An Analysis of John F. Kennedy's Civil Rights Address

In 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States. During his campaign he had promised to lead the country down the right path with the civil rights movement. This campaign promise had brought hope to many African-Americans throughout the nation. Ever since Lincoln, African-Americans have tended to side with the democrats and this election was no different. The Kennedy administration had noticed that the key to the presidency was partially the civil rights issue. While many citizens were on Kennedy’s side, he had his share of opposition. Malcolm X differed on the view of the President and observed that the civil rights movement wasn’t happening at the speed Kennedy had pledged. Malcolm X possessed other reasons for his

The Civil Rights Address was one of the most influential speeches President John F. Kennedy has ever presented to the American people, and was one of many of his many accomplishments during his presidency. America was experiencing racial discrimination and racial inequality, and Americans needed a leader who would unite them. John F. Kennedy was a sincere, honest, inspirational individual whose duty was to influence equality to Americans. President John F. Kennedy’s address inspires and pulls on the passion of Americans; he wants all Americans to promote and protect and protect the rights that all men are free, he addresses this a sectional issue and that and our task; our obligation, is to make that revolution, and that everyone in

On a cold January day America’s newly appointed president John F. Kennedy delivered his inauguration address that was incredibly important to America’s success during the Cold War. Kennedy uses his speech as a call to arms, but not only to America but the World and our allies as a whole. He uses his strong powerful voice to appeal to the ethics of the country in the beginning of his speech telling America about the promise we made when we were founded and that we must uphold it still today, telling America we must make a difference. Kennedy also uses ethics to explain that we the people are united no matter what your background or where you are from, he refers to the Americas as one place, because he wants for us to feel unified not divided. Furthermore Kennedy’s use of powerful imagery, logic and pathos allows for him to effectively call the people of the World together during this terrible time.

Kennedy recognizes his presidential duties and acknowledges the trust that has been placed in him to lead the country when he stated: “I do not shrink from this responsibility—I welcome it” (Kennedy par 24).

Does everyone deserve civil rights? John F. Kennedy believed so during the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Right Movement began around 1950 and ended around 1970. A few of the major leaders were Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and John F. Kennedy. The purpose of the Civil Rights Movement was to end discrimination and prejudice among whites and blacks. Many African Americans did not have the same rights as Caucasians mainly due to their skin being a different color. A famous speech delivered by John F. Kennedy was “The Nation Faces a Moral Crisis Regarding Race” on June 11, 1963 at Washington D.C.. A major theme of John F. Kennedy's speech was racism. In “The Nation Faces a Moral Crisis in Regard to Race”, John F. Kennedy inspires his intended audience during the Civil Rights Movement by using the rhetorical devices of tone and repetition.

In John F Kennedy’s “Inaugural address”, he tries to bring the nation together by speaking confidently and powerful. Kennedy’s vigorous use of rhetorical devices including Antithesis, Reasoning, Emotional Appeal, Allusion, and Anaphora that contribute to the success of his speech. JFK uses these rhetorical devices to convey his ambitions and hopes for america as a nation in a whole. Also hoping for a pledge of peace; that we do not show weakness. In his hopes of coming together our acts individually would make us look and be stronger. Kennedy used his speech as a way to draw all of the audience in by pulling us together.

On the night of April 4 1968, people gathered to listen to the wise words of Robert F. Kennedy. What many thought was going to be a political speech soon took a twist, and the news of Martin Luther King’s assassination was announced and out to the public. Gasps and tears quickly erupted while everyone was gathered around Robert Kennedy’s pickup truck as he stood high above all trying to bring hope and comfort to those who lost someone that fought for their equality, rights and freedom. Kennedy's speech was powerful and successful because of the way he showed empathy to the crowed. He related the tragic scenario to his own life bringing comfort to the many broken hearted and showed both sides of the situation using contrasting forms. Lastly, Kennedy’s speech consisted of repetition with the use of anaphora.

