What's going on everyone, Welcome to another edition of Confessions of a Native Son, I'm your host Mike Steadman. I'm a Marine Corps Veteran, Entrepreneur, and Aspiring author, who enjoys thought-provoking and engaging dialogue about race, culture, and business. In preparation for Season 2 of "Confessions of a Native Son," I've decided to share with you bonus material that has shaped my perspective on how I view the world, particularly as a black male. In the following episode, I share with you a speech of the controversial civil rights leader, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, commonly known as Malcolm X. Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a popular figure during the civil rights movement. He is best known for his time spent as a vocal spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Malcolm X is an icon within the black community and on April 3, 1964, he delivered one of the most epic speeches of all time, "The Ballot or the Bullet." This is one of the top 10 American speeches of all-time, and I go out of my way to listen to it at least twice a year. I believe his speech is relevant just as much today, as when he first delivered it. If this is your first time listening to Malcolm X, I ask you to open your ears and open your minds.