wait! Wait!
Go! Go!
Careful!
Good thing we're all good Christians. It's time for you to leave this town.
It's a free country.
We warned you about Garvey preaching! Stirring up the good niggras!
I ain't a boy!
I'm a man! You're a dead nigger.
And a real man don't hide behind sheets!
You take these bullets for them sheets!
I know you're a better shot than that.
You should've killed them.
You should've shot them all dead.
I just wanted to scare them.
They won't be around here bothering us no more.
They won't be here no time soon.
I'm a man!
That'll teach you.
Get a doctor!
He doesn't need a doctor, he needs a preacher.
I'm glad we got you out of there.
With Archie on your ass, your name on the wire...
...Boston's the best goddamn place for you.
We'll take it easy, huh, baby?
I got a place fixed up for us on Harvard Square. How's that sound?
Sounds good. We'll lay low for a while.
Don't you worry about a thing. I'll stake you.
I got my band. I'm blowing great sax.
You ain't even heard us play!
Like every hustler, I was trapped.
Cats that hung together to find security...
...to find an answer, found nothing.
Cats that might've cured cancer...
West Indian Archie might've been a mathematical genius.
We were all victims of the American social order.
Until that time, there were three things I was always afraid of:
...a job, a bust and jail.
But I realized then that I wasn't afraid of anything. I was an animal.
He don't look too good.
We're gonna rob this town blind.
Anybody want out, say so now.
I set up a stake, and I got somebody to move the goods.
We need a driver. Any suggestions?
How about Rudy?
Who's Rudy?
I'm half-wop, half-nigger. I'm not afraid of nobody.
What do you do?
Name it, I claim it.
Rudy does catering. Rich joints.
All right.
Tell him about Baldy.
He's this old, rich o-fay motherfucker.
I give him a bath every Friday night.
Towel him off, talcum powder on him, put him to bed.
Just like a baby. He gets his jollies off.
What about him?
Guy's got jewelry. He's got a coin collection. He's got china.
He's got rugs. That might be all right.
Shit, I know this town. I got my own fences.
Who is this guy?
Who put you in charge?
You wanna be in charge?
I am in charge.
You head nigger in charge. I'm the head nigger in charge.
Big-head nigger.
I'll tell you what.
Because I'm a fair man...
...and I like big-head niggers like you.
We'll flip for it.
We'll flip this.
She loves me.
She loves me not.
She loves me.
She loves me not.
She loves me.
I'll flip first.
Red, cool it. Come on.
Head man in charge, right?
Put the gun down.
We believe you.
Red, stop clowning around, all right? For chrissakes!
Your turn, Rudy.
Quit fooling around. Come on, guys.
You don't wanna flip?
Let me show you how. Red, don't!
He doesn't know how. I have to show him.
Did you miss something?
You got your eyes open? Look at me.
You don't have to do this, Red.
That was really dumb.
Your flip. You wanna do it? No, you don't, do you?
I'll help you.
Here. Red, don't.
Should we shoot that wop nose of yours off?
Or is that the nigger side? ls that the wop side or the nigger side?
Is that wop or nigger? I guess that's the wop side.
I'm not going to jail.
Put the gun away. Come on, this is enough.
Say goodbye, Rudy.
Rudy said something.
What'd you say?
Speak up.
Jesus Christ! When are you gonna stop?
I did two, so I owe you two.
You got it.
I got it. What did you say? You got it.
Rudy says I got it.
Rudy, don't you ever...
...try and cross someone who ain't afraid to die, you hear me?
All right.
This is what we'll do.
We'll hit old Talcum Powder tonight.
My friend Rudy's gonna draw up the plans.
Everything that's in the house, right?
Peg, Sophia, you get those tools like I asked you.
We're gonna hit tonight because some of us have high visibility during the day.
It's okay with you, right?
Merry Christmas, Rudy.
One big happy family.
I love you.
What happened to the bullet? Did you palm that bullet?
What bullet?
The bullet.
You're crazy.
Shorty!
Easy, Shorty, easy.
My man, Red.
My man!
When's Rudy due back?
Thirty minutes.
I'm almost finished.
Girls ought to be getting back from casing that rug joint.
They should be.
We've done a good job.
We're killing them, ain't we?
They don't know what's hitting them.
Let me work back in this kitchen. You getting the kitchen?
Putting naps on in the kitchen.
If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.
All right, let's go to the sink.
Come on, it's starting to heat up.
