He noted that the rise of the Black Muslim movement played a pivotal role in galvanizing Black militancy, pushing civil rights leaders to adopt a more assertive stance than they might have otherwise. As he critiqued the political landscape, Malcolm X pointed to the shortcomings of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, labeling it a mere distraction that failed to address the root causes of systemic oppression. He described 1964 as a year of “illusion and delusion,” where promises of progress were unfulfilled, leaving communities grappling with the same injustices.