Nelson Mandela: A Modern Oratorical Master

“Hundreds and thousands of Africans are thrown into jail each year under pass laws. Even worse than this is the fact that pass laws keep husband and wife apart and lead to the breakdown of family life.”(Nelson Mandela- April 20,1964 “An Ideal in Which I Am Prepared to Die) This quote comes from a well known African leader Nelson Mandela who fought to help his people in South Africa against apartheid, A set of laws which allowed whites to have all the power in South Africa from 1948 to 1991. He explains in the quote the mistreatment of his fellow Black, Native Africans forced out of homes and jobs due to the white government. Nelson Mandela and many other great leaders used certain rhetorical techniques to convince their people that apartheid is negatively affecting their country. The rhetorical techniques used by Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Steve Biko help to persuade their audiences of their messages of the negative effects of apartheid in South Africa. Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko were both activists in the fight against apartheid in South Africa, while Desmond Tutu is an Archbishop who created TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission). Nelson Mandela soon became the president of Africa, Steve Biko was murdered by police, Archbishop Desmond Tutu continued helping the truth behind apartheid get out so South Africans can have peace. The rhetorical techniques used in Nelson Mandela’s “An Ideal for Which I Am Prepared to Die” were pathos which is used to persuade a reader by making them feel emotional for the cause as if it is important to them as well which is an appeal to emotion, ethos to credit himself for his hard work which is the appeal to credibility , and logos a logical apply which is using facts about how it’s affecting them, Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s “Forgiveness is Liberating” also uses pathos while applying repetition, the technique of repeating a phrase to persuade the reader that what they are saying is correct and anecdote which is to tell the reader a story of the event to convince them, while Steve Biko’s “Black Consciousness and the Quest for True Humanity” also as Nelson Mandela’s “An Ideal for Which I Am Prepared to Die” applied to logic and used the appeal to credibility.

The use of repetition of phrases in order to give more meaning to what is being said is used throughout the inauguration speech of Nelson Mandela as well. By way of illustration, Nelson Mandela concludes his address with the phrases, ‘Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all…’ Not only does such a concise list of ultimatums show his efficiency as a leader, but it also exhibits his linguistic brilliance and ability to end a speech both effectually and eloquently.

Plato, a great philosopher, once said “rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men” (Plato). He accentuates the importance of rhetoric in persuading the audience to support a cause or take action. In his speech addressed at the 50th anniversary of Selma march, President Barack Obama uses rhetoric to persuade his audience, Americans as a whole, to discourage racism in the United States. President Obama appeals to the rhetorical strategies, uses rhetorical devices, and applies a presentation style; which make his speech effective in terms of rhetoric.

Attention Gainer-( I am going to show pictures of popular brands that make you test your memory, and ask the audience, “Have you ever seen everyday brands spelled a certain way, and you look at it again. And it was never as you saw it.”

The famous “I have a dream” speech given by Martin Luther King Junior (Jr.) sent a shock wave across the United States and forever changed the meaning of freedom and equal rights for all mankind. The way in which Martin Luther went about bringing change for the black man and woman was brilliant and very effective. Even though many things contributed to the Civil Rights Movement to bring about the radical change, Martin Luther’s rhetorical and stylistic devices throughout his speeches and articles drove his audiences to participate in the movement. He possessed a mastery in the art of motivational speaking and an understanding of language and rhetoric in order to transform an audience from passive bystanders to advocates and leaders of a greater

“To deny people their right to human rights is to challenge their very humanity. To impose on them a wretched life of hunger and deprivation is to dehumanize them. But such has been the terrible fate of all black persons in our country under the system of apartheid (“In Nelson Mandela’s own words”). Nelson Mandela was a moral compass symbolizing the struggle against racial oppression. Nelson Mandela emerged from prison after twenty-seven years to lead his country to justice. For twenty-seven years he sat in a cell because he believed in a country without apartheid, a country with freedom and human rights. He fought for a country where all people were equal, treated with respect and given equal opportunity. Nelson Mandela looms large in the

As Toni Morrison has made clear, language can be used to oppress and subjugate other people. However, it can also be used for more honorable purposes. The four different public speeches in the United States — Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death,” Abraham Lincoln’s “The Gettysburg Address,” John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address,” and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream.” — were used to uplift and ennoble an audience. The authors of these four speeches utilized strong rhetorical devices like logos, ethos, and pathos in order to successfully convey their message to their audience. These speeches were given in order to protect the freedom, liberty, and equality of all people.

