...stands at times of challenge and controversy (King).” This is a quote from Martin Luther King Jr, and MLK was the leader of the civil rights movement for African Americans in the south. In Strive Toward Freedom by Martin Luther King, he used Ethos, Pathos, Logos in a very effective way to persuade the reader to agree with his form of protest and for the reader to see the injustice toward African Americans in the south. To examine the story Strive toward Freedom Ethos will be examined first, then Logos, and finally Pathos. Martin Luther King used many examples of Ethos in his story and that is what is going to be examined first. Martin Luther King used Ethos in his story Strive Toward Freedom to establish credibility in his speech. An example of Ethos in Strive Toward Freedom is, “ Almost 2,800 years ago Moses...
Words: 695 - Pages: 3
...Vaughn English 102-01 14 September 2009 Someone Else’s Shoes Martin Luther King’s (MLK) “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” was written in 1963 as a response to the Eight Alabama Clergymen’s public statement against King’s actions in April of that year. Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist for desegregation of the south in the early 1960s and overcame much adversity to attain incredible gains on the segregation issue in the United States. King uses effective persuasive appeals of logical evidence, emotional appeal, and author credibility to win over his audience in “The Letter from Birmingham Jail.” MLK’s writing shows the effects of segregation in Birmingham with clear direct language and heart wrenching examples. Imagine being put in his position. If your family and friends were being treated cruelly and unjustly would you not help them in any way possible, especially if included in the mistreated group? After reading MLK’s letter, maybe you would see things in a different way with his convincing examples of logical and emotional appeal. Martin Luther King proves his credibility by several factors. The first way King proves he is a credible author is the fact that he is in the Birmingham jail. He is arrested while protesting in the city. The reader can believe that MLK is writing about something that he is well versed in because he shows that he has experienced it firsthand. Another way that Martin Luther King shows he’s plausible is by stating “I have the honor of serving...
Words: 1426 - Pages: 6
...Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, “Darkness can’t drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate can’t drive out hate; only love can do that.” These lines stated by King are very crucial as it was said in a time period where these words were weighed heavily. King is known as a social activist who led the Civil Rights Movement during the mid-1950s. He has made many speeches throughout the Movement in which he is best known because of them. During the Civil Right Movement the main goal of it was to end racial inequality. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary inequality means, “an unfair situation in which some people have more rights or better opportunities than other people.” Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” is the most compelling...
Words: 965 - Pages: 4
...Rhetorical Analysis of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech Martin Luther King Jr. was an American civil rights activist who boldly called an end to racism in the United States. On August 28, 1963 he delivered a speech in front of more than 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial; a speech that became famous for its inspiration; a speech that was a defining moment for the American Civil Rights Movement; a speech plainly known as “I Have a Dream.” This infamous speech was so influential and moving because of the many rhetorical devices and appeals used that effectively related to the emotions and knowledge of the common people. Techniques used so beautifully and words spoken so genuinely that the hearts of those listening...
Words: 1152 - Pages: 5
...Do you know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr? He was the person that stopped segregation. There was a lot reasons he wanted to change the world. Starting off is that he wanted to stop segregation as a result of his personal experiences. Even as a child he witnessed societal issues. For example black people could not travel and watch the same movies as white people. In addition to that when he was 15 years old he went to Connecticut and witnessed how wonderful it was. This taught him that life could be just as great as it was in Connecticut. Adding on to this when he was in high school he made a speech about segregation and this showed him how to talk in front of people. Furthermore is what happened to him during his life. When he was 6 years...
Words: 418 - Pages: 2
...Augustine “an unjust law is no law at all…” From this we can begin to reflect on the distinction between justice and injustice and justice in laws. Martin Luther King Jr. establishes this distinction based on how a law affects an individuals personality or basic human rights. If they downgrade these things the law is considered unjust, but if they were to boost an individuals personality or soul, this law is considered just. Martin Luther King Jr.’s focus on racial injustice and what makes these laws unjust is supported by his argument that a majority of these laws are established by the “power majority group” (Letter from a Birmingham Jail) which in his case refers to the white clergymen instilling all these prejudice unjust laws. What makes laws like this unjust is that the group establishing them is not affected by these laws but only affects the minority group as well as downgrading their souls and personality. For example, to desegregate bathrooms and have African Americans and Whites share the bathroom would not affect the “power majority group”. Sharing bathrooms with another race has no change on either race’s experience for the short amount of time they will be using the same bathroom. Since, this law only degrades the personality of African Americans, it is unjust. MLK Jr. is enforcing the idea that people in power don’t willingly walk away from high power, even if there is injustice. Changing unjust laws to just laws threaten their power and...
