Breaking Language: The Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement in Literature Main Menu Introduction: How was the Civil Rights Movement fought in language? Pre-Civil Rights Era Uses of Language: Epistemic Violence and Legal Restrictions James Brown, "Too Funky in Here" (1979) Builder Levy, I AM a Man (1968) Builder Levy, I Am a Man/Union Justice Now, Memphis, TN, 1968. From the series Civil Rights and Peace. Gelatin Silver print 13 1/16 × 8 13/16. artsy.net. Builder Levy, Harlem Peace March 1967 Builder Levy, Anti-War Protest Builder Levy, Harlem Peace March to End Racial Oppression, April 27, 1967. The statement "No black man ever called me chink: support the black struggle for existence" was taken from boxer/activist Muhammad Ali's original statement about his refusal to participate in the Vietnam War, "Ain't no Vietcong ever called me nigger." Amitage Digital Resources, Columbia University. Dykes on Bikes: Headlining SF Pride Parade since 1977 Malcolm X: Language Play and Caustic Irony Audre Lorde: "You cannot dismantle the master's house with the master's tools" (1984) Adrienne Rich "Diving into the Wreck" (1973) James Baldwin: Deconstructing the Language of Racism Conclusion: Language as a Medium for Activism and Liberation Creative Commons License Resources test of radial view visualization of content

Malcolm X: Repudiation of Slave Name

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Why did the man christened Malcolm Little change his name to Malcolm X?

Because words effectively define (and constrain) identities, and because labels are offensive, many in the 1960s and 1970s took the struggle for Civil Rights into language itself. Malcolm X decided to adopt a last name "X" to signify that he repudiated the name Little that his grandparents and great-grandparents had been given by the slave owner.

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  1. Breaking Language: The Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement in Literature Cathy Kroll