Rhetorical Analysis Of Lyndon B Johnson's Speech

In the 1965 speech, We Shall Overcome, Lyndon B. Johnson discusses the copious amounts of cruel racial discrimination occurring in America and his plan to eradicate it. This speech follows the recent events that occurred in Selma, Alabama when African Americans were attacked while preparing to march to Montgomery in protest of voting discrimination. Johnson asserts his stance on racial equality by using compelling anaphora, the specific use of pronouns, appeals to pathos through references to the bible, and appeals to logos through the use of historical evidence. Johnson successfully utilizes these rhetorical devices in order to communicate to Americans of all races, religions, and political parties, his plan to eliminate discrimination, as well as encourage every American to embrace diversity and equality and spread his idea of a “Great Society.” Although the idea of a President with allegiances to the white southern population taking initiative towards equality was a very controversial and unfamiliar concept, Johnson does an exceptional job of maintaining an authoritative, yet inspiring tone throughout his speech in order to persuade Americans that equality is the first step to a greater nation.

In Lyndon B. Johnson’s speech The Great Society he is effective in showing that the society must work to build and achieve a great society. He is effective in showing this by giving examples of how to improve America by using rhetorical devices in his speech to create envisionments of the future in the society. By doing this he is effective in his speech to motivate people to participate and help develop this great society.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected as the 32nd president of the United States in 1932, the third year of the worst economic depression in America's history. At the height of The Great Depression about 25% of America's workforce was unemployed, and the country was crying out for change. This is what he promised in the inaugural address he gave on March 3, 1933: change. He gave his speech to show the hearts and minds of the people of the USA that they will come back from this great hardship. Franklin Delano Roosevelt used a powerful yet sympathetic tone of voice, dramatic pauses for emphasis, and plan to change how the country operated, in his Inaugural Address to reassure the nation that they will come back from the Great Depression.

At the time of Lyndon B. Johnson’s speech in 1965, “The American Promise”, conflict over civil rights has been brewing for over a hundred years. A large group of people planned on marching from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, but fights broke out and it quickly escalated into violence. Given shortly after the happenings in Selma, President Johnson spoke before the Congress on the importance of passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As a man in a position of power, the desperation of the situation is prominent to him, yet he calmly presses the manner in order to persuade them of his view. President Johnson uses rhetorical devices, such as allusion and connotative diction, to create an ethical and emotional appeal toward his audience during that time of civil unrest.

When I first viewed “Selma” in a government class several years ago, I was emotionally moved by the nobility of civil rights activists and the strength they carried while enduring brutal violence. Upon recently reviewing it, I felt the same emotions overcome me. However, even though I felt much compassion for the civil rights activists, I felt none for Lyndon B. Johnson. “Selma” portrays Johnson as more interested in his own Great Society than the violent acts of oppression happening right in front of him. He appears to have forced himself to push the Voting Rights Act forward, rather than supporting it because he wants to, or because he believes it is right. The film shows Johnson as a man with strong opinions who puts his own

As a person who was known for his ability to speak publicly, and communicate comprehensible meanings while inspiring the people of his nation, President John F. Kennedy (JFK) gave his inaugural address on January 20th, 1961 in Washington D.C.. JFK was widely distinguished for his ability to use rhetoric in front of the masses, and in mass media. Like many authors and penman, President Kennedy implemented huge doses of rhetorical strategies in his speech, focusing on the appeals of Aristotle: ethos, logos and pathos. Ethos is used to convince the audience of the author’s credibility, logos is an appeal through the use of logic and reasoning, while pathos is an emotional appeal (Gayle et al). JFK applied all these rhetorical appeals

On the other hand, some historians suggest that Lyndon B Johnson was insignificant in improving Civil Rights for African Americans during his presidency due to the Vietnam War. For example, “Johnson’s insistence on American involvement in Vietnam… placed a large strain on the economy” (source 3). This suggests that Johnson’s intentions regarding Vietnam overshadowed the commitment to Civil Rights. This has the potential to be prioritised over improving Civil Rights for African-Americans and less time and money to be put

Equal rights was what Lyndon B. Johnson spoke of in his letter to the speaker, the president and members of Congress. Along with his powerful message on equality, with his letter, came excellent rhetorical strategies that worked wonders when it came to captivating the reader. The way his first-person point of view explained his overall opinion on the subject could be capable of persuading his readers to feel the same way he once did. In addition to point of view, his use of process analysis may seem subtle to some , however, in reality, it is used perfectly as to subconsciously invade the reader’s thoughts. Lastly, the author’s style plays an important part in his literature because it separates his work from ny other.

