A Race To Unity The speech, "A More Perfect Union" was delivered by the then Senator Barack Obama. This televised, historical speech took place on March 18, 2008 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Obama’s speech was made to the nation as a response to the very argumentative statements about the issues about race and equality in America made by Barack Obama's former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. In response, Obama concluded an analysis of the history of the United States, its racial issues and the inequality within America in order to somehow unify people of different backgrounds, gender and races. He used many persuasive techniques to address the problems and provide the nation with enough evidence to present them with the idea that they should join together and address these issues.
“A More Perfect Union” is the name of a speech delivered by Senator Barack Obama on March 18, 2008 as a response to controversial remarks made by his former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Obama addressed the subjects of racial tensions, white privilege, and race and inequality in the United States, discussing black “anger,” white “resentment,” and other issues as he sought to explain and contextualize Wright's controversial comments. The effectiveness of Obama’s speech rests within a few related rhetorical strategies such as allusion, parallel constructions, and his ability to include himself as a character in a narrative about race, just to name a few. President Obama opens the speech by reciting, “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union,” which is easily recognized as the first line in the U.S. Constitution. Even those who do not possess complete knowledge of the famous line immediately understand that something of importance is being conveyed to them.
The reason that the speech had such a massive impact is due to the tense social mood of the time and it gave black activists a vision for the future. It hit directly into the hearts and minds of white and blacks across America, and made people willing to change history. In just 17 minutes, Dr. King influenced and informed generations and generations of people about the racial inequality. According to almost all scholars, the seventeen-minute speech is a masterpiece of rhetoric usage. He referred to many other famous speeches and documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, the United States Constitution, and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
This letter appeared in the Birmingham Newspaper. In response, Martin Luther King drafted a document that would mark the turning point of the Civil Rights movement and provide enduring inspiration to the struggle for racial equality. King's “Letter from Birmingham Jail” strives to justify the desperate need for nonviolent direct action, the absolute immorality of unjust laws together with what a just law is, as well as, the increasing probability of the “Negro” resorting to extreme disorder and bloodshed, in addition to his utter disappointment with the Church who, in his opinion, had not lived up to their responsibilities as people of God. King's justification to the eight clergymen for protesting segregation begins with a profound explanation of their actions, “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue”. The actions of the African American people are overdue and very well planned as King had explained in the letter.
The Art of Rhetorical Speaking The speech titled “A More Perfect Union” was delivered by Senator Barack Obama on March 18, 2008 near the historical site of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Senator is a respectable, idolized and scrutinized individual both politically and socially. As the first black candidate in the running for presidency of the United States, the Senator’s campaign and affiliations were under major scrutiny. Therefore, Senator Obama called for a press conference to address any and all issues or uncertainty that followed him. First, the Senator’s speech attempts to address the nation on their concerns of his affiliation with Reverend Wright.
Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered at Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. In hopes of planting the seed of equality into every American’s heart and letting it flourish. King expresses his profound and powerfully emotional thoughts while also mentioning momentous decrees such as the Emancipation Proclamation and Declaration of Independence that were signed by our founding fathers in our nations early history. These documents were intended to unlock the invisible cage that once held African Americans hostage from being treated as equals. Centuries later the Negro community was still riddled by racial injustice and oppression.
A lot is shown in this image. It’s obvious that the image is showing “Obama”, and his wife “Michele Obama”, but if you really analyze the picture, then you’ll see that Obama is taking the oath, but also showing that his words were changed around because he did endure in a slight case of stage fright as he messed his words up during his inauguration. As you look at Michele Obama, you’ll notice that she is reading a newspaper that says “Recession”, and “Middle East Fighting”, with a concerned facial expression. Every visual rhetoric image has an intended audience, and purpose. These images are created to attract a specific audience whether it is athletes, politicians, chefs, etc.
He fought back and gave speeches against such oppression against him and his people. To quote one of his speeches only “One third of the population of the South is of the Negro race” and he fought and taught them as his goal to stop the oppression they faced. Next, even the character of Tateh who was depicted as the typical immigrant was discriminated against. He, like many others, traveled to this country to solve his “economic problems and support” his family. He and his minority were forced into poverty and “less than sufficient” living conditions.
Gangsta rap and American Culture Should censorship come at a price of complete social exile. In “Gangsta Rap and American Culture” Micheal Eric Dyson a baptist minister, father, and prestigious writer and educator explains his views on Gangsta rap both good and bad. Micheal Eric Dyson background allows him to understand how rap came to be. However Dyson doesn't agree with how the government accuses gangsta rap for the downfall of black youth. All in all Dyson's main points to his argument is understanding how rap came to be, the negative and positive images that gangsta rap portrays to the black community, and acknowledging that rap music shows true beliefs about growing up in bad black neighborhoods.
Doctor Copeland goes around and helps many people living in his town, but usually the only people that he helps are blacks like himself. He seems upset throughout the entire book because he cannot gain the respect of the white people even though he feels that he is an active and important member of society. He is also upset at his children, for whom he worked so hard for to keep them from falling into the “normal” life of a black person. Regardless of Doctor Copeland’s social preferences and adversity he faced to give them the life they had, they all work at demeaning jobs that a white person would not work unless they were extremely desperate. He illustrates this frustration when he gives a speech to a group of colored people around Christmas.