--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We want freedom by any means necessary…" description: "\"We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary. We don't feel that in 1964, li..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/malcolm-x-213_civil-rights_we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-w_1733212.jpg" --- # We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by… ![“We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary. We don't feel that in 1964, living in a country that is supposedly based upon freedom, and supposedly the leader of the free world, we don't think that we should have to sit…” quote by Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/malcolm-x-213_civil-rights_we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-w_1733212.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/malcolm-x-213_civil-rights_we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-w_1733212.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/malcolm-x-213_civil-rights_we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-w_1733212.jpg) > “We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary. We don't feel that in 1964, living in a country that is supposedly based upon freedom, and supposedly the leader of the free world, we don't think that we should have to sit around and wait for some segregationist congressmen and senators and a President from Texas in Washington, D.C., to make up their minds that our people are due now some degree of civil rights. No, we want it now or we don't think anybody should have it.” [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates immediate, uncompromising demand for civil rights, rejecting gradualism and political delay. **In simple terms:** Demand immediate freedom and equality. Key Takeaway Act now, refuse to wait for political change. Themes civil rights justice activism urgency Mood determined defiant Type political activist When to use this quote - protests - legislative lobbying - community organizing Key Concepts nonviolent resistance direct action political pressure Questions to Reflect On - What immediate actions can you take for justice? - How can urgency be balanced with strategy? A Different Perspective May overlook practical constraints and risk backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Congressman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congressman/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Dues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dues/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Free world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-world/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-means/) [Freedom Supposedly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-supposedly-1449002/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-want-506767/) [Senators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senators/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Should have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have/) [Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-equality-427662/) [Want Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-freedom/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [$1,000,000 in the bank isn't the fantasy. The fantasy is the lifestyle of complete freedom it supposedly allows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/1-000-000-in-the-bank-isn-t-the-fantasy-the-fantasy-is-the-lifestyle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We want our children to become who they are- and a developed person is, above all, free. But freedom as we define it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-millman/we-want-our-children-to-become-who-they-are-and-a-developed-person-is/) [Gregory Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-millman/) > [I think that growing up in a crowded continent like Europe with an awful lot of competing claims, ideas, cultures, and systems of thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-think-that-growing-up-in-a-crowded-continent-like-europe-with-an/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You don't disarm any white community by confining yourself to any particular method. If you want freedom, then you should get freedom like Patrick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/you-don-t-disarm-any-white-community-by-confining-yourself-to-any/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Nobody in twelfth-century England knew what human rights were. You want to travel to the Middle East and risk your life not in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/nobody-in-twelfth-century-england-knew-what-human-rights-were-you/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I am glad to see that men are getting their rights, but I want women to get theirs, and while the water is stirring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sojourner-truth/i-am-glad-to-see-that-men-are-getting-their-rights-but-i-want-women/) [Sojourner Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sojourner-truth/) > [“We are blind to the fact that what we do to them deprives them of their rights; we do not want to see this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-r-sunstein/we-are-blind-to-the-fact-that-what-we-do-to-them-deprives-them-of/) [Cass R. Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-r-sunstein/) > [The women of this country ought be enlightened in regard to the laws under which they live, that they may no longer publish their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/the-women-of-this-country-ought-be-enlightened-in-regard-to-the-laws/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [Just give me my rights. All I want is the same rights that my fathers died for If I don't deserve no rights, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-manson/just-give-me-my-rights-all-i-want-is-the-same-rights-that-my-fathers/) [Charles Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-manson/) > [It really is this: you are either for liberty, you're for freedom, and you're for living how you want to live without infringing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/it-really-is-this-you-are-either-for-liberty-you-re-for-freedom-and/) [Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/) > [I have always supported the rights of those who want to be in a same-sex relationship. It is an individual person's choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dutee-chand/i-have-always-supported-the-rights-of-those-who-want-to-be-in-a-same/) [Dutee Chand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dutee-chand/) > [“We live in a world where rights and privileges frequently get confused. Often, people think they have a “right to be happy” or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-morin/we-live-in-a-world-where-rights-and-privileges-frequently-get/) [Amy Morin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-morin/) > [People should have their rights to be who they want to be and love who they want to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-cohen/people-should-have-their-rights-to-be-who-they-want-to-be-and-love/) [Sasha Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-cohen/) > [“One