It's burning? It's all right.
Put your head down.
Come on, man. I turned it.
It's started to sting. Get out of the way!
It's burning?
Hell, yeah, it's burning!
Goddamn it!
Nigger, take your head out of the shit bowl!
That's it. Get up slowly.
Watch it! No funny business now.
Red, the jig is up.
The average first offender gets two years for burglary.
We were all first offenders. That's what the girls drew.
Two years in the women's reformatory.
Our crime wasn't burglary.
It was sleeping with white girls. They threw the book at us.
Burglary, count one, 8 to 10 years.
Count two, 8 to 10 years.
Count three, 8 to 10 years.
Count four, 8 to 10 years.
Count five, 8 to 10 years.
Count six, 8 to 10 years. Count seven, 8 to 10 years.
Count eight, 8 to 10 years.
Count nine, 8 to 10 years. Count ten, 8 to 10 years.
Count eleven, 8 to 10 years. Count twelve, 8 to 10 years.
Count thirteen, 8 to 10 years, and count fourteen...
Fourteen counts of 8 to 10 years.
Sentences to run concurrently.
Shorty thought he'd given us 100 years, until I explained "concurrently."
It meant a minimum of 10 years hard labor...
...at the Charlestown State Prison.
The date was February 1946.
Fuck you.
Cellblock A, secure.
Look at him.
I see him.
He about to bust?
He not gonna bust. He wouldn't give them the pleasure.
Little!
Your number.
Little!
What?
Give him a break.
He's a new fish. I'll give him a break.
Now state your number, Little.
I forgot it.
State it.
I forgot it.
You can read it right there, boy!
Can't you read, boy? Fuck you!
I'll teach you a lesson.
I forgot it!
They ain't gonna break me down.
I'm in this situation, and I'm getting out.
Anything go wrong, I'm strong.
Time's up, Little.
Now state your number.
Suit yourself. Ten more days.
Water!
You want a smoke?
You know what a friend you have in Jesus, son?
A friend?
He's a friend? If he's such a friend, where is he?
What's he done for me?
A friend!
Tell you what you do, you tell him to call me.
Call me and tell me what kind of friend he is.
Solitary 2-2607.
What he done for me, chappy?
Where is he when I need him?
You tell me that! Where is this Jesus? I'll tell you where.
He's out with the police captain! I'll straighten him out!
What's he done for me? He ain't done nothing for me!
"What a friend we have in Jesus." Jesus can kiss my ass!
Tell Jesus to kiss my ass. How about that? Tell him that.
Little!
State your number.
Come on, state it!
A-22...
What?
A-228...
Come on.
I know how you feel.
Like you want to lay down and die.
I brought you something.
I don't need no more favors from you.
It's nutmeg.
Put it in the water. You need something to get the monkey off your back.
It's not cocaine, but it'll help some.
Drink it slow. The stuff is strong.
So what's your hype?
I can show you how to get out of prison. And it's no hype.
Talk, daddy-o. I'm listening.
This ain't bad. You got some more? That's the last fix I'm giving you.
So why'd you give it to me?
Because you needed it. Because you couldn't hear me without it.
Nigger, get on out of my face.
I think you got more sense than any cat in this prison.
Why the hell don't you use it?
You can't bust out of here like they do in the movies.
Even if you get out, you're still in prison.
You ain't lying.
You'll bang against a stone wall. You're not using your brain!
That's what the white man wants.
Look at you, putting all that poison in your hair.
I think you been in prison too long. Everybody on the outside conks.
Why does everybody on the outside conk?
They don't want to walk around with a nappy head, looking like...
Looking like me?
Like a nigger?
Why not look like what you are?
What makes you ashamed of being black?
Let me tell you something. I'm not ashamed of being anything.
You better let go. I gotta wash this out.
Let it burn! Nigger, get your hands off of me!
Go on. Burn yourself. Pain yourself.
Put all that poison in your hair, in your body, trying to be white!
I don't want to hear this. I thought you were smart.
But you just another cat strutting down the avenue...
...in your clown suit with all that mess on you!
Looking like a monkey!
The white man sees you and laughs because he knows you ain't white.
Who are you?
The question is, who are you?
I'll tell you.
You are lost in the darkness.
But Elijah Muhammad has come to bring you into the light.
Who?
Elijah Muhammad...
...can get you out of prison.
Out of the prison of your mind.
But maybe all you want is another fix.
...you get used to this life, and it puts you to sleep.
