<P> By any means necessary is a translation of a phrase used by French intellectual Jean - Paul Sartre in his play Dirty Hands . It entered the popular civil rights culture through a speech given by Malcolm X at the Organization of Afro - American Unity founding rally on June 28, 1964 . It is generally considered to leave open all available tactics for the desired ends, including violence; however, the "necessary" qualifier adds a caveat--if violence is not necessary, then presumably, it should not be used . </P> <P> The phrase is translation of a sentence used in French intellectual Jean - Paul Sartre's play Dirty Hands: </P>

Where did by any means necessary come from