- Kennedy’s thesis was “rallied citizens to get positively involved in serving their country and that freedom must prevail”. “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you. But what together we can do for the freedom of a man” and “My fellow Americans: ask not what America will do for you. Ask what you can do for your country” He is persuading the Americans by exclaiming that you should contribute to the country, and how you can provide freedom to every citizen to make this country a better

President Kennedy was initially concerned about the march. Multiple incidents in America prior to this protest, have contributed to his concern that the protest would become violent and that the support for his civil rights bill would be weakened. Some incidents include the events that had occurred in Birmingham, Alabama and the 1896 court case involving Homer Plessy and Judge John H. Ferguson. These occurrences utilize violence and industrialize racism and discrimination. ____In 1963, thousands of African-Americans had participated in nonviolent protests, boycotts, and voter-registration drives in Birmingham, Alabama. Although the protesters had exhibited nonviolent resistance, authorities had reacted to their actions with violence. On page

I am bewildered by the fact that one of the greatest American speeches ever written is unknown to the majority of the American public. A speech so powerful that it prevented a major city from rioting. The words of Robert F. Kennedy on April 4th, 1968 in Indianapolis, Indiana still persists strong in the sight of his burial in Arlington Cemetery and in the minds and hearts of the individuals who got to witness this live. The speech was known to be so dynamic that some scholarly institutions like that of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Texas A&M regard the speech as the seventeenth greatest American speech of the twentieth century (Wisconsin-Madison & Texas A&M). Whether it is your first or fifteenth time reading or watching the speech, it is still fascinating to grasp how Robert F. Kennedy is able to convey his message of unity and peace in such an equivocal way in order to try to prevent the city of Indianapolis, Indiana from rioting in the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. I believe Kennedy accomplishes this through the usages of rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos and pathos. To further understand this principle, the reader would have to understand the context which led up to the speech and how it affects the speech itself.

Kennedy continues his appeal to emotion with a weaker, yet still successful attempt. Around election time, seemingly all American’s reveal their inner-patriot, understanding this Kennedy speaks to that inner patriot. Speaking of foreign affairs, he says, “…let every other power know that this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.”(3) This appeal is successful, as speaking of the Hemisphere as a whole represents unity, and also reaches out to the pride within the audience, stating that Americans shall remain in power of all they have worked so hard to obtain.

Kennedy, wanted nation’s to come together and be civil with one another. To not show fear of negotiating with them the idea. He explains how he wanted this to be done, yet he knows this wouldn’t happen during their time, but he wanted to be the start of something new. During his speech he used the rhetoric device chiasmus which is to rephrase what was said in the previous sentence. Here is an example of what he said, “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” It is the same thing just switches it to make it sound how can you help, instead of how they can help. Basically, kennedy is saying to be more involved in our country.

A leader’s legacy is portrayed in a multitude of ways: from the goals and dreams he sought for, from stories and memories of the people he’s touched, and from snapshots of his accomplishments. John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address of 1961, his most famous speech, “Inside Kennedy’s Inauguration, 50 Years On”, an article by Eleanor Clift that gives a detailed description of the president’s inauguration, and an image, “Inauguration of John F. Kennedy”, by the United States Army Corp, all convey the impact of John F. Kennedy in their own unique fashion. The legacy of John Fitzgerald Kennedy is expressed through a variety of similar and contrasting styles appealing to the same rhetorical appeals but further differentiated by their syntax and

Kennedy begins his speech expressing how “the world is very different” from what it used to be. He uses multiple rhetorical strategies that express and describe how he is going to lead their “very different” country by providing his audience with a sense of community. For example, Kennedy applies juxtaposition to his phrase, “United there is little we cannot do… Divided there is little we can do…” to compare what America can and can’t do when everyone is united. During the time when Kennedy was elected president, the Cold War was at peak of its period. He bravely announced that “we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty,” using the rhetorical strategy asyndeton. He uses this particular mechanism to attract his audience and give emphasis to the ideas he wants to communicate. He starts the phrase off with “we,” as he wishes to convey to his listeners that we are going to pay any price, that we are going to bear any burden, that

Civil Rights is defined as “the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.” America was near the height of the civil rights movement when President John F. Kennedy gave the “Civil Rights Address” on June 11, 1963. The whole country was at a standoff with one side pushing back at the other for wanting their rights, like a race war. This was demonstrated with the first nonviolent protest sit in that took place in Greensboro, North Carolina 1960. Although it was and still is an uphill battle, Kennedy fought for equal rights among every American with rhetoric/ literary devices such as; allusion,logos, parallelism and powerful diction.