You stop thinking and acting for yourself.
If you had to scrounge 3 squares a day, you'd cut your throats.
So you let them feed you, give you dominoes to play with.
Let you shoot marbles, play baseball. Let's go. Cut the sermon.
He blows his whistle and you sit, you stand, you grab, gobble...
...file out...
...sleep, and sing out your number.
I told you to knock it off.
Now...
...are you gonna take yard?
I'm staying.
Me too.
What are you sniffing around for?
I told you, I gave you your last fix.
What's your angle, nigger?
"Nigger"? Who's wearing the conk?
You the only cat in this prison I done seen act like you do.
You ain't even afraid of the guards.
What's he gonna do to me he hasn't done already?
I mean, you don't cuss none. You don't talk that "What-ya-know-daddy" jive.
A man curses because he doesn't have the words to say what's on his mind.
I know you got a angle some kind of way.
Don't con me.
Don't con me and don't try.
Hey, just offering you a cigarette, my man. Ain't no big deal.
I read, study.
The first thing a black man must have is self-respect.
Respect his body and his mind.
Quit taking the white man's poisons into his body.
His cigarettes, his dope, his liquor, his white women, his pork.
Pork?
My mama used to say don't eat no pork.
Your mama was right. A pig is a filthy beast.
Part rat, part cat and the rest is dog.
All right, pull my coat on this now.
What happen if you give all that up?
I mean, the pork. You get sick and you get a medical or something?
Like when I was on the outside, I ran this hustle. I tried...
I'm telling you God's words, not no hustle.
And I'm gonna tell you...
...God is black.
God is black? Everybody knows God is white.
You accepted everything the white man taught. He said you were a heathen...
...and you believed him. He said Jesus was blond and blue-eyed...
...with white skin...
...and you believed him.
He said that black was a curse and you believed that.
Ever look up the word "black"? For what?
Did you ever study anything that wasn't a con?
What the hell for, man?
Come with me.
"Black: Destitute of light...
...devoid of color.
Enveloped in darkness...
...hence utterly dismal or gloomy...
...as, 'The future looked black."
Pretty good with them words.
Soiled with dirt...
...foul.
...Sullen...
...hostile...
...forbidding, as, 'a black day.'
Foully or outrageously wicked...
...as, 'black cruelty.'
Indicating disgrace, dishonor or culpability.
And there's others. "Blackmail. Blackball. Blackguard."
That's something, all right.
Let's look up "white."
Here.
Read.
"White:
The color of pure snow.
Reflecting all the rays of the spectrum.
The opposite of black.
Free from spot or blemish.
Innocent. Pure."
Ain't this something? "Without evil intent.
Harmless.
Honest, square-dealing...
...and honorable." Wait a minute.
This was written by white folks, though.
Sure ain't no black man's book. So why read it?
So you can read the truth behind the words.
You got to take everything the white man says and use it against him.
There's a whole lot of words in here.
Here. Let's start at the beginning.
We'll look them up, write them down and find out what they mean.
Page one. The first word: "Aardvark."
Aardvark.
Earth pig. African, ant-eating mammal.
Abacus:
Chinese calculating instrument.
Abaddon:
The place of the lost in Sheol.
The bottomless pit.
If you take one step toward Allah...
...he'll take two steps toward you.
Lights out!
Boy'll wear out a baseball.
What's the score, my man? 10 to 1.
We're murdering them! Didn't you hear?
No. What happened?
The Dodgers brought up Jackie Robinson! We're pouding them, celebrating!
That's all right.
Sure.
White man throw us a bone and we're supposed to forget...
...400 years of oppression.
Yeah, but a nigger...
A Negro in the big leagues, that's something.
I told you to go behind the words and dig out the truth.
They let us sing and dance and smile...
...and then they let one so-called Negro into the majors.
That doesn't cancel out history's greatest crime.
When that grafted, blue-eyed devil locked us in chains...
...one hundred million of us, broke up our families...
...tortured us...
...cut us off from our language, our religion, our history...
Let me tell you about black history.
We are the original man.
The first men on earth were black. They ruled.
And there wasn't a white face anywhere.
But they teach us that we swung from trees.
That's a lie. Black men never did that.
We were a race of kings when the white man...
...crawled on all fours in Europe.
Do they know who they are?
Do you know where you came from? What's your name?
Malcolm Little.
That's the name of the slave masters that owned your family.
You don't even know who you are.
