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Race and Racism in the 1920 - 1990 America
Race and Racism in the 1920 - 1990 America
Race and Racism in the 1920 - 1990 America
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Senator Barack Obama delivered the speech titled “A More Perfect Union” on March 18, 2008 near the historical site of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. First, he opens up with a personal and historical background to highlight the kairotic moment and the present, then appeals to pathos through multiple examples of racial injustice to specify the essential of such change, and finally uses his appeals to ethos to suggest, but not legislate, manner of change for black and white Americans. Also, the Senator’s speech attempts to address the nation on their concerns of his affiliation with Reverend Wright. Second, the speech addresses the sustaining and prevailing issues of race within America and how it paralyzes …show more content…
His approach towards ethos lays in the fact that he has placed himself as a character in the racial history of America. Of a mixed-race background and Obama was raised and surrounded by racial inequality. Yet he is a polished politician with a first class education. Obama yearns that black Americans should “embrace the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past.” knowing the burdens, from facing prejudice while studying at Harvard University to being questioned about his own American citizenship. Yet while qualified to assert, No one knows the key for racial equality, “so why should a man only running for president tell us how to act?” Obama promptly avoided those predicaments by entirely expressing wide variety of suggestions instead of promising to enact certain legislation. As such, he avoided over stepping his boundaries, while still making valid claims. Towards the ending his speech, President Obama then asks that Americans do “nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world’s great religions demand – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.” Obama uses his appeal to ethos to demonstrate that the need for change is urgent, and suggest broad changes, but never transcend with his authority with impressive
Historians offer different perceptions of the significance of Martin Luther King and the 1963 March on Washington. Without examining this event within its historical context the media publicity and iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech can easily overshadow progress that was already underway in America. It was insisted by prominent civil rights activist Ella Baker, ‘the movement made Martin rather than Martin making the movement.’ What is important not to overlook is the significant change that took place in the United States during the previous 100 years. Such that, many influential figures in support of racial equality opposed the March. The Civil Rights Act proposed by President Kennedy in 1963 was already in the legislative process. Furthermore the Federal Government was now reasserting power over the entire of the United States by enforcing a policy of desegregation. It is important to note that these changes all took place less than one hundred years after the Thirteenth Amendment in 1965 abolished slavery, and the Fourteenth amendment in 1968 acknowledged the rights of former slaves to be acknowledged as U.S citizens. With this level of progress Kennedy was against the March going ahead due to the argument that it was limited in what it could achieve. Today, King’s 1963 Speech is viewed as one of the most iconic speeches in history. However, was it a key turning point in African Americans achieving racial equality? Federal endorsement would suggest yes after decades of southern states being able to subvert the Federal law designed to break down segregation. This support built upon the corner stones of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments in the nineteenth century. Therefore looking at the national status of black Americans fro...
Few things have impacted the United States throughout its history like the fight for racial equality. It has caused divisions between the American people, and many name it as the root of the Civil War. This issue also sparked the Civil Rights Movement, leading to advancements towards true equality among all Americans. When speaking of racial inequality and America’s struggle against it, people forget some of the key turning points in it’s history. Some of the more obvious ones are the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the North, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s march on Washington D.C. in 1963. However, people fail to recount a prominent legal matter that paved the way for further strides towards equality.
In contempt of Obama’s humble giving spirit, vivid personality, and many accomplishments, a debate is always at hand upon hearing the infamous name Barack Hussein Obama. From his place of birth, religion, and ethnicity Obama’s face a fair share of controversy. At the heels of adversity along with sheer determination to help others Obama became a leader that delivers and one of the most influential people of America. Adversity was introduced to Obama at an early age. With a Kenyan father and Caucasian mother residing in Hawaii, Obama has always stood out in numerous ways. In 1959 Barack Obama Senior was selected from a number of candidates to go to school in the US where he attended The University of Hawaii in Honolulu to
The two races have lived here together. The Negro has been here in America since 1619, a total of 344 years. He is not going anywhere else; this country is his home. He wants to do his part to help make his city, state, and nation a better place for everyone, regardless of color and race. Let me appeal to the consciences of many silent, responsible citizens of the white community who know that a victory for democracy in Jackson will be a victory for democracy everywhere” (Medgar Evers in Jackson Mississippi, 2013).
To start, at that time Obama was not yet elected for presidency, his speech was for an effect to inspire the people of Berlin. Obama gave his speech as an attempt to the audience to see him as an astute senator, but to see him honorable to be the next president. Obama used ethos in his speech such as, “Both views miss the truth: that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe.” (Obama, 24). In this sentence Obama uses ethos to inspire the Berlin people and to bring to them the truth that had happened, to walk down memory lane and to see how much the Berlin people all have progressed.
