During the Civil Rights Movement, which lasted from 1865 to the late 1960s, three different amendments were composed and ratified in favor of African Americans. Many famous African Americans, from musicians to authors and leaders to entertainers, sprouted from the influence of this period. Two strong leaders from this era were Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Martin Luther King Jr. made a bigger impact on the population than Malcolm X because of his speeches, beliefs, direct and peaceful activities, and the effect his death had on the population. Martin Luther King Jr.’s belief was that people of all colors, including both blacks and whites, could live in eternal peace and equality. King believed that “an unjust law is no law at …show more content…
They Sunni “claim that the Shi’a has distorted the meaning of various passages in the Qur’an” (Beck, pg.271). There are significantly more Sunnis than Shi’as, the other Muslim group, in the world. Malcolm X received a religious name, as well, which was El-Hajj Malik El-Shabbazz. He also challenged the religion, Orthodox Islam, of Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm X traveled across the world preaching to others, and as he talked more and more, he realized that, his beliefs were very close to King’s. Malcolm X was learning more and more that King’s beliefs and teachings were in fact, superior. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote and delivered many speeches in his lifetime. However, perhaps one of the best known and the most easily recognized of his speeches is “I Have a Dream.” But many ask, what in particular about this speech made it have such a great impact on the population? He uses repetition to make important words stand out. Such instances occur with the words and phrases: “now is the time”, “I have a dream”, “let freedom ring”, and “free at last” (Narins, par.6,15,22,27). All of these words have to do with blacks becoming free, or acquiring civil rights and equality. King also used imagery in his speech when he compared a “sweltering summer” to the Negro’s unhappiness of the lack of freedom and justice. Martin Luther King Jr. also used
In Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech (1963) "I Have a Dream," brings an up-roaring excitement to his audience, African-Americans, which fills their hearts. He employ's cases of diction and parallelism, telling everyone that he wants African-Americans to be truly free. This turned the tides for African-Americans in the United States, filling them with enthusiasm and the yearning for change.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech is one of the most successful and most legendary speeches in United States history. Martin Luther King Jr. was a masterful speaker, who established a strong command of rhetorical strategies. By his eloquent use of ethos, logos, and pathos, as well as his command of presentation skills and rhetorical devices, King was able to persuade his generation that "the Negro is not free" (King 1). His speech became the rallying cry for civil rights and lives on as an everlasting masterpiece.
Near the end of Martin Luther King’s speech a gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouted to Dr. King saying, “Tell them about the dream, Martin”. At this point Dr. King stopped reading the speech and expressed his inner feelings saying “I have a dream..”(Mlk, 4). He continued to tell the crowd of his dream for the Negros to be free and equal and that they would be able to live happily and do as they pleased. He had a dream that America would live out the meaning of the constitution stating “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal”. He tells the crowd that at the end “We are free at last”. Dr. King’s choice of words and the tone in which he delivers his speech is enticing and pleasing to the crowd of America.
He started thinking about the world and the society he lives in. He began to question the way things were, and he realized that a change in his life, and in the society was both possible and necessary. Prior to his imprisonment, Malcolm had been enclosed in the world of the hustler, the player, the pimp, the gangster, the parasite, and he couldn¹t imagine him outside of that world. “Reading exposed Malcolm to new worlds; it allowed him to see that there were alternatives to the lifestyle and values of the social parasite” (Shanna). While in prison, Malcolm began to think, and to read. but only after he had been encouraged to do so by someone that he respected and who had taken an unselfish interest in him. “Malcolm was later motivated by a new sense of self-worth and identity and purpose, as his family introduced him to the religious and political philosophy of Islam, as taught by Elijah Muhammad, and practiced by the Nation of Islam (NOI)” (Estate of Malcolm X). Malcolm X converted to the Nation of Islam while in prison, and upon his release in 1952 he abandoned his surname "Little," which he considered a relic of slavery, in favor of the surname "X" a tribute to the unknown name of his African ancestors.