His speech was articulate and precise to his focus of speech, while at the same time holding the audience’s attention with delicately strung words. His speech gave it’s opposition to the idea of “Nullification”, while at the same time embracing the core values of the government by directing the officials to the importance of this new government to the people and not to the states that represent them. As for great orators of today’s time, one cannot say that our first African- American president, Barack Obama, was nothing short of superb when it came to delivering speeches and announcements to the people of the United States. His ability to rally, quell, and connect to his people was awe- inspiring. President Obama had an eloquence, that was neither perceived as arrogant, nor snobbish, but as true leader devoted to the welfare and prosperity of the people of this great nation. This is why President Obama was such a well received president by most, because he stood for the American dream and exemplified the will and drive the people within this nation. Other great orators include names of people who have passed like Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, President Abraham Lincoln and many more great faces that invoked passion in their listeners and lead great movements during their time. As time passes, orators have to face larger challenges in delivering speeches as media and television have changed the dynamics of deliverance of

Specific Purpose: To inform my communication studies 192 with a general understanding of the life and outstanding impact that Nelson Mandela has left on the world.

The life story of Nelson Mandela has long become a legend, a story that transcends race, borders, culture, or language. He is one of the greatest leaders to ever step foot on this Earth. He was willing to give up his own personal freedoms for the good of his people. Still, his decisions at major points in his lifetime hold lessons for individuals who are inspired of becoming good leaders. Many leaders are inspired by the actions and decision-makings abilities of Mandela. He kept the interest of others before his own. This is what made Nelson Mandela a great leader, and worthy of winning a Nobel Prize. From the decisions he made, and his life experiences while fighting for human rights, one can conclude that Mandela is truly

The Power of a Speech Words contain a hidden power that many people are unaware exists. This is proved to be evident as many people throughout history have utilized the power of words in the form of speeches or books in order to persuade a crowd in some way. The speech itself as well as a strong speaker contain the ability to change the course of history whether it is for good or bad. During times of struggle and conflict, speeches appear to be vital for people rising in power so that they may lead crowds of people who are in need of guidance.

During the reign of the Apartheid regime Nelson Mandela was born and raised. Nelson Mandela was a South African lawyer and prominent activist. He was also the leader of the African National Congress party and the first black President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He is known for his devotion and struggle against the Apartheid regime.

We all live in a civil society in a country where we have equal rights and everyone gets the same kind treatment,sounds great right, and it is hard to imagine having all those privileges taken away. But the world wasn't all cheery and great less than 100 years ago the people of India and South Africa were discriminated and unjustly treated by people who were not even native to their region but another one more northern. It sounds dreadful because it was dreadful, but in hardships there are always motivating people like Mahatma Gandhi who liberated India from British rule by motivating a generation and many to come, to stand up for injustices in their life or the life of others.Furthermore, it is people like Nelson Mandela, who worked hard and got jailed for his belief of equal rights for all people no matter the color of their skin.Even if they both are inspirational and had to sacrifice greatly for their respective nation. One person will always come on top of the rest and that position was intended for Mahatma Gandhi.Therefore, you can infer this literary analysis will confirm the thesis that Mahatma Gandhi was the greater civil right activist. For the author for Eulogy For Mahatma Gandhi clearly states, “that man with divine fire, changed us also--and such as we are, we have been molded by him during these years; and out of that divine fire many of us also took a small spark…”, This doesn't make him just a civil rights activist but an inspiration to many people.

Mandela had a vision for South Africa, of which he was incredibly dedicated. During his famous speech entitled ‘I am Prepared to Die’ (1964), he stated,

Imagine being systematically oppressed from the moment you exited the womb. All your civil rights, based on the amount of melanin in your skin. Drinking from the wrong water fountain, could even get you thrown into jail. Coincidently; this was the life, of black South Africans from the moment of Dutch colonization in 1652, to the first true democratic election in 1994. Apartheid, meaning “separateness” in Afrikaans; was legal segregation enforced by The National Party (NP) from 1948 to 1994. It legally imposed preexisting policies of racial discrimination on the Majority of the South African population. The entire basis of the racist policies, was the darker your complexion the less legal rights you had. Presumably this injustice, could have continued much longer if it weren’t for all involved in the fight against the NP, however the man who arguably contributed the most, was Nelson Mandela. He ended an apartheid, with both his philanthropy and political prowess. He united a nation that used to be segregated; which seemed a daunting task at the time, but through the sweat and bloodshed he achieved the impossible. This alone exhibited his heroic characteristics, but to be more precise: both his actions and inactions lead to his success. Furthermore, Mandela was both a strong leader and forgiving at the same-time. Being in the forefront of the abolishment movement, was an extremely risky move during the apartheid. He risked his life for what he believed in, and this personal