For example, Robert Caro claimed that Johnson’s legislations were ‘flawed’ as a result of the speed they were passed at. James Harvey argues that whilst Johnson had done more for civil rights than any other administration, he failed to enforce the laws he passed – which in turn reduced their effectiveness. In contrast to this, John Andrews concludes that Johnson’s legislations were effective in some regards, and that it was growing opposition from white Americans which prevented them (the black Americans) from fully integrating. Whilst, Steven Lawson’s main conclusion was that Johnson’s civil rights efforts were limited by external factors such as the Vietnam War and the changing attitudes of the White Americans. Overall, Lyndon Johnson’s civil rights record was satisfactory; however, his intentions and external factors may have limited the extent to which he contributed to the

He pointed out that the Negro population have little potential compared to other races when it comes to succeeding in playing a government role. Their chances of bringing out productive results in a nation will be slim to none. Johnson adds on by saying that “no independent government of any form has been successful in their hands.” In other words, black citizens only bring negative results into a government’s structure. They have no beneficial role in politics whatsoever, so why should they be citizens is what Johnson is

As Johnson states in his excerpt, individuals who are ignorant of the social issue unconsciously perpetuates the system. Here, we see the importance of media in its ability to enlighten and inspire those who were ignorant to start actively stand up against the system of white supremacy. We also see the significance of counter-hegemonic movements as their efforts paved way for the Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in March 1965. The passing of the Voting Rights Act was a step closer to dismantling the system of white supremacy, however, not everyone viewed the Voting Rights Act as a favorable

In 1965, the United States of America was almost in chaos due to the Civil Rights Movement, and its often violent responses. However, on March 15 of that year, President Lyndon Baines Johnson spoke to the members of Congress about the importance of Civil Rights to the principles of the Constitution and the values of this country. Johnson also briefly spoke of the bill he planned to present in the coming week. This bill would ensure that African Americans can freely exercise their Constitutional right to vote. The speech, called “We Shall Overcome,” was not only very effective with its use of ethos, logos, and pathos, but was also very successful in its overall purpose, an argument that no American citizen should be denied their rights due to the color of their skin.

Johnson’s Speech, “To Fulfill These Rights”, can also support the idea that government action need to take place so that everyone has the “freedom to achieve.” In Johnson’s speech, which occurred in 1965, he deliberates that even though African Americans now have the right to vote, they still have a barrier to equal opportunity in society. Johnson expresses his desire to “give 20 million Negroes the same chance as every other American to learn and grow, to work and share in society, to develop their abilities-physical, mental, and spiritual, and to pursue their individual happiness.” He plans to stop the injustice towards African Americans and give them this equal opportunity through the use of government action by creating a program now known as “affirmative action.” If Johnson had not got the central government involved and created not only the “affirmative action” program, but also many other programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, the start at an equal opportunity for people in poverty and experiencing racial injustice may not have been

The movie “Selma” accurately represents President Johnson. In the movie, Johnson is shown as reluctant to pass a Voting Rights act, instead

“The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man, for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different than other men”(Johnson 1965). That quote was written by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, this was during the time period of the Orangeburg Massacre. Henry Smith was protesting with other black activist students at the time. They were protesting against discrimination and rebelling against older southern negros. Around this time period there was a lot of discrimination, segregation, and protesting against blacks and whites using the same things and doing the same things. Due to racial tensions at the All Star Bowling Alley there was a lot of conflict, the Orangeburg Massacre on February 8th, 1968 in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, at the South Carolina State college.