Speech to US Civil Rights Fighters- See for yourself, listen for yourself, think for yourself 1/1/1965

One of the first things, I think, young people, especially nowadays, should learn how to do is: see for yourself and listen for yourself and think for yourself. Then you can come to an intelligent decision for yourself…Whenever you think you are going to occupy a position of responsibility in the future, one of the best areas in which you can train yourself, is never to accept images that have been created for you by someone else. It is always better to form the habit of learning how to see things for yourself, listen to things for yourself, and think for yourself: then you are in a better position to judge for yourself…

We are living in a time when image-making has become a science. Someone can create a certain image and then use that image to twist your mind and lead you right up a blind path…

If you ever are going to hold a position of leadership along with which goes a great deal of responsibility, my advice to you would be just that; to be very careful about letting others create images for you. Always examine for yourself…I point these things out especially for you and me, those of us who are trying to come from behind, and not get ahead, but at least get even. If we aren’t aware, we’ll find that all these modern methods of trickery that they have perfected to a science will be used (against us), and we will be maneuvered into thinking that we are getting freedom or making progress, when actually we will be going backwards.

Likewise, if they can project someone in a violent image or someone who goes for violence, and you accept that image, then whatever that person becomes involved in, as far as you are concerned, he believes in violence. He can save a baby from the path of a car, but you don’t see someone saving the baby, you see someone who believes in violence. These methods have been used very skillfully by the power structure, the national as well as the international power structure. One of things that you and I as an oppressed people should be on guard against is as I said to be very careful about letting anyone paint our images for us…The world press as well as the American press can make the victim of a crime look like the criminal and make the criminal himself look like he’s the victim. You don’t think that this is possible for someone to do that to your mind.