Logos in MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech

Martin Luther King uses logos, appeal to logical reasoning, in his "I Have a Dream" speech to convince the audience that they should protest for equality. One way he does this is by alluding to the Emancipation Proclamation, reasoning that if slavery ended 100 years, then black people should be free. Dr. King did not believe blacks were free, and he supports this claim with evidence of injustices against black people like segregation and police brutality. He also refers to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, stating that these writings were a promise of justice for all, including those who are black. Dr. King also reasons that protests should remain peaceful in order for their movement to come off as dignified. Logos is also used when Dr. King states that people should not come to distrust whites because there are many who fight for black rights and realize that justice means justice for everyone. By using logos, Dr. King easily convinces his argument and makes a strong case for blacks to demand freedom.

-Bilen Tirfe

Pathos in MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech

Many great orators give their speeches with visceral body language. They express the exigence of their topic by seeming like it is urgent, that there is little time to move to action. This strategy has the affect of making your audience believe that they have to move now or suffer the consequences, which are laid out by the orator. This is an effective strategy, but MLK sparingly used it.

MLK would use pathos in his speeches to move his audience but he would never seem anything but patient and poised. He would relay to his audience the feeling that this legislation, the civil rights act, was bound to pass. A feeling of contained excitement came over the crown, because they knew exactly what they needed to do. They needed to protest and gather, but they knew that doing so would bring about the rightful change America needed.

-Garrett Fitzgerald

Logos in "The Ballot or the Bullet"

Within the speech, the rhetorical device arguably used the most to convey X's message is logos. Off the bat, X addresses the audience by saying that regardless of background, religion, or age, they have all suffered by the oppression of the white man. He goes on to give the layout of the House of Representatives and Senate as being two-thirds democratic, however not being able to pass laws as swiftly as they should about civil rights, being so. X also defines words and ties them into his argument to further support it. For example, his definition of a "Dixiecrat"is used to support his notion of racism still existing in the democratic party, with southerners essentially running the government with their seniority. X gives these definitions to enlighten the oblivious audience he has in front of him on the corruption in government. X also uses logos by using simplified cause and effect logic to also trigger reactions. He does this by saying that segregation is against the law, meaning any segregationist is a criminal, meaning that when you demonstrate against segregation, the law and supreme court are on your side. From point A to B, X essentially simplifies the idea that it is ok to fight back against segregation, as the law should be on your side. X also strategically weaves in pathos into his logos, as his definitions of the injustices that the government has done can easily make the audience of the speech become infuriated from the realization of the corruption.

-Yoseph T.

Pathos in "The Ballot or the Bullet"

Malcolm X appeals to pathos extensively throughout his speech "The Ballot or the Bullet".  His passionate voice and charisma incites an emotional response making the audience more likely to agree with him. He invokes a sense of exigence early in the speech stating "1964 threatens to be the most explosive year America has ever witnessed". This creates anxiety and urgency in the audience making them more likely to act.   He spends much of the speech discussing the injustices committed against African-Americans to provoke the audience and make them more receptive to his radical idea presented in the speech title to turn to violence if necessary. Malcolm uses repetition throughout the speech to emphasize and reinforce his argument and imprint it on the audience. One example of this repetition is his use of the title "the ballot or the bullet" which he ends the speech with. By repeating this phrase Malcolm emphasizes the need for action and makes violence seem like a more reasonable solution by continually bringing it up. He repeats this phrase one final time at the end of the speech in order to leave the audience with the idea they need to take action as they move on after listening to the speech. He appeals to a larger audience by presenting his argument without siding with either democrats or republicans. Throughout the speech Malcolm uses emotion and passion to reinforce his call for immediate action.

-Chris Burns

Audience Analysis in "The Ballot or the Bullet"

In Malcolm X's speech regarding the right to vote, on the surface, it becomes quite apparent who the audience is that he is speaking to. He is talking to the men and women across the nation who can vote, telling them to open their eyes to the corruption he sees in the United States government daily. However that is not the only group he is speaking to, as he addresses his friends and enemies, fully believing that not everyone in the audience agrees with his ideals. The majority of audience for the speech is also poor, working long hours for small wages, which he addresses in the speech slightly. The ages of the audience vary and is applicable for all ages, as his points deal with not only people of his generation, but of those in the future generation. Finally, and most importantly, the demographic which he is speaking to the most, is of course, African Americans. The speech revolves around the importance of the black man and woman to be angry at the government and to use their right to vote very discreetly after seeing the daily corruption. Although a large portion of the audience is slightly ignorant towards the ability to vote, nonetheless, they are essentially working class citizens.

-Yoseph T.

Ethos in MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech

A big part of the reason why people were so moved by MLK's speech was because of his extrinsic ethos. One thing that gave him this credibility was that he was not a politician, but a minister. As a minister, people trusted Dr. King more because unlike politicians his only motive was to make a better world and not to give himself power. Dr. King did not endorse any political party because he believed both democrats and republicans were wrong in their handling of race issues. Another thing that gave Dr. King great credibility was his success in the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. Dr. King's leadership in this movement lead to the end of bus segregation. MLK's extrinsic ethos was so great that the FBI thought he was too powerful and even tried to lower his ethos by accusing him of committing adultery and being affiliated with communists.

Dr. King establishes intrinsic ethos in his speech by citing the Emancipation Proclamation and the Declaration of Independence to show that the laws that were currently in place to protect people in the United States were not substantial enough to stop mistreatment of black Americans. He also backs up his speech with evidence of the injustices towards black Americans like police brutality, segregated facilities, and voting restrictions.

