Key Takeaways
- Malcolm X’s quotes continue to resonate by challenging systems of power and calling for self-determination.
- Each quote is paired with historical context, making the list more than just a collection of words.
- The article connects Malcolm’s words to modern movements, showing their continued relevance in today’s fight for justice.
To quote the legendary Malcolm X, “You’ve got to get some power before you can be yourself.” Born in 1925, the civil rights activist and Black nationalist leader later expanded his mission beyond separatist ideology, dedicating his life to global human rights, Black self-determination, and the freedoms that come with both.
Like many influential figures of his time, Malcolm left behind words that people still reference and live by today. A self-described “extremist,” he often distinguished himself in his early activist years from other civil rights leaders (notably Martin Luther King Jr.) by rejecting a strictly nonviolent approach, instead emphasizing self-defense and securing rights for Afro-Americans “by any means necessary.”
In honor of his enduring legacy, and in recognition of Black History Month, we’ve gathered 13 of Malcolm X’s most powerful quotes. Scroll through them below.
1. “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs only to the people who prepare for it today.”
Speaking at the founding rally of his Organization of Afro-American Unity, Malcolm singled out education as an “important element in the struggle for human rights,” especially in terms of helping people reclaim their identities and build self-respect. Those who choose to invest in learning today empower themselves to determine what comes tomorrow!
2. “Read absolutely everything you get your hands on because you'll never know where you'll get an idea from.”
Compared to Malcolm’s time, when information mostly traveled through books and word of mouth, many people today — and that likely includes you — have the entire internet at their fingertips. In an excerpt from “Malcolm X Speaks,” he encouraged people to read anything and everything they could get their hands on, since you never know what ideas might come from it.
3. “Any time you beg another man to set you free, you will never be free. Freedom is something that you have to do for yourselves.”
Anyone who’s familiar with Malcolm knows he spoke about freedom — a lot. Here, he emphasized that freedom can’t come from asking for or waiting on someone else’s permission. If you don’t claim it for yourself, the same people who hand it over can always decide to take it back.
4. “We must set a good example for our children and must teach them to always be ready to accept the responsibilities that are necessary for building good communities and nations. We must teach them that their greatest responsibilities are to themselves, to their families and to their communities.”
Another quote from his aforementioned OAAU rally, the civil rights leader spoke about the need to create “constructive activities” for children and the role modeling often required to guide future generations. He understood early on that teaching young people responsibility and discipline lays the groundwork for stronger families and, ultimately, a better nation.
5. “Armed with the knowledge of our past, we can with confidence charter a course for our future. Culture is an indispensable weapon in the freedom struggle.”
Malcolm believed that once we understand who we are, where we are, and how we got here, we can start moving toward a better future. “We must take hold of it and forge the future with the past,” he added.
6. “So early in life, I learned that if you want something, you better make some noise.”
In what might be some of Malcolm’s most adaptable advice, you can’t expect to see change if you keep your mouth shut. Progress typically means raising your voice, challenging the status quo, and making sure you're seen and heard.
7. “I’m sorry to say that the subject I most disliked was mathematics. I have thought about it. I think the reason was that mathematics leaves no room for argument. If you made a mistake, that was all there was to it.”
Aside from the hilarious revelation that Malcolm, like many of us, wasn’t a fan of math, he also dropped a gem about the subject itself. Math leaves no room for debate or excuses. No matter the situation, right is right and wrong is wrong.
8. “Freedom is essential to life itself. Freedom is essential to the development of the human being. If we don’t have freedom we can never expect justice and equality.”
Speaking at the Harlem Freedom Rally in 1960, Malcolm made the case that freedom is a basic condition of being human. Without the ability to make choices and control their own lives, do justice and equality truly exist? We think not.
9. “Sitting at the table doesn’t make you a diner unless you eat some of what’s on that plate. Being here in America doesn’t make you an American. Being born here in America doesn’t make you an American.”
“Why, if birth made you American, you wouldn't need any legislation. You wouldn't need any amendments to the Constitution,” Malcolm said during his “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech in 1964. He pointed out that being physically present in America, or even legally recognized, means very little if you don’t actually receive the rights, protection, and respect that are supposed to come with it.
10. “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”
If this isn’t one of Malcolm’s most classic quotes, we don’t know what is. When you don’t stand firm in what you believe, you’re far more likely to be influenced or manipulated by others.
11. “Concerning nonviolence, it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.”
What often set Malcolm apart from many other civil rights leaders was his rejection of the "nonviolent" approach, which, in his view, meant leaving oneself defenseless. Speaking at a 1964 news conference at the Park Sheraton Hotel, he argued it was time for Afro-Americans to defend themselves, especially when “the government seems unable or unwilling to protect them.”
12. “The greatest mistake of the movement has been trying to organize a sleeping people around specific goals. You have to wake the people up first, then you’ll get action.”
If there’s anyone worth listening to on how to organize a movement, it’s Malcolm. While speaking with The Village Voice’s Marlene Nadle, the civil rights leader explained that “waking people up” meant reminding them of “their humanity, their own worth, and their heritage.”
13. “You don’t have to be a man to fight for freedom. All you have to do is to be an intelligent human being.”
As many women of the civil rights movement showed us, freedom has nothing to do with gender or physical strength. It comes down to intelligence, courage, and the willingness to stand up for what’s right. Anyone who can recognize injustice is more than capable of pushing back against it.