Words: 1976 - Pages: 8
...was assassinated on April 4th 1968. James Earl Ray was convicted on march 10th 1969. A whole year after MLK jr. died! He was eligible for the death sentence, but was instead given 99 years in prison. He tried to get a retrial, but he failed. In 1998, James Earl Ray died in prison due to Hepatitis C (Author Unknown, 2015, James Earl Ray). In South Africa, Black people were forced to learn and speak a new language. That language was called Afrikaans. This language was created by White people, and based on the Dutch language. The language change resulted in the Soweto riots in 1976. Most of the people in the South African president’s cabinet speak Afrikaans. This language change was horribly mean of the White people. The Afrikaans language was taught in all schools in South Africa. Replacing the regular African language that the children were learning...
Words: 907 - Pages: 4
...Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) letter relates to the civil rights timeline because during MLK’s time in Birmingham jail he wrote a letter to the clergymen as to why he was in jail. He explained in the letter that he was protesting and in the timeline it shows when MLK’s letter made a difference. In the timeline 1955 is which black’s started to stand up for their rights, “1955: Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a montgomery bus boy boycott begins and lasts for more than a year. Buses desegregated in 1956.” SB book page 212. Therefore this shows that people are standing up, “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” SB book page 207. MLK states that...
Words: 273 - Pages: 2
...Martin & Malcolm & America In this paper, there will be a primary focus on two of the most prominent leaders during the civil rights era. These two leaders are Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. The paper will discuss how these extraordinary men made their phenomenal contributions to America by offering to bring about their own political, racial, and social views that were affecting the people of color. Their ability to voice their strong opinions about the injustices that were taking place among African Americans and the oppositions that were before them gave them the durability to prolong the fight for freedom and justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were both men of purpose, dignity, and pride. The ongoing effort they gave for the people and to the people helped them to earn the respect that has followed them for decades. For that reason, this paper will reflect the ways in which both men contributed to the African American culture and the shaping of America in an effort to bring about a change that was needed to move forward. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X had different political philosophies; however, they both went about using different methods to campaign for civil rights. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a champion of non-violent protests and peace marches. His speeches entranced both blacks and whites into action for the civil rights movement. MLK knew that if the blacks worked for peace, peacefully, then equality was inevitable. “What they...
Words: 1387 - Pages: 6
...disobedience is a righteous way for a person or a group to make their point to the world. Great leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Dr. MLK) and Mohandas K. Gandhi (Gandhi) harnessed the idea and brought it to its prominence. Civil disobedience in its purest form is a particularly strong concept because it requires a self-purification process. This process enlightens civil resisters to the reality of longsuffering for a cause without any type of retaliation. Also, there are arguments against civil disobedience. One such argument is “wait” because change will come. Another is that civil disobedience precipitates violence. These arguments are extremely weak. Because of these weak arguments along with the strong concept of self-purification, I am a proponent of civil disobedience. Dr. MLK was a firm believer in the self-purification process. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, he speaks of undertaking a process of self-purification. “We began a series of workshops on nonviolence and we repeatedly asked ourselves: ‘Are you able to accept blows without retaliation?’ ‘Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail (King 158)?’” Dr. MLK knew that in order to appeal to the public, they must endure the punishment without retaliation. This is explained when he says, “Laying out our case before the conscience of the local and national community (King 158).” Dr. MLK had a grasp on the notion that if his people were to become violent, they would not appeal to anyone’s conscience...
Words: 732 - Pages: 3
...Blake Douglas 903967372 Lesson 3 assignment Robert F. Kennedy’s Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (analysis) Robert F. Kennedy’s speech on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. was given on April 4, 1968 in Indianapolis, Indiana to an audience that was full of bitterness, hatred, and revenge for the killing of a beloved civil rights activist and philanthropist of the United States. The concern for riots and bloodshed was apparent to the Senator prior to addressing the audience in Indiana, and even with all of this fear, the Democratic Presidential nominee was able to effectively address the crowd with care, passion, and love. Although Kennedy was faced with a diverse demographical audience with different skin color and cultural differences, he attempted to bring the audience together with hope for the future of the country and the ability to move forward from the tragedy. The audience at the speech by Kennedy after the assassination of MLK Jr. was composed of a largely black crowd in a section of town that was predominately poor. Prior to the speech the audience was unaware of the assassination of Dr. King. Senator Kennedy was on a campaign trail and was planning on speaking on his potential to become the President of the United States. Just prior to the beginning of the speech the Senator was made aware of the assassination and had to quickly come up with a speech to keep the audience calm and inform them of the incident with compassion...