You're nothing. Less than nothing.
Who are you?
Look, I ain't... Shit!
All right, I ain't Malcolm Little. Or Red. Or Satan.
That's right. So who are you?
I don't know. We are a nation...
...of the tribe of Shabazz...
...lost in this wilderness called North America.
Tribe of Shabazz.
The merciful Allah has sent us a messenger...
...a black man named Elijah Muhammad.
He reveals to us the true knowledge about ourselves.
He teaches that the true nature of the original man, the black man...
...is righteousness.
If the black man's nature is righteousness...
Then the true nature of the white man is wickedness.
I knew you'd get it.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches that the white man is a devil.
I sure met some in my life.
Elijah Muhammad does not say that some white men are devils.
He teaches us that all white men are devils.
Have you ever known a good white man? Think back in all your life.
Have you ever met one who wasn't evil?
The body is a sacred temple...
...it must be purified.
I will not touch the white man's poison:
His drugs...
...his liquor...
...his swine...
...his women.
A Muslim must be strikingly upright...
...an outstanding example...
...so that those in the darkness can see the power of the light.
I will not commit adultery or fornication.
I will not lie...
...cheat or steal.
But the key to Islam is submission.
That is why five times daily, we turn to Mecca to pray...
...to bend our knees in submission.
I can't do that, Brother Baines.
The lost, found, must bend their knees...
...to admit their guilt.
To implore Allah's forgiveness is the hardest thing on earth.
The hardest and the greatest.
I don't know what I would say to Allah.
Have you ever bent your knees?
Yes, when I was...
...picking a lock to rob someone's house.
Tell Allah that.
You can grovel and crawl for sin but not to save your soul?
Pick the lock. Pick it.
I want to.
God knows I want to.
I received a letter that day from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
The dear Holy Apostle wrote to me...
...a nobody, a junkie, a pimp and a convict.
I have come to give you...
...something which can never be taken away from you.
I bring to you a sense of your own worth...
...the worth of one human being.
The knowledge of self.
It was like a blinding light. I was aware that he was in the room with me.
He wore a dark suit, and on his face I saw a wisdom...
...and pain so old and deep that I could scarcely look at him.
But I knew I wasn't dreaming. He was there with me.
I tell you...
...the most dangerous creation in the world...
...in any society...
...is the man with nothing to lose.
You do not need 10 such men to change the world.
One will do.
The earth belongs to us...
...the black man.
And whatever is around it...
...or on it, or in it...
...belongs to us.
And then as suddenly as he came...
...he was gone.
And then I could do it.
We're taught that Paul...
...on the road to Damascus, heard the voice of Christ.
He was so smitten by the truth that he fell from his horse.
Now, I don't liken myself to Paul...
...but I do understand.
You see, it happened to me.
Why me?
Dear Brother Malcolm: I am back in the bosom of Islam, praise Allah.
We don't have much, but what we have is yours.
My wife and my sonjoin me in saying that when you come out...
...which won't be long, come straight to us.
Next.
What'll it be?
Take it all off.
Getting rid of that conk, huh? Yes, sir.
You write, thanking me.
Don't thank me, thank Allah. He did it all.
Dear Brother Baines:
Please thank Elijah Muhammad for the money...
...and tell him I haven't written him...
...because I've not yet proven myself.
But I have shared his teachings with old running buddies in Harlem...
...and with my main man, Shorty, who was transferred upstate.
He's gone nuts.
Dear Brothers:
I thank you for your time and concern.
All praises due to Allah for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
I wrote the mayor, the governor and the President...
...but for some reason I haven't heard from them.
Please tell Elijah...
...I have dedicated my life to telling the white devil the truth to his face.
I greet you with the ancient words of peace, "As-Salaam-Alaikum."
P. S. I finally copied out the entire dictionary.
I think the brother is coming along.
The thief cometh not but for to steal...
...and to kill, and to destroy.
But I am come...
...that they might have life...
...and that they might have it more abundantly.
Saint John 10, verse 10. Are there any questions?
Watch it, baby. This cat is heavy on religion.
I see this has become a struggle between good and evil.
"Satan" has a question.
Yes, sir. But since neither of us are God...
...neither of us can say who's good and who's evil.
Just ask your question.
We were discussing the Disciples. What color were they?
Well, I don't think...
...we know for certain.
But they were Hebrews? That's right.
As was Jesus. Jesus was also a Hebrew.
Just ask your question.
What color were the Hebrews?
