What would America look like today if we were all truly equal? If prejudices based off skin color wasn’t ongoing, or if police brutality didn’t exist. Assata Shakur, a former Black Panther and member of the Black Liberation Army, wrote her speech in the 70’s and it continues to apply to our modern day minorities. In To My People, Shakur criticizes the unjust actions and prejudices held against black people in their society at the time.
To begin, Shakur applies the device of diction in order to ignite anger on the topic for her black audience, as well and contributing to a revolutionary undertone. Shakur speculates, “Black people supposedly comprise about fifteen percent of the total amerikkkan population, at least sixty percent of murder …show more content…
The comparisons between the two, to depict how african americans are portrayed erroneously. Shakur expounds“They call us thieves, but we did not rob and murder millions of Indians by ripping off their homeland, then call ourselves pioneers.” When Shakur refers to “they” she refers to white people and their sayings as well as their justifications. However, the speaker takes their justifications and exposes them with truth and anger. She furthers her point by asserting,“They call us kidnappers, yet Brother Clark Squires ...was kidnapped on April z, 1969... and held on one million dollars' ransom in the New York Panther 21 conspiracy case” She compares what white communities title blacks, but makes a antithesis comparison to demonstrate facts over opinions. Shakur illuminates how white people are hypocrites, she then embodies the power of race when she revels, “They call us murderers, but we do not control or enforce a system of racism and oppression that systematically murders Black and Third World people.” Through antithesis between white opinion and prejudice, and blacks factual evidence of crimes, Shakur creates a compelling convincement that white people are capable of harmful unjust prejudice. She unites her african american community for the hope of a revolution. For the duration of the speech, Shakur uses antithesis to provide her audience with a sense of comparison and spite against white racism in
To begin, Shakur applies the device of diction in order to ignite anger on the topic for her black audience, as well and contributing to a revolutionary undertone. Shakur speculates, “Black people supposedly comprise about fifteen percent of the total amerikkkan population, at least sixty percent of murder …show more content…
The comparisons between the two, to depict how african americans are portrayed erroneously. Shakur expounds“They call us thieves, but we did not rob and murder millions of Indians by ripping off their homeland, then call ourselves pioneers.” When Shakur refers to “they” she refers to white people and their sayings as well as their justifications. However, the speaker takes their justifications and exposes them with truth and anger. She furthers her point by asserting,“They call us kidnappers, yet Brother Clark Squires ...was kidnapped on April z, 1969... and held on one million dollars' ransom in the New York Panther 21 conspiracy case” She compares what white communities title blacks, but makes a antithesis comparison to demonstrate facts over opinions. Shakur illuminates how white people are hypocrites, she then embodies the power of race when she revels, “They call us murderers, but we do not control or enforce a system of racism and oppression that systematically murders Black and Third World people.” Through antithesis between white opinion and prejudice, and blacks factual evidence of crimes, Shakur creates a compelling convincement that white people are capable of harmful unjust prejudice. She unites her african american community for the hope of a revolution. For the duration of the speech, Shakur uses antithesis to provide her audience with a sense of comparison and spite against white racism in