Jfk Civil Rights Speech Analysis

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.

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

“Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation… But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free...the Negro is sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chain of discrimination,“ (King 261). During the civil rights movement Martin Luther King, Jr. had a speech about how they were treated and does not have much right like others, even they were supposed to be free long ago. During the 1960s, the group of people was treated poorly than another group of people. People who are treated unwantedly wanted a right, freedom, and change in society. Like what Martin Luther King told his audiences they were supposed to have the same

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.

On August 28th, 1963, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr stood on the steps in front of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. He spoke passionately for 17 minutes on his views about human equality for African Americans at one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in history. King played a major role in ending the segregation for African Americans. His rhetorical language left an impact on America. Through his use of appeals like ethos, logos, pathos, and other rhetorical techniques. He influenced Americans to believe in the notion that all men are created equal.

On June 11,1963 at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, John F. Kennedy delivered “The Civil Rights Address” on this day he was trying to get the message to the people that everyone in the United States should be equal and have equal rights.

John F. Kennedy, like many presidents, made empty promises and attempted to heal open wounds by easing the pain temporarily. Kennedy tried appeasing to African Americans by speaking out about how immoral racism in America was and by arranging Martin Luther King Jr.’s release. According to “History Alive!”, this “helped Kennedy win the African American vote.” (p.628) Apart from this, Kennedy failed to “propose new laws” within his two years of being in office that could improve the poor conditions in which Africans Americans suffered from. (p.628) John F. Kennedy gave false hope to

During the history of America, many tragedies have occurred. In times of tragedies, important figures in societies rise up to the occasion and console the people and motivate them for the upcoming positive future. Two such examples of important figures are Bill Clinton and Robert F. Kennedy, with the events being the Oklahoma bombing and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Both of the political figures provided encouraging speeches that employed the same effective appeals in many different ways. In their speeches, Clinton and Kennedy use ethos, logos, and pathos to unite the divided country, at the time, and appease it of the hate conjured from tragedy.

As his speech continues the speaker talks about specific dates that happened up until his speech. In the speech, Martin Luther King Jr. talks of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The Constitution and Declaration declared that “all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. (MLK speech pg1)” However, instead of letting blacks and whites live as equals blacks are treated as if they are inferior to whites. Dr. King says “Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds. (MLK speech pg1)”

Kennedy went on, however, to risk his political career for these same rights. In response to an outburst at the University of Mississippi after the admittance of a black student, the president said from the oval office on June 11, 1963, “It ought to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his color. In short, every American ought to have the right to be treated as he would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated.” Despite Kennedy’s assassination shortly after this proclamation, the Civil Rights Act passed through Congress just weeks later under President Johnson. As JFK intended, the Civil Rights Act afforded equal rights to whites and blacks alike (Kozak).

He was able to find a proper and fitting response to the injustices of African-Americans. He spoke on a subject many didn't care to hear about, the deep injustice of segregation. The Kennedy administration had stalled on the issue and even avoided supporting the civil rights demonstration which King spoke of ( 2000). To King, this offered an opportunity to end the delay that the Civil War's promises had made. He knew he wasn't just talking to protestors, but also the Kennedy administration, to white Americans apathetic and unaware of the injustice, and also to segregationists and racists (Rappaport, 2002). In this speech, King planted his place as first among equals in civil rights leadership. "From this first televised mass meeting, an American audience saw and heard the unedited oratory of America's finest preacher, and for the first time, a mass white audience heard the undeniable justice for black demands" (Seattle Times, 4 April 1993). King said "There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship."

This speech took place on August 28, 1963 millions of citizens, children, law and policy makers attended while 250,000 watched on TV as a Baptist Preacher ,a Boston University Graduate Dr, Martin Luther King stood behind a podium. He established an immediate rapport with an ever changing audience and communicated on a meaningful level, by appealing to moral conscience of Americans standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He gave the rhetorical demands that racial justice no longer shall people be divided by race or religion. Although at the time it wasn't the case, it was a future vision that " all people are created equal" ( M.L.K.)

After reading and analyzing Dr.Kings “Remaining Awake during a Revolution” commencement speech that he presented at Oberlin College during his graduation ceremony; he wanted the people to have a good visual on what he was explaining and talking about. King wanted to inform the people about what was going; so he used allusions, statics, and logos.

The Civil Rights Act did not happen over night; however, many fought for it and soon prevailed. During John F Kennedy’s presidency the Civil Rights Act was begun. The bill was called for by President John F. Kennedy address of the nation on June 11, 1963. The President gave a speech asking for a law “giving all Americans the right to be served in all places which are open to the public—Motels, restaurants, movies, clothing stores, as well as the right to vote”. President Kennedy made this speech after protests from the Black community about how they were being mistreated, the most current being the Birmingham campaign which ended in May 1963.

"Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country," is a well-known quote among Americans that has so much meaning behind it. John F. Kennedy was a president for the United States and loved among many American citizens. His speeches were always thought out and used many rhetoric devices to reel his audience in. Therefore, making his speeches brilliant and known the citizens of America. By going over the main points of rhetoric JFK used in his innagural speech like antithesis, pathos, and the theme one can realize how deep the speech actually is.