can fully own a manufactured thing—a toaster, say, or a pair of shoes. But in what reasonable sense can one fully "own" and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-safina/one-can-fully-own-a-manufactured-thing-a-toaster-say-or-a-pair-of/) [Carl Safina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-safina/) > [Chile has changed. The people have become more mature and they are more conscious of their rights. They want to participate and have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-bachelet/chile-has-changed-the-people-have-become-more-mature-and-they-are/) [Michelle Bachelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-bachelet/) ## More by Malcolm X > [If Christianity had asserted itself in Germany, six million Jews would have lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-christianity-had-asserted-itself-in-germany-six-million-jews-would/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Be nonviolent only with those who are nonviolent to you. And when you can bring me a nonviolent racist, bring me a nonviolent segregationist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/be-nonviolent-only-with-those-who-are-nonviolent-to-you-and-when-you/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [You can't legislate good will - that comes through education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/you-can-t-legislate-good-will-that-comes-through-education/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Those type of whites who are always going to jail with Negroes are the ones who tell Negroes to be loving and be kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/those-type-of-whites-who-are-always-going-to-jail-with-negroes-are/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [We Muslims believe that the white race, which is guilty of having oppressed and exploited and enslaved our people here in America, should and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/we-muslims-believe-that-the-white-race-which-is-guilty-of-having/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I mean a real police state just to get a token recognition of a law. It take, it took, I think, 15,000 troops and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-mean-a-real-police-state-just-to-get-a-token-recognition-of-a-law/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Like Samson, I am ready to pull down the white man's temple, knowing full well that I will be destroyed by the falling rubble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/like-samson-i-am-ready-to-pull-down-the-white-man-s-temple-knowing/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Any negro who occupies a position that was given to him by the white man, if you analyze his function, his function never enables…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/any-negro-who-occupies-a-position-that-was-given-to-him-by-the-white/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Stumbling is not falling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/stumbling-is-not-falling/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [God is going to punish the white man for his misdeeds toward black people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/god-is-going-to-punish-the-white-man-for-his-misdeeds-toward-black/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Much of what I say might sound like it's stirring up trouble, but it's the truth!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/much-of-what-i-say-might-sound-like-it-s-stirring-up-trouble-but-it-s/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I believe in the brotherhood of all men, but I don't believe in wasting brotherhood on anyone who doesn't want to practice it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-believe-in-the-brotherhood-of-all-men-but-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) [Explore all 891 Malcolm X quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) ## More Civil rights quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) [Elizabeth Tambascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-tambascio/) > [We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/we-are-a-nation-of-innovators-and-problem-solvers-who-sparked/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Civil rights leaders are involved in helping poor people. That's what I've been doing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/civil-rights-leaders-are-involved-in-helping-poor-people-that-s-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The world - and America - has been defined by people who haven't necessarily abided by the laws and the rules. Civil disobedience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/the-world-and-america-has-been-defined-by-people-who-haven-t/) [Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/) > [I do not believe that defending traditional marriage between one man and one woman excludes anybody or usurps anybody's civil rights and denies anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/i-do-not-believe-that-defending-traditional-marriage-between-one-man/) [Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The notion of women being written out of history is as old as the Bible, but it always seems more galling when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-notion-of-women-being-written-out-of-history-is-as-old-as-the/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) [Browse all 1,552 Civil rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary. We don't feel that in 1964, living in a country that is supposedly based upon freedom, and supposedly the leader of the free world, we don't think that we should have to sit around and wait for some segregationist congressmen and senators and a President from Texas in Washington, D.C., to make up their minds that our people are due now some degree of civil rights. No, we want it now or we don't think anybody should have it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm X" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-we-want-justice-by-any-means/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civil rights" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-we-want-justice-by-any-means/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/malcolm-x-213_civil-rights_we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-w_1733212.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/malcolm-x-213_civil-rights_we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-w_1733212.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/malcolm-x-213_civil-rights_we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-w_1733212.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any…” — Malcolm X", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Malcolm X", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We want freedom by any means...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-we-want-justice-by-any-means/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/we-want-freedom-by-any-means-necessary-we-want-justice-by-any-means/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```