Dr. King used pathos and logos as well as ethos in his speech to appeal to the audience in a more emotional way. He mostly attempts to appeal to the audiences’ emotions, fears, and desires. When King repeats with the infamously famous quote, “I have a dream,” he stresses a sense of sympathy and hope towards the African American population during that time period. King states that the, “Negro…finds himself in exile in his own land.” In this phrase, King yields compassion as one can see when he emphasizes the unfair treatment and alienation of the African Americans. King also uses highly connotative language so that he could evoke a, emotional response to the audience such as, “chains of discrimination” and “oppression” to reinforce the need
In a period of time where few were willing to listen, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood proudly, gathered and held the attention of over 200,000 people. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was very effective and motivational for African Americans in 1963. Many factors affected Kings’ speech in a very positive manner; the great emotion behind the words, delivering the speech on the steps of the memorial of the President who defeated slavery. And not only was this message beautifully written for the hope of African Americans, but the underlying message for white people, revolution and peace. To stimulate emotion from both parties of his listeners, King used a selection of rhetorical devices such as allusions to historical
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.
Africans have long faced racism in their long history in America. They have had their identities and rights lost under centuries of slavery. Even after the Civil War, the inequalities between African Americans and Caucasians did not cease to exist. From these troubles, many strong people have risen and been able to tell their stories. Among these include a former slave who traveled north and gained freedom, Frederick Douglass and civil rights activist, Malcolm X who both wrote their own autobiographies about their journeys against racism. While Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass lived about a century apart, they share similarities in how they faced and combated racism through education, inspiration by other people, and their eventually finding of freedom.
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.
In Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech, King makes use of an innumerable amount of rhetorical devices that augment the overall understanding and flow of the speech. King makes the audience feel an immense amount of emotion due to the outstanding use of pathos in his speech. King also generates a vast use of rhetorical devices including allusion, anaphora, and antithesis. The way that King conducted his speech adds to the comprehension and gives the effect that he wants to rise above the injustices of racism and segregation that so many people are subjected to on a daily basis.
Martin Luther King Jr believed in fighting for individual Civil Rights, but he was not an anarchist or against the government. King did not promote people to break the law, even if the law was unjust or immoral. "In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law... That would lead to anarchy" (King, 4) However, he wanted to change the laws and fix the laws. He believed that all people deserved Civil Rights. King wanted 'God given rights ' to be fairly distributed, applied and protected by the government, regardless of a person 's color. He also saw that black people were fighting for protective laws and to eliminate discrimination for centuries. However, no solution has occurred. "We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights." (King, pg 3) Therefore, he felt that people needed to do something to see change and the only way he
The speaker of the first speech is John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the United States. President Kennedy was instrumental in improving relations with the USSR and improving civil rights in the US. He is seen as one of the greatest presidents America has ever had.
From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr inspired America with one of the most monumental speeches in history: “I Have a Dream”. The speech was targeted at the entire nation, specifically towards African Americans fighting injustice and white Americans supporting racial injustice with the main purpose of convincing the white people that all racial injustice towards mistreated African Americans needs to come to an end while bringing the two races together, as well as standing up for the natural and constitutional rights afforded to all individuals. To convey his message to the thousands of eyes watching and triggered ears listening, King effectively uses the rhetorical devices -pathos, logos and ethos- using historical and literary references, repetition, and poetic devices.
The dream of freedom eventually spread through the globe in Martin Luther King’s dream. Or maybe it is just like readers, later on, try to guess what made this speech so special, “If there’s an important message you truly want your audience to remember and take away, saying it once is likely not enough.” (Carr) Repetition holds its importance in highlighting the speech’s terminal goal. Together, the three tactics make this speech persuasive and
Throughout history, many political leaders have transcendental ideas and beliefs, such as Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela, but there are many that do not conform to transcendental ideas, such as Alexander Hamilton and Joseph Stalin. It can also be noted that those who have transcendental ideas are 20th-century thinkers and politicians while those who are not transcendentalist thinker are 18th-century politicians. People such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela had their political career after the nineteenth-century transcendentalist movement, while Alexander Hamilton had his political career prior to the movement. Joseph Stalin is different, his political philosophy he follows was created at the same time as the