I have told you that we don't know that for certain.
Then you can't believe for certain that Jesus was white.
Just a moment. Just a moment.
God is white. lsn't it obvious?
That's obvious, but it's not obvious that God is white.
Elijah Muhammad teaches us...
...that Jesus didn't have blond hair and blue eyes.
Elijah Muhammad teaches that images of Jesus...
...in prisons and churches throughout the world...
...are not historically correct.
Because history teaches us...
...Jesus was born in a region where the people had color.
There's proof in the Bible you ask us to read...
...in Revelations, chapter 1, verses 14 and 15...
...that Jesus had hair like wool...
...and feet the color of brass.
What're you saying? I'm not saying anything.
I'm proving to you that Jesus was not, to quote an lndian brother...
...he was not a paleface.
Amen.
Isn't that interesting!
Brother Malcolm.
He's waiting for you.
My son...
You have been a thief...
...a drug dealer and a hustler...
...and the world is still full of temptation.
When God spoke to the devil about how faithful Job was...
...the devil argued...
...that it was only God's protective hedge around him...
...that kept him pure.
In fact, the devil said:
"Remove that hedge and he will curse his Maker."
Well, Malcolm...
...your hedge has been removed.
And I believe...
...you...
...will remain faithful.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sister.
How many of these should we make?
Five hundred. Make it 1000.
Brother Malcolm, this is Brother Earl. He just accepted the teachings.
Brother Earl's dedicated. We need good men like him.
I'm a willing servant for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
Go ahead, brothers. Keep it busy.
Take a real good look at not just where you live...
...but take a good look at where everybody you know lives.
I don't want you to think you're some bad-luck accident.
Then I want you to go downtown, to Central Park West...
Go in other communities...
You've never seen a Booker T. Washington store...
...in an ltalian community.
You've never seen no Frederick Douglass delicatessen...
...in the Jewish community.
Why's everybody in this community making money but us?
It's time for black men and women to stand up...
...and take control of our dollars.
It's time for us to use our dollars for our liberation.
We can do what everyone else can if we become producers...
...and if we become the masters of our own destiny.
We can have wool from sheep just like anyone else.
But where are our clothing stores?
We can get milk from cows, but where are our grocery stores?
We need to control our dollars! We need to control our destiny!
The only thing they respect is our dollars!
...the so-called freedom we should have.
The Statue of Liberty stands like this.
For us, it may as well say, "Stop, don't come no further."
"Don't come no further."
Brothers and sisters, I want you to...
I want you to come down to the temple.
Oh, I'm so surprised!
I'm so surprised. You all been in church two hours...
...expecting to see heaven, but you're still here on earth.
Why don't you come on down to the temple at 2:00?
You'll hear truth, the black man's truth.
No, you can't deny it. You been on your knees for hours...
...begging some God to help you in the hereafter.
But the hereafter is right now. The hereafter is here and now.
Let me talk to you, brother.
I know you're a smart man and a wise man.
You look good.
Now, you're in church every day, praying to this God.
But these so-called white Christians...
...hang our black Christians from trees.
This man hates you. He doesn't do anything for you.
He tells you to foam at the mouth and sing...
...and hope for something in the hereafter.
We can have it now.
Come on down, 2:00. See you later.
As-Salaam-Alaikum That means, "Peace be unto you."
We have two children. Carla, who's two, and...
Don't be ashamed when I call you black. You are.
You're black and you're beautiful. Black is beautiful.
You don't have to come here begging these folks for a job.
You can wash their clothes and scrub floors for them.
You can rock their little brats to sleep your whole life.
You'll still end up poor.
Yet you're here on the auction block being examined...
...like you're a horse or a slave.
You see this here? This is who you are. Beautiful.
Your beautiful black selves, with pride and dignity.
I'd also expect you to work one Saturday every month...
...and occasionally in the evening...
See, these are the questions you and I have to ask:
"How did we get this mind?"
You're not an American, but an African who happens to be in America.
You must understand the difference.
We didn't come over on the Nina, the Pinta and the what-you-want-call-it.
We didn't land on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock landed on us.
Landed right on top of us.
Shorty?
Is that you, brother?
Now, this is exactly what I'm talking about, the slave mentality...
...the slave mind.
This brother and I had the slave mind.
We used to rob together. We slept with white women.
We even went to prison together.
Don't be surprised. Some of you are still in prison...
...prisons of your mind.
Stand up, brother. Come on.
