“I don’t even call it violence when it’s in self defense; I call it intelligence.” were once words spoken from a significant man who played a leading role in the history of African Americans. This man was Malcolm X. An Articulate public speaker, a charismatic personality, and an indefatigable organizer, Malcolm X expressed the pent up anger, frustration, and bitterness of African Americans during the major phase of the civil rights movement from 1955 to 1965. Malcolm X spoke of a violent revolution, which would bring about radical change for the black race, while a man with the name of Martin Luther King, Jr spoke out to all humanity. Martin Luther King promoted non-violence, civil rights, and the end to racial segregation, while Malcolm X dreamed of a separate nation. Malcolm’s keen intellect, incisive wit, and ardent radicalism are evident in The Autobiography of Malcolm X and his Ballot or the Bullet speech.