Understanding the 'Black Lives Matter' Movement

Today there are many controversial subjects discussed throughout the media. One of the most discussed is race and the Black Lives Matter movement. Recently, I came across an article titled “The Truth of ‘Black Lives Matter’”, written by The Editorial Board. The article was published on September 3, 2015, to the New York Times. In the article, The Editorial Board writes about what they believe African Americans are facing as challenges in society today, including the all-too-common police killings of unarmed African-Americans across the country. The Editorial Board is right that some African Americans have been treated unfairly, but all ethnicities have been. Life is a precious thing that comprises all ethnicities. This brings us to ask; why

The main claim of the article is that African Americans have been treated unfairly throughout history and are still being treated unfairly compared to Caucasians. One of the reasons given in support of the claim is “In the early 20th century, civil rights groups documented cases in which African-Americans died horrible deaths after being turned away from hospitals reserved for whites, or were lynched — which meant being hanged, burned or dismembered — in front of enormous crowds that had gathered to enjoy the sight.” (Editorial Board, screen 3) Another reason given in support of the claim comes from the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. saying “The dead have something to say to a complacent federal government that cuts back-room deals with Southern Dixiecrats, as well as to every Negro who has passively accepted the evil system of segregation and who has stood on the sidelines in a mighty struggle for justice.” (Editorial Board, screen 3) The argument consisted of several components such as quotes from famous activists and referring to historical events involving African Americans being victims. The components are presented in a certain order with the historical events coming first, the quotes from famous activists coming second, and the overall explanation of the Black Lives Matter movement coming

The genre of this article is an editorial. When the audience reads an editorial, they know there is going to be strong opinions and most likely some bias. With the genre of an editorial, though, readers are going to observe phrases and opinions authors would not use in other genres. An example of this is where The Editorial Board says “They are not asserting that black lives are more precious than white lives. They are underlining an indisputable fact — that the lives of black citizens in this country historically have not mattered, and have been discounted and devalued.” (Editorial Board, screen 4) Throughout the article, The Editorial Board included ethos, logos, and pathos in various ways. The Editorial Board represents itself very well and seems to have impeccable credentials and authority. The Editorial Board seems very trustworthy because of the members’ credentials and how publicized The Editorial Board’s editorials are. In the article, facts and evidence are found periodically, meaning that the article is factual to an extent. The Editorial Board presents more facts and evidence that are in support of African Americans than Caucasians, meaning that there is some bias in this article. There are some direct observations included in the logos also. The Editorial Board attempts to invoke an emotional response by saying “The movement sought a cross-racial appeal, but at every step of the way used