The brother's a little shy.
Come on, brother. Give me a hug.
That's all right, brother.
Look, he's still got his hair fried.
That's the slave mind.
Red, that's the best preacher hype I ever did hear.
No hype, brother. It's the truth.
Come back to the temple and hear more.
I can't pay that shit no mind.
You need to pay it all your mind. What's left.
Take it easy. This is me. Shorty.
Let's go around the corner...
No, sir. Not anymore. l've been clean for eight years.
Eight years? Eight years.
My trouble is, I love pigs feet and white women too much.
So I damn sure can't be no Muslim.
That's because you're lost, brother. That's because you're lost.
But we can find you.
What do you hear about the old gang?
You heard about Sammy?
Dead. Knocked over in bed with a chick 25 years younger than he was.
Had 25 grand in his pocket, also. Guess it was his lucky number.
What about...
What was his name?
Cadillac?
Gone too?
Hooked on heroin. Been in and out of Lexington five or six times.
Sophia?
Still happily married to that rich o-fay.
She married him? She married him.
Went for the money.
The money. Thank you, honey.
I haven't seen West lndian Archie.
Grapevine says he's living in the Bronx.
If you wanna call that living.
It's been good seeing you.
Same here, Red.
Get the hell away from me, bitch!
I'll pay you tomorrow!
How you doing, Archie?
My man, Red.
Come here, man.
No, don't get up. It's all right.
Is...
...really you, Red?
Yes, it's me.
I came to...
...just to thank you...
...for saving my life.
When I think back to when we were in Harlem trying to...
...gun each other down...
I wasn't going to shoot you, man.
It was...
...just my rep.
You know?
All I had was my rep.
But now...
...you tell me this.
You did really have that number?
I don't know, Archie...
I don't remember, and it's not important.
The important thing now is to get you back on your feet.
You know, I have some angles...
...ain't been figured yet.
It's all right.
Help me with my arm.
I need to exercise my arm.
That's better?
Yep. lt feels good.
Good.
What happened to our women? They could've been doctors, lawyers...
...or teachers or mothers. Who'll raise our children?
What happened to our men?
Men who could've been mathematicians, electricians, physicians.
What's the little boy gonna do...
...when he's looking for his father who's in jail?
What'll the girl do...
...when she's looking for her mother who's out selling herself?
I'm telling you, that devil has made dead souls out of you and I.
You're dead, spiritually.
You're dead to the knowledge of yourself and your people...
...and to the knowledge of your God.
Why, he should get down on his knees.
He should beg our mercy.
Oh, my brothers and sisters...
...his kind has committed God's greatest crime...
...against your and my kind every day of his life!
He should get on his knees and say he's committed a crime.
But does he do that?
Does he do that? No, no, he scorns you.
He splits your head with his nightstick.
He busts you in the head with his billy club.
And he calls you a nigger...
...a coon. That's what he says to you. "Boy!" "Nigger!"
Four hundred years is long enough.
You've sat down and laid down and bowed down for 400 years.
I think it's time to stand up. I think it's time to stand up.
We're with you! All right.
Bless you.
Glory! My Lord! Praise Him!
Yes, sir. Next Wednesday, 8:00.
I'll see you there.
Brother Baines? Excuse me, sister.
Do you think we can get a loudspeaker set up outside?
I'm sure we can.
Brother Malcolm, this is Sister Betty.
She lectures our Muslim women on hygiene and diet.
She stresses care for the body and regular eating habits.
Good.
As-Salaam-Alaikum. Alaikum-Salaam, sister.
Brother Minister...
...the sister wonders if you know what Harriet Tubman did...
...between taking souls to the Promised Land?
No. What's that, sister?
She ate.
Excuse me.
She's interesting.
Minister, I was hoping you'd come and speak to my class.
Yes, I'll speak to your class.
But I'm a hard man on the women. Are you?
We must be very careful when it comes to women.
Too many of our women...
...have too much of the devil in them.
Bleaching and dyeing...
...and ironing their hair.
Running around in the streets half-naked.
Talking too much.
Listening to the wrong men...
...making them deceitful, untrustworthy, fresh.
And you men are to blame too.
We don't protect, we don't value, we don't even support them.
See, the building of a new nation...
...begins with the woman.
Because the mother...
...is the first teacher of the child.
The message she gives that child, the child gives to the world.
When it comes to choosing a mate...
...Samson, the strongest man that ever lived, was destroyed...
