How The Children Of Birmingham Changed The Civil Rights Movement

The fight for civil rights and freedom is a reoccurring subject that has appeared throughout American history. Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” were written over one hundred years apart. Although they are set in different time periods, they discuss the rights the American people should have, while also criticizing the people with superior power in the government. Thoreau’s aggressive writing style and King’s peaceful, calm style help to deliver their messages. Not only their writing style but also their emotional appeals, tone, and other rhetorical strategies help to give their audience a sense of the social issues they are disagreeing strongly with.

Despite not single handedly ending prejudice with a small revolution, even the most seemingly small results provide advancement in the road toward social and systematic innovation. One of these results includes educating others and bringing awareness to the situation and problem at hand, so that citizens would ‘not be on the side of the executioners’. An example of using peace to effectively spread a message that would not only have a huge effect on obliterating the national discrimination of its time but as well being honored and remembered for decades after would be Martin Luther King Jr’s iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech on August 28, 1963. A century after slavery was outlawed, and nevertheless African-Americans were still regarded as less by the white American government, who allowed discrimination, separation, and exclusion everywhere - schools, water fountains, buses - between the races to be legal. Being an African-American man himself, King would not tolerate this. Rather than succumbing to violent measures in order to get his message to end racial discrimination instead, he used words as his force and in doing so educated and inspired thousands to contribute toward attempting to make a change in the nation. People are the product of what they are taught - even the most obstinate can be influenced, especially during this time period and

Persuasive writing is most effective when all three rhetorical appeals, Logos, Pathos, and Ethos, come together to form an indisputable argument. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X are two of the most influential figures of the past few decades; similarly, their work is summarized as some of the most persuasive and controversial of all time. The audience of both of their pieces, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “The Ballot or the Bullet” include oppressed African Americans and the white oppressors themselves. Each man takes full advantage of the three rhetorical appeals to influence their audiences to support their radical theories about racial inequality in the 1960’s. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is the most effective because of its hopeful emotions, irrefutable facts and, of course, the respected author.

Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, was arrested and placed in Birmingham jail after leading a non-violent march to protest racism in the streets of Alabama- a highly segregated state at the time. There he received a newspaper containing “A Call for Unity,” which was written by eight white Alabama clergymen criticizing King and his movement’s methods; this prompted King to write a letter in response to the critics. Martin Luther King Jr. employs ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade and demonstrate to the critics and other readers the many injustices of segregation.

In history, there have been many social changes that have occurred like the industrial revolution, the abolition of slavery and the Civil Right Movement. The less powerful not having enough voices to overcome the obstacles being erected by the powerful and many more examples. These voices play a major role when it comes to making big political and social changes. In “Return to Hayneville,” Gregory Orr recounts his experience and involvement in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. He argues that vocal campaigns and movements in public discourse and deep connections within people, help bring about change in today’s society. Whereas, In Vivian Yee, Alan Blinder and Jonah Engel Bromwich, “Parkland Students Start a Social Movement” they bring

Martin Luther King’s use of Pathos and Logos in “I have a Dream” showcases how he uses the devices to inspire others, compared to how he uses these rhetorical devices in “Letter From Birmingham Jail” to persuade the Clergymen. Martin Luther King, also referred to MLK, uses both Pathos and Logos to fit the audiences and occasions for each text. His uses of Pathos and Logos in these two texts are examples of how words can inspire change.

