On August 28, 1963, at Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC Martin Luther King delivered the speech “I have a dream “which he is famously known for. It was the culmination of the March to Washington protest. It gave the Civil rights movement in the United States a boost in their quest for equality and racial justice. In the speech, King employed the use of the Aristotelian appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. Besides, he also used anaphora, allusions, repetitions, parallelism, metaphors among other figures of speech to build the theme of the speech (Burell, 2018). The dominant themes in the speech are equality, race, oppression, and discrimination. In the speech, he referred to four books; The Bible, Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation and the Song America. The themes of equality and freedom present in the four document had not yet been attained in the USA. For a long time, peoples of color and Caucasians in America had always disagreed on the concept of equality. In particular, there were heated debates as to whether equality, as defined by the law, meant equality in its entirety in real life.
Use of Aristolean appeals in developing the themes of the speech
King used ethos, pathos, and logos in the speech to a greater extent. Their use was aimed to connect with the audience (Foss, 2017). In the preamble part of the speech, King says that he was happy joining the audience in what would be the most significant demonstration of freedom in the history of the USA. The opening lines set the tone for the speech. King is happy for being the leader of the movement. The logic herein is the freedom for which he is fighting. Through this, he connects with the audience. Immediately after, he shifts his focus to the history of America and the founding fathers of the USA. “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice” (King, 1985). It is clear King refers to Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation to obtain credibility. This is the ethos part of the speech. King observes that the founding fathers of America stood for equality and racial justice. They were the architects of freedom. A hundred years later, there is widespread inequality and social injustice to the people of the color. Apparently, this is a contradiction to the values the founding fathers of America stood for.
He appeals to the audience emotions by informing them that now is the time for them to stand in the movement against racial injustice. “This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning” (King,1985). Evidently, the above statements appeal to the audience emotions in their quest for racial justice. It is evident King’s Christian background influenced his course of action. He followed a similar mantra to that of Gandhi. He wanted to show the audience that they could still agitate for their freedom by using non-violent means (King,2016). He asks his audience not to be blinded in their course of action and start using violence. According to King, it was possible for the African Americans and the whites to coexist. The sons of the former slave owners would sit on the same table of goodwill. This captures the whole intentions of King. Therefore, King had to appeal to the audience emotions to gain their attention and support in the fight for freedom.
King’s use of logic is dominant where he mentions that he is aware that some members of the audience are just free from the cell. Specifically, he wanted to show the audience that he was aware of what was happening on the ground and he could relate to their plight and suffering. “I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers” (King, 1985). King knew that America could only achieve much if all the people were united in the search for freedom (Godwin et al., 2015). The African-Americans had played a crucial role in the history of the USA. During the slavery period, their labor was used l in industrializing America. Therefore, it was unfair denying them a chance to enjoy the fruits of freedom, as they were part of the whole process. The African Americans did not deserve the widespread racism in the state of Alabama and other states where racism was prevalent.
It is clear Kings Speech achieved its intended purpose. It put much pressure on the John F Kennedy administration. Through referring to Gettysburg address in the opening part of the speech and the US declaration of independence in the last part he shows what he stood for. Again, the first part of the speech shows the rampant political and social upheaval that was being experienced at the time. The NAACP leader Medgar Evers had just been assassinated. The White Supremacist leader Byron de la Beckworth had been acquitted of his racism charges. This was followed by protests in the streets. The last part shows his vision and ways through which the USA would enjoy equality. King revolutionized the how both the black and white Americans conceived the concept of leadership.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that King heavily on the Aristotelian appeals to gain the attention of his audience. Although a great speaker himself, his mastery and the use of the ethos, pathos, and logos contributed to the greatness of his speech. Using the persuasion techniques, he was able to paint the image of equality, racial injustices, and freedom. Arguably, his speech was the culmination of the civil rights movement actions.
Reference
Burrell, K. B. (2018). " Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Greater Vision: Manually Bending the Arc of Time Towards Justice.
Godwin, J. L., Neck, C. P., & Godwin, E. R. (2015). Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Chicago Campaign Case: An Intersection of Transformational Leadership and Servant Leadership. Journal of Leadership and Management, 1(3).
Foss, S. K. (2017). Rhetorical criticism: Exploration and practice. Waveland Press.
King, M. L. (2016). Will King’s Dream Become a Reality?. Angela Herbert, 82.
King, M. L. (1985). I Have a Dream: A Speech. Thee Hellbox Press.