...by the woman that slept in his arms.
Should I tell my sisters, then...
...that we don't believe in marriage?
No, we don't oppose marriage.
We're not Catholic priests.
We don't believe in celibacy.
Mr. Muhammad teaches that if a woman...
...is the right height and complexion for a man...
If she's...
...half the man's age, plus seven.
And if...
...she understands that man's essential nature is strong...
...and she's willing to support that.
And if she...
...can sew and cook and...
...loves children...
...and stays out of trouble...
I think you've made your points, Brother Minister.
Good.
You haven't any time for marriage.
So what I'll do is write the chapters down for you...
All right.
...as well as the New Testament chapters in St. Matthew.
Brother Minister...
...I hope you'll still come visit my class, though.
No, I'd love to come to your class. I love to teach.
I love sharing. This is the wonderful thing about Mr. Muhammad:
When he gives you this knowledge, you can't help but share it...
Excuse me, Brother Minister...
...would it be okay if we...
...just sat down for a moment?
It's a big building and...
Sister, I'm sorry. l've had you on your feet all day.
My mistake.
You've been on your feet for days.
And you didn't even finish your salad.
So let's talk about you for a change.
How tall are you?
Why do you ask?
Idle question.
Well, if it's just an idle question, I hope I'm not forced to answer.
No, I won't force you.
Brother Baines says that I'm tall enough for a tall man.
He's briefed you also?
How old are you, sister?
You know, there are a few things about women...
...that you don't understand.
Some of us, we're quite possessive, very vain...
...and persistent when we've set our mind to something.
What have you set your mind to?
Being a good Muslim...
...a good nurse...
...and a good wife.
Brother Malcolm?
Excuse me. Certainly.
Brother Johnson was attacked by the police.
Excuse me.
A scuffle! He was just watching.
The cop said, "Move on!" He didn't move quick enough for him.
Crack! He was bleeding like a stuck hog.
So what you gonna do?
He'll rap a little. He's a Muslim!
But you ain't gonna do nothing but make a speech.
Muslims talk a good game, but they never do nothing...
...unless somebody bothers Muslims.
We demand to see Brother Johnson.
Who the hell are you?
The minister of Muslim Temple No. 7.
Never heard of you.
Where is he? Not here.
Wait a second. What is your name?
Don't worry about what my name is.
Two witnesses saw Johnson brought here beat up, but not brought out.
You didn't hear the sergeant? Outside!
I suggest you look outside that window.
Jimmy, come here a second.
We intend to see Brother Johnson.
Who the hell are they?
They're brothers of Brother Johnson.
Eddie, let me take a look at that blotter.
We got a Muslim. Relief must've put it down.
Must have. But you can't see him.
Because you ain't his lawyer. No lawyer, no see.
Until I'm satisfied that Johnson is receiving proper medical care...
...nobody will move.
Get an ambulance. Now!
Break it up. You got what you wanted.
No, I'm not satisfied.
To the hospital.
We want justice! We want justice!
All right, that's enough.
Move these people out of here.
Fruit of Islam are disciplined men. They haven't broken any laws...yet.
What about them?
That's your headache.
But if Brother Johnson dies, I pity you.
Doctor?
He'll live. He's getting the best care we have.
Thank you. Certainly.
All right, okay.
Now, let's disperse this mob!
That's too much power for one man to have.
Brother Minister, I'm ready to take some heads.
We gotta do something to put fear in those devils.
I'm ready to do something also. The word out of Chicago was to be patient.
I'm tired of being patient. Then you get on the phone...
You get on the phone, call Chicago and let Mr. Muhammad know.
Have a seat, son.
The only thing I like integrated...
...is my coffee.
What can I do for you?
Well, Mr. X...
...my name is Benjamin.
I was out there tonight.
Take it easy now.
And I saw what it is that you did.
The way you talked to them policeman and all.
Well, Mr. X...
I want to be a Muslim.
I ain't never seen a nigger... I mean...
...colored person...
Negro...
...talk to no police like that before.
And you want to be Muslim? Join the Nation of Islam? Yes.
You know what that means? To be a Muslim?
Do you?
No, not exactly. But I wanna be one.
Just like you.
You shouldn't join any organization unless you know exactly what it's about.
Thank you.
You shouldn't give up so easily either.
We could use more young warriors like yourself.
Come on by the temple next Wednesday, 8:00.
8:00 sharp.
Yes, sir. 8:00 sharp.