This combination of extrinsic and intrinsic ethos gave Dr. King the power to gain people's trust and uplift them to come together and fight this injustice.

-Bilen Tirfe

Audience in MLK's "I Have A Dream" speech

On August 28, 1963 MLK address a crowd of nearly 250,000 people, all of them eager supporters of his cause. MLK was such a powerful force because he was able to get millions of people to move in unison. His overwhelming belief in his own cause and his own way of peaceful protest lead others to believe it just as enthusiastically.

MLK's audience was willing participants in the March on Washington. They all were connected by the single idea of equal rights for all people. MLK made sure to tap into this power of belief, and worked his words to keep this massive group of people glued together. The exigence of his cause grew exponentially with each new supporter. MLK could've never achieved the sweeping reform he did without a passionate audience.

Ethos in "The Ballot or the Bullet"

To understand the ethos of "The Ballot or the Bullet" one must first have an understanding of the extrinsic ethos of the controversial Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a spokesman for the Nation of Islam, a radical religious group that promoted Black Nationalism.Black Nationalism advocates race pride and encourages African Americans to be independent and sufficient of white society. Malcolm X was a controversial figure because he encouraged blacks to take back the rights they deserve through nay means necessary, even if it required violence. He gained plenty of attention and was even criticized by MLK, who once said he felt "Malcolm has done himself and our people a great disservice".

Malcolm establishes intrinsic ethos in his speech "The Ballot or the Bullet" by going in to great detail describing the racial issues in America and what action should be taken to resolve these issues. Intrinsic ethos is established immediately just with the title which Malcolm later explains to be a call for change through either peaceful political means or through violence if ultimately necessary. He shows conviction and passion by emphatically arguing for better rights and pointing out the various injustices faced by African Americans.

It's important as a member of the audience to understand both the intrinsic ethos established within the text as well as the extrinsic ethos of Malcolm X.

-Chris Burns

Kairos in MLK's "I Have a Dream Speech"

When you talk about the civil rights movement, you cannot go on with your discussion without mentioning this speech. This was not just a pillar of the civil rights movement, but considered one of the greatest speeches of all time. MLK achieved this through his kairos, and he used some clever tricks to get the timing just right.

The speech takes place in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. It is given following the March on Washington, which gathered 250,000 people to watch MLK give his speech. This speech is given at the apex of one of the biggest political demonstrations in the nation. It is given in the shadow of the Lincoln memorial, the statue of the man who signed the Emancipation proclamation in 1863. His presence inserted more gravitas in this monumental speech.

MLK also mastered the art of timing to make his rhetoric more effective. The speech took place in 1963, the centennial year of the signing of the Emancipation proclamation. MLK mentions this repeatedly in his speech, and it only adds to the effectiveness of his karios.

Stasis Theory in MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech

In Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, Dr. King addresses the problem of inequality in America, and challenges black men to protest for equal rights. Dr. King elaborated on the issue by stating that even though the Emancipation Proclamation brought hope to millions of black slaves, it was not enough because blacks were still not being treated fairly. Police were brutal to blacks, blacks were not allowed to vote, and facilities for blacks and whites were segregated. Instead of being satisfied with insignificant change like going from small ghettos to larger ones, Dr. King thought they should fight until all men are treated equally as the Constitution intended. Dr. King also believed that blacks should address this issue through peaceful protest. In his speech he says, "We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline." He believes that once blacks in America are also able to achieve the American Dream the same way as whites can, then they can say they are truly free.

-Bilen Tirfe

Kairos in "The Ballot or the Bullet"

The historical background of Malcolm X's speech is shrouded in the entirety of the civil rights movement. The speech was told in the spring of 1964, near the peak of the movement, only a year after the events in Selma and the march on Washington. At this point, X made himself very prominent on TV and the news with his views on the superiority of the black race, as well as his derivation from the civil rights movement, believing that a separation between the races is what is best for the African American people. These views are heavily influenced by his conversion to the Nation of Islam, back in 1948, since their views are that which X was advocating for to the anyone who would listen. The speech, however, is also made about one month after X broke from the Nation of Islam, and started inclining more towards Dr. King's ideas of unity between the races. This is shown in the speech, as his focal points touch base on the importance of exercising caution when voting for the white man, as the ties between the two groups are important for the future of the country. In regards to government, the white male ruled most of the supreme court and congress, making it difficult towards people of color to get a say in the law. This white predominance is what causes X to speak up about the importance of voting.

-Yoseph T.

Stasis Theory in "The Ballot or the Bullet"

The main point being made by Malcolm X in his 1964 speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet" is that African Americans are not being given the rights they deserve and they should take action to ensure these rights themselves whether it's through political nonviolent means or through more aggressive and potentially violent means. Equality must be achieved through either "the ballot or the bullet". Malcolm spent much of the speech defining the issue; he stated that those in power, "the white man", are conspiring against the African Americans and will continue to delay and lie instead of giving African Americans the rights they should have always had. Malcolm stated the importance of this issue by pointing out the years of hard work, blood and sweat that African Americans contributed to the success of America and were rewarded with less than nothing. Malcolm demanded action from his fellow African Americans and repeatedly emphasized that if things do not change immediately then changes will be made to end the oppression through drastic means. He proposed drawing international attention by bringing the injustices against African Americans to the U.N. as a human rights issue. Malcolm argued that no longer should the issue be handled by the whites in power, instead blacks should take things into their own hands by running and enriching their own communities independent from the whites who ran and controlled them for decades.

-Chris Burns