Words: 461 - Pages: 2
...RELI 8 December 2015 1. Briefly tell the lives of Buddha and Muhammad. How did their life experiences affect their teaching? (10 points) Siddhartha – whose name means “the one whose objective is attained” – was born into a noble family around the year 560 AC. in the city of Kapilavastu in Nepal. Legend says that at the moment that his mother was making love with his father, she had a vision: six elephants, each one with a lotus flower on his back, were coming in her direction. The next instant, Siddhartha was conceived. During her pregnancy, Queen Maya, his mother, decided to call the wise men in the kingdom to interpret the vision she had had, and they were unanimous in affirming that the child about to be brought into the world would be a great king or a great priest. Siddhartha’s childhood and adolescence were very like ours; his parents wanted by all means to protect their son from knowing about the misery of the world. So he led his life confined between the walls of the gigantic palace where his parents lived and where everything seemed perfect and harmonious. He married, had a son and knew only the pleasures and delights of life. Eventually, Siddhartha wanted to keep being in the city, whilst being in the city the deprivation of the sight of suffering in his life finally became a reality to him. Shortly thereafter, he became enlightened. 2. Tell some ways that Hinduism and Buddhism are similar. Why is this so? (10 points) Every being wants happiness...
Words: 938 - Pages: 4
...have witness and suffered by the hands of the Germans in one of their infamous death camps for people deemed to be inferior by the Germans. Elie a man who fight till this day advocating for peace ,and not letting history repeat itself in the last WW. He had wrote his own speeches the most well known one Hope, Despair,and memory in the very last sentence of his speech he says “Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures, it is our gift to each other.” This quote alone gives the whole speech its meaning, we shouldn’t wait for peace to happen you have to make peace happen. A very strong advocator in human rights Martin Luther King Jr would strongly agree with Elie’s opinion. MLK would commend Wiesel’s quote because he stood for the fact that violence was never the answer, understanding it would have spawned more violence....
Words: 495 - Pages: 2
...Christian St. Germaine Mr. Gomez American Literature 15 April 2015 The Great Racial Debate; and Differences of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. for Racial Equality America in the 1960s was marked by an era of unfortunate segregation, violence and unrest towards African Americans in the country. They faced often-brutal violence and a government that had forgotten them in regards to human rights. Blacks needed something to be done about the harm and inequality they were facing at the time. Fortunately, two men in particular rose to the occasion to fight for what they believed in. They focused on achieving the same goal of a better society for Blacks. However, they differed greatly in regards to how they sought to complete this goal. While Malcolm X often viewed the problem as a war and wanted to ensure that his people would have the means and the power to fight back against the harmful Whites. Martin Luther King Jr. believed it would be more beneficial to both parties if the violence ceased to exist. The struggle for racial equality caused Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. to seek separate and contradictory methods of achieving what they felt was right for African Americans. One main difference between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. was their distinctive childhoods. The two men were raised under dissimilar circumstances and environments. It can be supposed that the way they grew up directly relates to the views they had on the racial problems and the way...
Words: 2834 - Pages: 12
...community. • There is no correct definition of leadership. Leadership is a concept that we are fascinated by yet it is one of the least understood phenomenas of humanity. • Leadership is a trait that can be learned and enhanced with experience, however it is not something that can be just given, otherwise it will lead to failure. Leadership is a talent, like playing the piano, it takes time to cultivate leadership to become effective at inspiring others, much like it takes time for a pianist to be able to stroke the keys perfectly to Mozart’s Requiem. • “Putting a man in charge and calling him a leader is like giving a man a Bible and calling him a preacher. Bestowing the title, doesn't bestow the talent.” - Price Pritchett How would you define a leader? • Leaders have an ability to influence their followers with confidence through effective communication. • Leaders are teachers that set the path and challenge others to do so. • Leaders are stewards of their followers, and take risks on behalf of the followers (often seen as courage). In your estimation, what are the five key jobs, tasks, and/or responsibilities of being a leader? • Leadership requires; Character, Conscientiousness, Communication, Courage, Charisma Example of a Good Leader • Martin Luther King Jr. • Letter from a...
Words: 606 - Pages: 3