Thank you, Mr. X. And I won't make you out a liar either.
I don't think you will.
Tonight, I shall...
...introduce you as my national minister.
It will be a difficult task.
Your assignment...
...is to build temples all over this nation.
More work than you've ever done.
Yes, sir.
You will be in the public eye.
Beware of them cameras.
Them cameras are...
...bad as any narcotic.
White devil will be watching your every step.
And your own brothers will be...
...jealous...
...hostile.
Go slowly.
Yes, sir.
Here's a glass.
It's dirty water.
Foul.
If you offer this to the people...
...they have no choice.
They'll drink from it...
...if they're thirsty.
But if you offer them...
...this glass...
...and let them make their own decision...
...they will choose the pure vessel.
Islam is...
...the only religion...
...that addresses the needs and the problems...
...of the so-called Negro in America. Especially in the slums...
...in the ghettos.
Islam is the only way out for drugs and crime...
...and unemployment, prostitution...
...alcohol...
...gambling...
...and adultery, fornication.
This sweet...
...gentle man, at whose feet I kneeled, gave me the truth from his own mouth.
Present the pure vessel.
I adored him in the sense of the Latin root of the word adorare...
...which means to worship and to fear.
He was the first man I ever feared.
I don't mean fear such as one has of a gun...
...but the fear one has of the power of the sun.
I pledged myself to him, even if it cost me my life.
Hello? Hello, Betty?
Yeah, this is Malcolm.
I know. Right, I'm here in Detroit.
Will you marry me? Yes.
You heard what I said, right?
Did you hear my answer? Yes, I think so.
Are you eating? l've been eating.
Good.
I love you, Betty.
I love you back.
It's not gonna be easy.
No choice.
I'll be away a lot.
I know.
In fact, I'm leaving in the morning.
Hush, now.
Pittsburgh, Philadelphia...
...Trenton, Newark, up through number 7 all the way up to Boston.
You're with me...
...even when you're away.
I've never told you this...
...but the very first time I ever saw you...
...standing up on the podium...
...you were cleaning your glasses...
...and I felt so sorry for you.
Sorry for me?
Why?
Because no one as young as you should be so serious.
But I don't think that anymore.
What do you think?
I want to have a lot of babies with you.
Dear heart.
I love you.
We're waiting on you folks. Trying to starve us?
Brother Malcolm, Sister Betty...
...we pray that Allah blesses you with a happy and fruitful marriage.
Congratulations, Brother Minister.
Check them out. Front page!
I must emphasize at the start that Elijah Muhammad is not a politician.
So I'm not here this afternoon as a Republican nor as a Democrat.
Not as a Mason nor as an Elk.
Not as a Protestant nor a Catholic.
Not as a Christian nor a Jew.
Not as a Baptist nor a Methodist.
In fact, not even as an American.
Because if I was an American...
...the problem that confronts our people today wouldn't even exist.
So I have to stand here today as what I was when I was born...
...a black man.
Before there was any such thing as a Republican or a Democrat, we were black.
Before there was any such thing as a Mason or an Elk, we were black.
Before there was any such thing as a Jew or a Christian, we were black people.
In fact, before there was any such place as America, we were black.
And after America has long passed from the scene...
...there will still be black people.
I'm gonna tell you like it really is!
Every election year, these politicians are sent up here to pacify us.
They're sent here and set up here by the white man.
This is what they do.
They send drugs in Harlem down here to pacify us!
They send alcohol down here to pacify us!
They send prostitution down here to pacify us!
You can't get drugs in Harlem without the white man's permission.
You can't get prostitution in Harlem without the white man's permission.
You can't get gambling in Harlem without the white man's permission.
Every time you break the seal on that liquor bottle...
...that's a government seal you're breaking.
I say, and I say it again, you been had.
You been took.
You been hoodwinked.
Bamboozled. Led astray.
Run amuck. This is what he does.
You know, some people call this hate-teaching.
This isn't hate-teaching.
This is love-teaching.
I wouldn't tell you this if I didn't love you.
I wouldn't stick my neck out for you if I didn't love you.
I want you to understand one thing: Everything I teach you...
...everything I have said to you...
...has been taught to me by this dear man.
This divine man.
All praise is due to Allah for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
Attallah's fine.
And she misses you as much as I do.
But the news that you've dedicated four new temples is almost as good...
...as having you with us. Oh, dear heart. Please forgive us.
...white supremacy, try to hide their guilt...