We have all heard Martin Luther King’s famous speech, I have a Dream. His main goal was to convince everyone across the country to comprehend racial equality and to reinforce a solution for those individuals already engaged in the Civil Rights movement. You could say his speech was part of what made the movement successful. By him taking a stand, much attention was put into the problems that were going on. He was and still is viewed as an important leader who was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. Here we will basically dissect parts of his speech and define the points he was making and trying to make. Throughout the paper, you will see how Dr. King uses Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to show his audience and make them feel what went on.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech was an astonishing display of language that persuaded the American nation to dissolve the barrier that stood between equality for all in our great nation. The true beauty in Dr. King’s speech rests in his ability to persuade the audience at the Lincoln Memorial, as well as, the nation to believe that it is a necessity to rid the exigence of segregation. Through the usage of metaphors that engage the reader, King uses language as an instrument to control the audience’s emotions and fuel their ideas that they can be the ones to make the change to propel our nation from one mediocrity to greatness. In his speech, King uses an eloquent blend between symbols and emotions through metaphors to persuade the audience that there is no true constraint that can hold them from achieving their goal and use the historical March on Washington as the solution to this exigence that failed to wither away one hundred years ago when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther king Jr. fundamentally altered the American tradition of protest and reform. Both of them shared the same idea, but viewed them differently. Dr. King wanted to ultimately raise awareness and open doors for groups while Thoreau wanted more individual rights for people.

In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. was thrown into jail due to participating in non-violent protests against racism and segregation in the city of Birmingham. There, he wrote the famous “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” which became one of the most important letters in history of the American civil rights movement (Colaiaco 1). The open letter covered many points to King’s arguments for why the marches, protests, and other non-violent actions were necessary and justifiable. James Colaiaco analyzes the key components to the letter and the different ways Martin Luther King, Jr. used literary devices to form a well written argument.

The image above is during the civil rights movement that took place in the 50s and 60s. Police officers, who are white, are harming children, dragging them across the crowded streets. Many may ask, why? They were only standing up for what they were already supposed to be given the day they were born, equality for all. This image is during a time when some were fighting for equal rights for all, and others wanted equal but separate. Looking at this image I wonder how could grown men, who may have children of their own., do this to innocent children that only wanted to be treated like the white kids do. Children at this time may not even be able to understand what exactly everyone is arguing about, but they want to be apart and take a stand. In the background of the image people are standing around watching these children being dragged and not doing anything about it. These kids aren’t going to be able to fight back against the officers and nobody around is willing to do it for them.

On August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a 17-minute public speech to over 200,000 supporters of the Civil Rights Movement. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was a response to continued racial bias nearly 100 years after the end of slavery and a call to action, meant to unify the country in the fight to end segregation. King used his time at the historic event to urge Americans, of all races, to work together throughout the country to ensure equality for all citizens. Though King’s delivery of the speech is widely recognized as impactful because of his passionate sermon-like delivery, the context of the speech contains many rhetorical components. Those rhetorical efforts

Words have the power to Provoke action by when people who take a stand for others and persuade them to take action for what they want. In I Have a Dream Martin Luther King Jr. states “...No,no,no,we are not satisfied ,and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like a waters of righteousness, like a mighty stream.” (Pg 263) Martin Luther King Jr during his “I Have a dream” speech he tells everyone that they will not stop fighting until they get what they want. Cesar Chavez a protester against table grapes states his demands, during his speech called Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. he states “ Please, boycott table grapes. For your safety, for the workers and for the children, we must act together.” (Pg 328) Both Martin Luther King Jr. state that they will fight for what they want and will not stop til they get what they want for the good of the people. Words can provoke action because hey persuade listeners that their cause is worth supporting.

Throughout history, there have been a number of momentous changes in the world. Many of us have witnessed, or even been a part of, some of these changes. We may find ourselves assuming that it takes hundreds of thousands of people to come together to make any kind of difference. However, as Margaret Mead states, a “small group of thoughtful, committed citizens” can change the world. One of the greatest, most notable changes in America began with a few incredible citizens who took a stand and fought bravely for what they believed in. Beginning with Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks’ infamous refusal to adhere to the southern custom of blacks having to sit in the back of the bus in 1955 and Martin Luther King Jr.’s strong leadership and speaking

The media played a huge part in the success of the Birmingham campaign in 1963. For the first time the press lent a sympathetic view of the events as they occurred that day. Previous civil rights protest in Alabama had been unsuccessful. However, on May 3, 1963 this would all change. The media help was able to show the world the atrocities and racial hatred and intolerance that still existed in the South.