Dreams are powerful things that are usually the driving force for our words and actions. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Old Major’s speech in chapter one of Animal Farm by George Orwell both relay a message and express a problem they wish to solve. The application of rhetorical appeals, like pathos, ethos, and logos were utilized to influence their audience. Although King believed in peaceful rebellion and Old Major promoted violence as an answer, both used rhetorical appeals to notify their audience about the problems of injustice in their society. The injustice that King described was the discrimination and segregation of colored people.
Distressed by this unprecedented upsurge of mass fury, which needed federal troops at some places to establish peace, the then President, Lyndon Johnson, set up an enquiry commission formally known as the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, which later on became more popular as the Kerner Commission, after its chairman, Otto J. Kerner Jr. While ruling out any conspiracy, the commission identified racial discrimination, poverty, high unemployment, poor & inadequate schools, poor health care and sanitation as major contributing factors to the United States’ racial apartheid. The early & selective leakage of this report incited ferocious criticism from the White community. Critics argued, that the report has blamed everyone except the rioters. The opposition was so strong and intense that, Johnson not only declined the request by commission members, but also took additional six months to disseminate its findings to the public at large and put the issue in right perspective, but he himself failed to act upon it.
Zack Ketchum Professor Rodgers Essay #2 27 November 2013 “Upbringing as a factor of King and Malcom X’s Political Ideologies” Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are two of the most well-known American civil rights activists of the 1960’s. Though different, their methods of protest were very important, as both men fought for the end of second-class-citizen treatment of African Americans. Often times, their methods are considered opposites - while King frequently endorsed peaceful methods such as harmless protests and speeches, Malcolm X employed violence in order to demonstrate his discontent and desire for change of the status quo. The issue that arises when one looks to compare the two men and their methods, then, is who was better?
For instance, my parents’ generation, Generation X, has gone through completely different things that may even be unimaginable to the younger generation and can teach the younger generation more about morals and values due to those events that occurred during the time of their generation (1963-1978). During the beginning of their generation, a life changing event that would affect everyone forever would be the Civil Rights Movement. From years of hate and discrimination before them, Generation X was fortunate to witness the contrast between the two different worlds of anti-Civil Rights and people who do support the movement. Being able to see people of all cultures and religions were beginning to fight for their rights and not backing down has had a huge impact on the way their lives have ended up for not only their children’s generation, Generation X, but also for the generations to come after. From witnessing such a strong and powerful period, Generation Xs’ views will no longer contain as much ignorance towards other races, religions, and minorities; this generation passed on the same view points of acceptance and equality to their children.
Malcolm X’s Transformation Malcolm X is a man who changed the history of America. Malcolm X preached on what he believed about racism, discrimination, and segregation. He went through many changes in his fight for equality. The three transformations that really changed the way Malcolm X thought and preached where his transformation in prison, his transformation into the Islamic religion and the biggest transformation of all, his pilgrimage to Mecca. In all of Malcolm X actions, teachings and transformations thought us different points of views and gave us a good look at different aspects of events.
As King Jr. inspires his audience on how the whites should be shameful because they have broken many promises and King is hoping to elicit action from his audience because they will come to understand that things will not change without action In conclusion, the thesis to Martin Luther King Jr. I Have A Dream is, he was dreaming of a world in which racial relations would be marked with equality for all, in every sense and in every place King Jr. uses all three rhetorical modes as well Ethos, Logos and Pathos. This speech is very powerful in emotion giving the sense of sadness, fear, hopefulness, shame, disappointment etc…. King uses (logos) in convincing his audience and giving them hope to having freedom and putting an end to discrimination. When reading the speech King uses a strong appeal (ethos) in convincing his audience that “now is the time” no more waiting and take action on what has become.
Societal change is also seen through Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech. This speech stresses the urgent need for change through King’s repetitive phrase “One hundred years later...” King emphasises his scorn of the injustice and inequality that has persisted for too long: One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. The metaphor of ‘chains of discrimination’ creates a historical reminder of the slavery the Negroes have endured. King symbolises segregation and discrimination as an invisible manacle of change to provide a more concrete image of the issue in the reader’s mind. Change in this text, is shown as a powerful force when a society wants to improve their lives.
THE CONTROVERSY OF MALCOLM X Ever since he first appeared as a spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X has raised many controversies. His revolutionary speeches influenced many disadvantaged black people. However, he was also severely criticized for his demands for total separation between blacks and whites in America. In his speeches, he often referred to the whites as the "devils". In his view, the white race in general was guilty for the suppression and sufferings of the black race.
This legacy of discrimination in U.S. drug policy amplifies the burgeoning gap in opportunities available to White youth and youth of color. To correct this discrepancy policies must be enacted that make education a priority over incarceration. Americans are reinforced to believe that individuals are largely in control of their own destiny. We are told that hard work, sacrifice, and personal effort, determines what happens to us. The fundamental institutions of the American society function unfairly, restricting access and opportunity for millions of people.
This medium touches the lives of every nation, of every culture, of every economic and every social class on a daily basis and has done so throughout history; music. Music has woven its way deeply into society and has been used as a means of protest, to raise awareness and to unify groups of people as shown clearly in the different studies conducted and