The Civil Rights Movement : Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And Governor George C. Wallace

The year was 1963, as the chaos of segregation was unfolding in the Southern states, Governor Wallace and Dr. King were prepared to give their speech on Civil Rights. Governor Wallace will be addressing his constituents in the beginning of the year, whereas Dr. King’s response will be a few months later. With that in mind, these two speeches will be analyzed using the appropriate and pivotal moment they were delivered, also known as Kairos.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a renowned civil rights activist who worked tirelessly to gain equal rights for all African-Americans. He was known throughout the world and his speeches continue to gain attention because of their quality. King was a gifted speaker and knew how to build a proper argument. He built up his credibility and targeted the logic and emotions of his audience. Without Martin Luther King Jr. the civil rights movement may not have seen as much success, and segregation may still have affected us today. By studying King’s work, people can learn much about rhetoric and argument. One of his most persuasive pieces was his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This piece was written on just one of the occasions King was thrown in jail for protesting segregation and the Jim Crow Laws. It was written to eight clergymen who condemned his actions. However, King realized the letter was likely to get attention from more than just the clergymen, and he tailored the letter to include more than one audience. Paragraph 31 found on pages twelve and thirteen of the letter contains the most effective argument in regards to the eight clergymen. It provides emotional and logical arguments for justice and are fully credible because of the sourcing they use.

However, even though both George W. Bush and Martin Luther King Jr. make valid arguments for their cases, King’s approach to racial equality was unprecedented, making him a true pioneer of this cause. His claims and counterclaims, use of language, and his credible experience and opinion, results in the arguments in his speech, "the Letter from Birmingham Jail," defending racial equality in a manner superior to those in George W. Bush's "Ending Racial Inequality.”

During 1963, the country was experiencing political unrest due to the inequality of rights and segregation, therefore bringing two influential men of the South, Governor George C. Wallace and Dr. Martin Luther King, into the limelight. The Civil Rights Movement was attempting to have the law of segregation repealed in the southern states, for this reason Wallace presents his speech, “Segregation Today, Segregation Forever”. Dr. King recognized the need to respond to the governor’s declaration of denying the Negros of Alabama their unalienable rights, and he does so with his speech, “I have a dream….”. The two contending views presented attempted to move the people in the direction which the speakers believed was in the best interest of the country. The Kairos, Ethos, Logos and Pathos will be used to compare both speeches.

Similarly, ethos appeals do not end there, for Dr. King builds his credibility by stating his position as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and his purpose for being in Birmingham

Kairos is a type of argumentative persuasion in the both speakers tried to get their appeal across to the nation by using the Civil Rights movement that was happening at the time to there advantage. When appealing to the nation the speakers use common ground to get the people in agreeing with their statements before telling them what changes that they want to happen. In Wallace’s inaugural address at the capitol of Alabama he used segregation push his campaign. He addresses the concerns to his followers that they are in trouble if the nation doesn’t start segregation in America our freedom would be taken away from us. Six months after that speech Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” after the march on Washington D.C with the hundreds of people present. In the front of Lincoln Memorial as a sign of freedom he appealed to the nation that it needed to come together because that is what makes America great. In an opinion in the similarities these two speeches both speakers are trying to persuade the United States of America in to their belief in what this nation should be run. Another similarity is the chose of locations that they both chose being at historic landmarks. The differences can be found in the way these men used their time, Dr. King gave a short but powerful speech that got strait to the point of the topic he wanted to get across while Wallace gave a long speech that took awhile to get to the point and that lost peoples attention. The manner in witch

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream (1963)” speech, he addresses the idea that in order to fulfill the premise that “all men were created equal,” the people of the nation must work together to move past the injustices inflicted on African Americans in order to ultimately grant them their civil rights. King’s claim is supported by first repeatedly alluding to historically renowned milestones in the fight against oppression and illustrating numerous metaphors to create an emotional connection with his audience. King’s “dream” that he frequently mentions is the nationwide unification to work toward a common goal in order to bring integration of all races and coexist without oppression. By establishing his goal, he creates an earnest

So in 1955, Martin Luther King started the civil rights movement for non-violent protest against the whites for not making blacks not socially equal. Martin had been arrested for these protests and was criticized for his ways of nonviolence. He wrote a letter to white clergymen who criticized him for being “unwise and untimely.” Martin Luther also presented his “I Have a Dream” speech on the Lincoln memorial steps. In this essay, I will compare and contrast critical information of the two passages.

Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the base of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. He dreamed about his children being judged on character, not color. He dreamed of the day when the offspring of slaves and the offspring of their former owners might enjoy each other’s humanity. He dreamed that Mississippi might be made over in the image of justice and that Alabama might redeem its destiny because its youngest citizens joined hands. He dreamed that the true biblical inspiration might spill over into the corridors of hope and faith and baptize the freedom songs of suffering servants. He dreamed that his dream might be recognized as America’s dream, and that freedom might ring from the great peaks and resound in the downcast valleys of the American soul. And he dreamed in such a way that the blues and the spirituals were reconciled in an exhilarating moment of moral synergy that mirrored the unity he wished on the American people.

Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. and Fannie Lou Hamer all delivered powerful, persuasive speeches that will go down in history. The use of these creative individuals’ language and persuasion played a pivotal role within the civil rights movement. We can observe this in the speakers’ rhetoric devices like ethos, logos and pathos.

For decades, African Americans fought for their rights as equal American citizens. It wasn’t until Martin Luther King Jr. started writing speeches and leading nonviolent protests that the white majority started listening. One of these protests was in Birmingham, Alabama, where King was leading a sit-in at a lunch counter. King and his followers were subjected to violence and arrest for these nonviolence protests for their civil rights. Another way King protested for African American rights were through his famous “I Have a Dream Speech” which acknowledged that, contrary to the government’s belief, not all men are equal. His “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” was his letter to the clergymen who were critical of his activities and his “I Have a Dream

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was made to thousands of people at the Washington Monument while facing the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. Dr. King called upon Americas to consider all people, both black and white, to be united, undivided and free. His rhetoric harkened back a hundred years past when the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted during Abraham Lincoln’s term as president which abolished slavery and allowed all people living in America to be equal and have equal rights. Unfortunately, in 1963, America had lost sight of this key Constitutional component instilled in the lives of many. For many years, African Americans suffered from persecution and segregation in a class-oriented society. Martin Luther

Although Martin Luther King and Malcolm X may have used the same rhetorical devices to persuade the same general audience, both broadcasted entirely different messages, with entirely

Dr. King had a “dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” He gave his famous “I have dream” speech at the nation’s capital with 200,000 supporter asking for a peaceful change. Martin Luther King showed patience when he stated “I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land!

Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” was a very inspiring and influential speech in American history and a stand for equal rights. His speech confronted racism in America. This was a remarkable moment in history for equal rights which is remembered to this day. “When all of God’s children, black men, and white men, Jews, and Gentiles, Protestants, and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing,” “Free at last! Free at last!)”