He makes sure his audience connects with him directly by making them feel at his level, and at hiss. This way he connects to the audience, and in exchange, helps his statement of unity. Using various examples of parallelism, anaphora and refrain, Obama brands the theme of equality and togetherness in our country throughout the speech, vital to gaining the respect of his audience. Obama recalls the ‘enduring strength of the constitution’ by delving into the past alluding to America’s allegiance to the Declaration of Independence by quoting “we hold these truths. that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
Roy Peter Clark, author of “A More Perfect Union”: Why It Worked, takes a stance on President Barack Obama’s speech while analyzing it. President Barack Obama delivered a speech titled “A More Perfect Union.” His speech focused on the prominent issue of racism in America. In this article, Clark talks about President Obama’s known power and brilliance. Clark makes references and comparisons to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and W.EB. DuBois. “A More Perfect Union” features writing techniques that makes the message more defined and effective. President Obama utilizes four closely related rhetorical strategies. Clark broadly explains the purpose of the rhetorical strategies. Allusion, parallelism, two-ness, and autobiography helped to shape President Obama’s speech that that was meant to create
In the essay by Garry Willis called “Two Speeches Based Upon Race”, he references important beliefs that Lincoln held about the United States while also referencing Obama who had a subtle theme that is also present in some of Martin Luther King Jr’s writings.
In “A More Perfect Union”, Obama asked the audience to view themselves through the eyes of the others (Terrill 371). Instead of imposing a moral superiority of one side of the audience like Lincoln did or telling the audience to ignore the diversity, Obama asked the people to embrace their differences and acknowledge the others. In referring to the perspective of black people, he said, “A lack of economic opportunity among black men and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one's family contributed to the erosion of black families...” Meanwhile, to show how some white people might feel, he narrated, “...when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudice, resentment builds over time.” By juxtaposing two different perspectives, Obama tried to ask for agreement that people’s anxiety over racial problems is
Barack Obama’s campaign speech, “A More Perfect Union,” not only is it one of the best campaign speeches ever given, but also a great outline for the needs of America and what to do to create a more perfect union. He outlines that we can take care of all the races of America who do not have health care as long as we take it on together, that the real problem isn’t someone taking your job, it’s the corporation sending it overseas for a profit, and that we’ll show our patriotism by caring for the men and women of every color who serve and fight together by giving them the benefits they have earned. However, this campaign speech is almost eight years old and the question is did Barack Obama and we the people do
King’s motive for equality has affected many African Americans in a positive way. One of the positive ways is the announcement of the title of the 45th and first black president of the United States going to Barack Obama. In Barack Obama’s 2008 “A More Perfect Union” speech, he asserted that “Issues of race and gender in America have been a complication throughout our history, and they are still complicated in this primary campaign.” Barack Obama’s intentions were to retaliate against the officials discouraging him from winning the campaign. However, this quote is also used as a statement regarding the racial issues that occurred in the past and that are continuing to occur in the present day. Barack Obama and Dr. King seemingly shared similarities regarding equality. Although they were almost a century apart, Both Barack Obama and Dr. King realized racial equality is a major issue in America. Both of them realized that it is a sensitive issue, but it should not be ignored nor avoided. They realized that racism is an issue that may never come to an end as long as hate crimes and other forms of discrimination occur. They stressed the fact of blacks living in an existing slave mentality. In previous days, Dr. King focused on the way blacks were living in a post slavery era, meaning that blacks were being treated like they never left the plantation. In today’s time, Barack Obama insinuates that blacks are continuing to be treated as slaves, whether it is by other civilians
Obama emotionally influences the nation to move forward from the issues of race that is hindering America. Without dwelling on his family tree, Obama reminds us that his father was black and his mother white, that he came from Kenya, but she came from Kansas: “I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slave and slave owners — an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
From the beginning, and throughout his speech he used in the most effective way rhetorical tools to support his beliefs. The rhetoric tool such as ethos, pathos and logos. He used ethos used to gives his audience a better understanding of who his character is. For him to establish an effective speech of ethos, Obama had to present himself in a way that will make the audience believe in his beliefs as well. In this speech Obama creates his ethos in many different ways that gives his speech not only credibility but, validity also. Obama does
William Apess then asks his mostly white audience to reexamine their Christian values along with their prejudices. His essay acknowledges that unless the discrimination and prejudices that plague the white man over the other races disappear, then there won’t be peace in the Union.
Barack Obama has made no secret that over the past three decades Nelson Mandela has been the greatest influence in his life. Coming from an African ancestry, Obama drew inspiration from Mandela’s life and influenced Obama to take himself upon a journey of self-discovery and find his own voice (Obama, 2004). The repercussions of Mandela’s inspirational work caused Obama to become a part of an anti-apartheid divestment movement in college and to shift to focusing on law and politics (Epstein, 2013). Now that Barack Obama has become President of the United States of America, he has consistently quoted Mandela in all his keynote speeches speaking of freedom and equality and his actions and words are inspired by the desire to emulate Mandela’s powerful actions and movements and the examples that he set, in the 21st century (Killough, 2013). Even within the tribute to Mandela, Obama (2013) says “You can make his life’s work your own…It stirred something ...