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.
You did a good job at pointing out how MLK's audience is the people who participated in the March of Washington, supporting equal rights but, I think you could elaborate more on what else these people believed in. Was the audience only African-American or were there whites that sided with his ideas as well? Were the people supporting equal rights from religious or labor groups?
ReplyDeleteI liked the fact that you wrote in depth about MLK and his relationship with the audience, but I think a way to elaborate easily is to reference quotes or phrases that MLK said which really shows how he tailored the speech to the audience. I agree that he did have to speak a certain way to keep his followers united, and just one quote demonstrating that can solidify that point.
ReplyDeleteWhile MLK was definitely addressing those present for his speech, I would argue the more important audience would be the one absent. The "I Have a Dream" speech targeted not only those already in agreement with King, but also the American public as a whole. Otherwise, that'd just be preaching to the choir.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Charlie. Martin Luther King was trying to get more people to agree with his cause. The people at the rally already were on his side. He certainly wanted to inspire those people, but there was definitely a persuasive element in his speech that targeted his opponents.
ReplyDelete-Sean
I agree with you about MLK needing a supportive and passionate audience because without them, he would have no movement. The audience of any speech is crucial because the way that they react is imperative to the way the speech is perceived. Do you know if there were any people the audience that disagreed with his viewpoints?
ReplyDelete-Zachary Karetsky
I might be wrong, but I believe that this speech was televised. And even if it wasn't, we have recordings of it which leads me to assume that it was on the radio. With those things in mind, you need to realize that this speech was accessible to everyone, whether they were part of the audience or not. One thing that I did in my audience summary was talk about the intended audience vs. the actual audience and the unintended audience. I feel like that gives a better understanding of the kairotic elements to this speech. Good summary otherwise!
ReplyDeleteI agree above with Casey. I think it might helpful to go into further detail as to what else MLK's supporters believed in. Also, it could beneficial if you talked more about the demographics of the audience and who could be effected by his speech. Otherwise nice post!
ReplyDelete-Marielle Gerber